WISCONSIN CATHOLIC CONFERENCE WCC Logo with name
Capitol Update

January 8, 2016Like us on Facebook

Contents Include:
1.  Legislative Session Resumes and State of the State Address
2.  John Huebscher to Retire as WCC Executive Director, Kim Wadas Named New Director
3.  Upcoming Hearings of Interest
4.  New Bills of Interest
5.  Websites of Interest
 
Legislative Session Resumes and State of the State Address
The Senate will be in session on Tuesday, January 12 at 11am and Wednesday, January 20 at 11am.  The Assembly will be in session on Tuesday, January 12 and Tuesday, January 19.  The Governor will give the State of the State at 7pm on Tuesday, January 19. 
 
John Huebscher to Retire as WCC Executive Director
The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) has announced that Executive Director John Huebscher will retire on January 15 and Associate Director Kim Wadas will succeed him.
 
Huebscher is the WCC's second director, having succeeded Charles Phillips in July of 1992.  Prior to becoming Executive Director, Huebscher was the WCC's Associate Director from 1987 to 1992.
 
Wadas is a graduate of Marquette University and the University of Iowa College of Law.  She has been with the WCC since 2007, serving as Associate Director for Education and Health Care.  She lives in Madison and is a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish.
 
Archbishop Jerome Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee and President of the WCC board, said, "The bishops greatly appreciate John's 28 years of service to the Catholic Church in the state of Wisconsin.  He provided a thoughtful and insightful presence to the issues addressed by the WCC.  At the same time, we have come to appreciate the talents of Kim Wadas during her nearly eight years with WCC.  We are confident she will continue to provide the same thoughtful and informed representation that has marked the WCC's advocacy in the past."
 
Upcoming Hearings of Interest
(N.B.  Only bills of interest are flagged.  In most cases, committees will be considering other bills as well.)

Senate Public Benefit and Regulatory Reform, Noon, Wed, Jan. 13, 330-SW
AB-188 Inactive FoodShare Accounts (Jacque, Andre (R)) Removing FoodShare benefits from an inactive account and expunging unused benefits after one year.
SB-472 Public Assistance Fraud ID Incentive Program (Cowles, Robert (R)) An optional incentive program for counties and tribes that identify fraudulent activity in certain public assistance programs, granting rule-making authority, and making appropriations.
 
Senate Labor and Government Reform, 9:30 am, Thu., Jan. 14, 330-SW
SB-401 Unemployment Insurance Fraud Penalties (Kapenga, Chris (R)) Criminal penalties for fraud in obtaining unemployment insurance benefits and providing a criminal penalty. Referred to Senate Labor and Government Reform
 
Assembly Corrections, 9:30 am, Thu, Jan. 14, 400-NE
AB-597 Alcohol and Other Drug Assessments (Krug, Scott (R)) Alcohol and other drug assessments in counties and correctional institutions and making an appropriation.
AB-599 Community Services Grants (Krug, Scott (R)) Grants for community services to reduce recidivism and making an appropriation.
 
Assembly Urban and Local Affairs, 10 am, Wed., Jan. 20, 412-E
AB-573 Declarations of Domestic Partnership (Ballweg, Joan (R)) Declarations of domestic partnership and marriage licenses.
AB-450 Immigration Status Inquiries (Spiros, John (R)) Prohibiting local ordinances, resolutions, and policies that prohibit immigration status inquiries and reports to, and cooperation with, other units of government about the presence of illegal aliens, authorizing certain elective officeholders to commence an enforcement action, and providing a reduction in shared revenue payments.
 
New Bills of Interest
SB-474 Food Bank Donations (Petrowski, Jerry (R)) Grants to support donation of farm and food products to food banks and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism
 
SB-482 Qualification for Employment (Darling, Alberta (R)) Creating a procedure for granting certificates of qualification for employment. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-487 Visitation of Facilities Residents (Moulton, Terry (R)) Visitation of residents of certain facilities by adult children. Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
 
SB-488 Address Confidentiality (Fitzgerald, Scott (R)) Creating a program to protect the confidentiality of addresses for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-489 Family Medical Leave Act (Bewley, Janet (D)) Inclusion of recovery from bone marrow or organ donation surgery as a serious health condition for which an employee may take leave from employment under the family and medical leave law and prohibiting certain insurance practices on the basis of a person being a living organ donor or bone marrow donor. Referred to Senate Labor and Government Reform
 
SB-491 Student Loan Assistance (Lassa, Julie (D)) Student loan assistance for individuals employed in critical industry sectors, providing an exemption from rule-making procedures, and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Universities and Technical Colleges
 
SB-500 Crime Victim Restitution (Olsen, Luther (R)) Restitution owed to victims of crime. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-501 Sexual Abuse Prevention Education (Petrowski, Jerry (R)) Requiring sexual abuse prevention education. Referred to Senate Education
 
AB-568 Terminating a Tenancy (Brooks, Robert (R)) Terminating a tenancy for criminal activity or drug-related criminal activity; disposition of personal property left in rental property by a trespasser; preexisting sprinkler ordinances that are stricter than the multifamily dwelling code; towing vehicles illegally parked on private property; terminating certain tenancies for breaches other than failure to pay rent; limitations on the authority of political subdivisions to regulate rental units, historic properties, and signs; prohibiting local governmental units from imposing real property purchase or residential real property occupancy requirements; creating a criminal penalty; and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Housing and Real Estate
 
AB-604 Failure to Pay Suspension (Spiros, John (R)) Suspension of operating privilege for failure to pay monetary judgment. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Websites of Interest

2015-16 Session Schedule 

Senate Directory 

Assembly Directory 

Senate Committees 

Assembly Committees 

Weekly Schedule of Committee Activities 

Who Are My Legislators or type your address in the top right hand corner of the Legislature's Home Page: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/ 

Wisconsin Eye - Independent, nonpartisan video coverage of state government proceedings.

Capitol Update is a periodic e-mail on legislative issues from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.

 

Wisconsin Catholic Conference

131 W. Wilson St., Suite 1105

Madison, WI 53703

608/257-0004

www.wisconsincatholic.org

[email protected]