The Assembly met on Tuesday, June 9, to vote on a number of bills, including a package of firearm-related legislation.  Assembly Bill 220 establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain violent criminals who are found to possess firearms after completion of their original sentence or who use them in the commission of further violent crimes.  AB 220 enjoyed bipartisan support and passed on a voice vote.  Other firearm-related bills the Assembly passed with bipartisan support include Senate Bill 70 (to allow off-duty, former, or out-of-state law enforcement officers to carry firearms on school grounds) and Assembly Bill 75 (to allow the Wisconsin Department of Justice to issue concealed-carry permits to members of the U.S. armed forces from out of state who are scheduled to be stationed in Wisconsin for at least a year).  I also voted to concur in Senate Bill 35, which repeals the 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases.  In most cases, the required criminal background check takes only a matter of minutes; it is no longer the time-consuming, manual process it was when the 48-hour waiting period was first imposed.  SB 35 permits a dealer to transfer the gun to the buyer as soon as the Department of Justice has verified that the buyer has a clean record. 

I also supported Assembly Bill 25, which addresses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recent decision to impose new source performance standards on wood-burning stoves.  The new standards are more stringent and cover a broader range of wood stoves than the previous standards.  Recognizing that Wisconsin is among the top 10 states in using wood stoves and that many Wisconsin residents depend on wood heat as an alternative to more-expensive alternatives, AB 25 forbids the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from enforcing the new EPA standards or incorporating them into the state administrative code.  Michigan and Missouri have passed similar laws, and some other states are also considering such legislation.

You can follow the Legislature's activities via WisconsinEye or WisPolitics' Quorum Call blog.

A number of committees have also been meeting in recent weeks.  Last week, the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations held a hearing on Assembly Bill 217, a bill I introduced that would require applicants for clinical social worker licenses to have experience using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  Until recently, the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board included that requirement in its administrative rules, but there were concerns among some parties that the requirement was not backed by statutory authority.  AB 217 is intended to resolve the issue.  The committee has scheduled a vote on the bill for next Tuesday.

On Wednesday of this week, the Assembly Committee on Labor held a hearing on another bill I authored, Assembly Bill 190.  Under 2013 Act 143, electricians who meet certain age and experience requirements qualify for an exemption from the testing requirement that is otherwise necessary for being licensed as a master or journeyman; qualifying electricians would receive an alternative license from the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).  At the time, my expectation was that DSPS would impose continuing education and renewal requirements similar to those it already imposed on other electrical licenses.  However, the final rules did not include such provisions, so AB 190 will require these grandfathered electricians to renew their credentials every four years and to earn the same number of continuing education credits as master electricians.  I believe it is absolutely essential that electricians take continuing education courses so that they can keep up to date on developments in the trade, particularly changes to the National Electrical Code.  Electricity is dangerous, and electricians need to know what they're doing.

Since my last E-Update, The Joint Committee on Finance has held four more executive sessions on the 2015-2017 state budget bill, Assembly Bill 21 and Senate Bill 21.  The biggest chunk left is the transportation budget, and legislative leaders are working with Governor Walker to produce a solution to the funding problem - increasing revenue vs. increasing bonding vs. reducing projects.  As for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, the compromise plan supported by Governor Walker may be included in the budget or it may be introduced as separate legislation.  The finance committee may meet next week to discuss these issues.

As you can probably tell, things are still very much in flux where the budget is concerned, but I predict the finance committee's version will be turned over to the Assembly and the Senate for debate and a vote in the next few weeks.  It is important to bear in mind that at once the debate is finished, I will have to vote on the budget as a whole - I will be not be able to pick and choose what to vote for and against.  No one is going to be 100% satisfied with the final product, and the question will be whether the good in it outweighs the bad.  That is what will determine my vote when the time comes.

In the meantime, you may follow the finance committee's activities on WisPolitics' Budget Blog.

Elva Mae Ryan and Rep. Tom Larson

Last week, I was happy to present Elva Mae Ryan of Chippewa Falls with a citation in honor of her 100th birthday.  Governor Walker and Sen. Terry Moulton also signed the citation.  Continuing best wishes to Elva Mae and her family!