Wisconsin Legislature Passes Bill to Allow Alcohol Sales to Begin at 6 a.m.

A bill to extend the hours under which Wisconsin liquor stores can operate passed in the Legislature this past week, and now awaits the final approval of the governor.

AB 63, which seeks to allow liquor stores to open at 6 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., unanimously passed in the Assembly on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Two days later, it was approved in the Senate by a vote of 23-8.

Under the bill, liquor stores are still required to halt sales of intoxicating liquors at 9 p.m., and beer at midnight.

AB 63 also allows local municipalities to have the final say in how long liquor stores can be open, meaning they can impose more restrictive hours.

Supporters of the legislation have said the bill would provide more convenience for consumers, allowing night-shift employees to buy a case on their way home, or hunters to grab a six-pack before hitting the road.

Opponents have argued the legislation sends the wrong message to Wisconsin residents, and does nothing more than encourage alcohol abuse.

Both Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-District 10) and Rep. Dean Knudson (R-District 30) voted in favor of the legislation. AB 63 now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker to become law.

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Rep. Dean Knudson (R-District 30)

• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 93. The legislation seeks to impose the same penalties for providing tobacco to a minor that currently exist for providing cigarettes to a minor. The bill passed with a unanimous vote.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 104. The legislation seeks to change the eligibility requirements to serve on the state's Natural Resources Board, requiring that at least one member has a background in agriculture. It would also require that at least three members have held hunting permits in the last decade. Presently, the board is composed of nine members. The bill passed with a vote of 80-13.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of SB 96. The bill makes changes to licensing standards required by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for motor vehicle sellers. SB 96 passed the Assembly with a vote of 85-7.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 158. The bill seeks to prevent out-of-state residents from voting in the conservation congress that advises the Natural Resources Board. The bill passes with unanimous consent. It now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of SB 109. The bill seeks to expand the definition of bodily harm that results in a felony for resisting arrest or obstruction of justice. Under this legislation, soft tissue injury is added to the list of injuries that would result in the commission of a felony. The bill passed with unanimous consent.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 200. The legislation seeks to allow samples and sales of wine at fairgrounds. It passed the Assembly with unanimous consent, and now awaits action in the Senate Organization Committee.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 212. Under current law, anyone who throws or expels bodily fluid at a law enforcement official, fire fighter or a public safety official, is guilty of a Class I felony if the person intends that the substance come into contact with the public safety worker and intends to cause bodily harm to the public safety worker. This legislation would eliminate the element that the person intend to cause bodily harm to the public safety worker. It passed with unanimous consent, and now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 217. Under current law it is illegal to impersonate a peace officer. This bill extends that law to cover impersonating a impersonating a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, or a first responder. The bill passed unanimously, it now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 245. The bill seeks to ease restrictions on obtaining prescription drugs for research purposes by faculty member at institutions of higher education. The legislation passed unanimously, it now awaits action in the Senate.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 263. The bill seeks to allow person who is convicted of obstructing a law enforcement officer by providing false information to the officer or placing physical evidence with the intent to mislead the officer to be assessed with the costs associated with that investigation by the law enforcement agency that performed the investigation. It passed with unanimous consent, and now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted in favor of AB 265. The legislation seeks to modify statutory standards for bicycling. It passed with unanimous consent, and now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Knudson voted against withdrawing Assembly Resolution 7 from committee for a vote. The resolution seeks to allow protesters to peacefully assemble and protest in the Assembly gallery. The resolution failed to be withdrawn from committee by a vote of 57-37. 
• Knudson has a meeting scheduled for the Committee on Colleges and Universities for Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-District 10)

• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Sen. Harsdorf voted in favor of SB 45. The bill, authored by Sen. Harsdorf, seeks to allow nurses in schools to administer and provide over the counter medications to students with parental approval. The legislation now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of SB 117. Under current law, all actions in which the sole defendant is the state, a state board or commission, or certain state officers, employees, or agents must be brought in Dane County. This bill permits the appellant to select the court of appeals district within which to bring the appeal, but the court of appeals district must not contain the circuit court from which the judgment or order was issued. The legislation passed with an 18-15 vote, it now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of AB 248. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Harsdorf, seeks to change regulations for transporting hay and straw, and passed with a vote of 33-0. Having already passed in the Assembly, it now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of AB 252. The legislation seeks to change seasonal weight limitations for vehicles transporting crops, it passed with a unanimous vote. Having already passed in the Assembly, it now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of AB 253. The bill seeks to change regulations on maximum length of vehicles carrying poles, pipe, girders, and similar materials on highways, and passed with a unanimous vote. Having already passed in the Assembly, it now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of AB 254. The legislation seeks to change restrictions on vehicles on a highway without an overlength permit, and passed with a unanimous vote. Having already passed in the Assembly, it now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf voted in favor of AB 267. The bill seeks to change requirements for operation of three-vehicle combinations and allows their operation without a permit. AB 267 passed unanimously. Having already passed in the Assembly, it now awaits the signature of Gov. Walker.
• On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Harsdorf released a new blog posting on her legislative website, Legislation promotes manufacturing skills training.
• On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Harsdorf released a new blog post on her legislative website, Concealed carry website.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf voted in favor of SB 86. The legislation will allow schools to fire or refuse to hire convicted felons. The bill now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf voted in favor of SB 212. The legislation seeks to revise nursing home standards in Wisconsin. The bill passed by a vote of 24-7, it now awaits action in the Assembly Committee on Rules.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf voted in favor of SE 1 SB 12. The special session bill seeks to limit attorney fees to three times the amount of compensatory damages. It passed with a 17-15 vote, and now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf voted in favor of SE 1 SB 23. The special session bill seeks to change practices of the Department of Revenue. It passed by a 17-15 vote, and now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf voted in favor of SE 1 SB 20. The special session legislation will change agricultural production loan guarantees administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. It passed with unanimous consent, and now awaits action in the Assembly.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Harsdorf released a new blog post on her legislative website, Website highlights reforms and their results.
• On Saturday, Oct. 29, Harsdorf released a new blog post on Patch, .
• Harsdorf has no committee meetings scheduled for the week.

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)

• On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Rep. Kind voted against H.R. 1904: Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011. According to the legislative summary, the bill seeks to "facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in southeast Arizona by authorizing and directing an exchange of federal and non-federal land," among other purposes. The bill passed by a vote of 235-186, and now awaits action in the U.S. Senate.
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Kind voted in favor of H.R. 674. The bill seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government entities, to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-related programs. The legislation passed by a vote of 262-157, and now awaits action in the U.S. Senate. In a press release, Kind commented that the withholding "only burdens our local businesses, especially in an underperforming economy. Estimates even project that the tax would actually cost more to implement than it would raise in new revenue."
• On Thursday, Oct. 27, Kind voted in favor of H.R. 2576. The bill seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-related programs. It passed by a vote of 405-16, and now awaits action in the Senate.
• Tweet of the week: "Student loan relief will help 70k students in western WI afford school and graduates save money as they enter a tough job market."
• Kind has no committee meetings scheduled for the week.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

• Sen. Johnson had an op-ed published in the Washington Post last weekend.
• On Monday, Oct. 24, Sen. Johnson announced mobile office hours for his legislative staff for the week.
• On Saturday, Oct. 29, Sen. Johnson .
• Tweet of the week: "More taxpayer $ wasted by the Obama administration. It's time to end the madness, Mr. President. via @IBDInvestors: http://bit.ly/qRtn9Q" 
• Johnson has two committee meetings scheduled for the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for Wednesday, Nov. 2 and Thursday, Nov. 3.

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)

• On Monday, Oct. 24, Sen. Kohl published a new blog post on Patch, .
• On Friday, October 28, Kohl published a new blog post on Patch, .
• Kohl has a committee meeting scheduled for the Committee on the Judiciary for Wednesday, Nov. 2.