What to Expect from the Wisconsin Legislature This Week

Both the State Senate and the State Assembly are in this week each for a single day of action.

The State Senate needs to approve the changed date for the Death Penalty advisory referendum, which passed the State Assembly after Speaker John Gard sent three GOP legislators home to skip out on the vote. Expect a lot of fireworks on the Senate floor on this issue.

Also, the State Assembly is in to approve a few state employee contracts and allegedly a piece or two of non-controversial legislation. However, given what happened with the death penalty bill, one might expect an agitated body regardless of what’s on the agenda.

The only thing we do know is that the sooner the legislature rests completely, the less damage that can occur. After a session of attempts at banning birth control, allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions, allowing hidden guns, banning stem cell research and letting eight-year-olds hunt, we certainly can only do better by not working.

If we actually did our jobs, the agendas this week would be slated with the Ethics Reform Bill (SB-1), health care proposals and other bills that actually help people.

Instead, this continually dysfunctional legislature can only pass politically-charge legislation with the intent to influence the fall elections. In other words, the legislative goal of the GOP majority is to get re-elected so that we can pass more bills that get us re-elected, rather than bills that actually help Wisconsin’s working families.

Hasn’t the public had enough yet?