Governor Signs Bill to Make Cheese Wisconsin’s State Dairy Product

Sen. Marklein, Rep. Novak and Gov. Walker Join Mineral Point Fourth Graders for a Bill Signing at Their School

Mineral Point, WI – Cheese just earned a place of honor among Wisconsin’s state symbols as the official State Dairy Product. Senator Howard Marklein, Representative Todd Novak and Governor Scott Walker joined the fourth graders of Mineral Point Elementary school to sign Assembly Bill (AB) 73 into Act 8.
 
“I am so proud of the Mineral Point fourth graders who successfully presented their idea, testified before a joint committee and lobbied all of the legislators in the Senate and the Assembly,” Marklein said. “They participated in every step of the legislative process to make their idea a law from start to finish. This is something they will never forget!”
 
“I’m proud of the class and thrilled that Governor Walker was able to sign the bill here at Mineral Point Elementary School,” said Novak. “These are some very impressive students.”
 
AB 73 was heard by the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology, and Consumer Protection in a joint hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2017.  It unanimously passed the State Assembly on April 4, 2017 and the Senate on May 5, 2017.
 
Governor Walker visited Mineral Point Elementary school today to sign the bill with the fourth graders, their teachers, the legislative sponsors, local cheesemakers and representatives from Wisconsin’s dairy industry.
 
School Board Member Salary Refusal Bill Signed
 
Governor Walker also signed Senate Bill (SB) 62 to become Act 9, which was co-authored by Sen. Marklein and Rep. Novak. SB 62 allows an elected member of a school board to refuse a salary for holding office. Under prior law a city, village, town or county elected official may decline their salary without responsibility for the tax liability had they accepted it. School board members were not included in this list.
 
Act 9 revises state law so that school board members are treated the same as other elected officials when they refuse to accept their salary.