The Assembly was in session Wednesday and Thursday this week to discuss non-budget legislation. Among some of the key bills passed were:

·         Assembly Bill 225:  AB 225 made various reforms to campaign finance and election laws.  As originally introduced, this bill was controversial.  However, on Monday, June 10, the Assembly elections committee approved sweeping changes to eliminate most of the more contentious elements from AB 225.  As a result of these changes, the bill gained bipartisan support and passed out of committee on an 8-1 vote.  Some of the most notable provisions are an increase in individual donation limits, which have not changed since 1970, and authorizing online voter registration.  I am happy both sides of the aisle were able to work together to reach a compromise.  The Assembly passed AB 225 on Wednesday, June 12, in a bipartisan voice vote.  It will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

·         Senate Bill 200:  SB 200 made important reforms to unemployment insurance (UI) in Wisconsin.  As I mentioned in a previous E-Update, earlier this session I was part of a UI working group with several of my legislative colleagues.  We each reached out to our constituents for input about wasteful and fraudulent UI claims in their businesses.  As a former small business owner myself, I know the challenges many employers face during times of economic uncertainty.  In its current structure, our state’s UI program is unsustainable, carrying an $876 million debt at the end of 2012.  SB 200 increases the maximum weekly unemployment payout while also putting limits on who is eligible to collect UI.  A standardized handbook will also help to clarify the responsibilities of both the employer and employee on what unemployment insurance is and when it is paid.  Likewise, SB 200 allows for periodic audits to ensure the state is appropriately paying out UI claims.  These reforms will help root out waste and abuse while protecting legitimate UI claims.  The Senate passed SB 200 on Tuesday, June 11, and the Assembly concurred in it the following day on a 61-35 vote.  SB 200 will now go to Governor Walker for his approval.

As I’ve said before, if you are facing issues regarding unemployment insurance as an employer or employee in the 67^th Assembly District, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I appreciate all of those who have reached out so far.

·         Assembly Bills 175, 176, and 187:  These bills, all of which had bipartisan support and passed on voice votes on Thursday, are intended to make it easier for law enforcement and the courts to respond to domestic violence.  AB 175 requires law enforcement officers who respond to domestic violence calls and do not make arrests to file reports explaining their reasons for not doing so.  AB 176 includes various reforms to the domestic abuse temporary restraining order process.  AB 187 allows judges and juries in domestic abuse trials to hear evidence about past acts of domestic violence committed by defendants.  These bills will go to the Senate for further consideration.

·         Assembly Bill 216:  AB 216, which I cosponsored, generally prohibits the state’s Group Insurance Board from entering into contracts with group health insurers that cover abortion services.  AB 216 also generally exempts insurers from the requirement to cover prescription contraceptives if the insurer offers a group health insurance plan to certain religious entities.  The Assembly passed AB 216 on a 58-39 vote on Thursday, and the bill will go to the Senate for further consideration.

·         Assembly Bill 217:  AB 217, which I cosponsored, prohibits the knowing performance of a sex-selective abortion, an abortion that is requested solely because of the unborn child’s sex.  AB 217 permits civil actions to be taken against abortionists who perform such procedures.  The Assembly passed AB 217 on a 58-39 vote on Thursday, and the bill will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

·         Senate Bill 206:  As amended and passed by the Senate on Wednesday, SB 206, which I cosponsored, generally requires an abortionist to arrange for his or her patient to receive an ultrasound; during the ultrasound, the person performing the ultrasound must then display the images, including any detectable heartbeat, so the mother has the opportunity to see them.  The person performing the ultrasound would also provide oral information explaining the images.  SB 206 provides exceptions to the ultrasound requirement in cases involving medical emergencies, sexual assault, or incest.  The mother would also have the choice between a transabdominal and a transvaginal ultrasound.  The Assembly concurred in SB 206 on Thursday on a 56-39 vote, and SB 206 will go to the Governor for his signature.

As I mentioned last week’s E-Update, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) completed its work on Assembly Bill 40, the 2013-2015 state budget.  The Assembly currently plans to vote on AB 40 next week.  The Assembly substitute amendment that incorporates JFC’s changes will be released in the near future, but you can compare JFC’s version of the budget with Governor Walker’s original bill in a 765-page comparative summary assembled by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.  The LFB has also published a number of other interesting papers concerning changes to taxes and fees, non-policy items in the budget, the budget’s impact on property taxes, and other subjects.