The Sconi

The Wisconsin Legislature has resumed its fall floor period, with committees meeting and several bills advancing. Among the key topics is a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that limits legislative oversight of state agency rules. The court ruled 4-3 in July that laws allowing the legislature to block administrative rules from agencies are unconstitutional. This decision focused on a legislative committee’s power to halt rules created by state agencies—a power used frequently by the Republican-led committee to stop or delay regulations approved by the governor. As a result, the legislature will now have limited ability to oversee new rules from the executive branch, increasing authority for state agencies.

Another issue before lawmakers is a proposed tariff mandate introduced by Senator Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Representative Andrew Hysell (D-Sun Prairie). Their legislation would require retailers to include federal tariff costs on all invoices and receipts for customer purchases. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) opposes this measure, stating, "NFIB opposes this mandate, as it would impose excessive time and financial burdens on small businesses."

Labor law changes are also being discussed. The “Living Wage Coalition” has called for raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage to $20 per hour. In response, Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) introduced a bill permitting local governments to set their own minimum wage and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) laws. Other bills include an “Equal Pay Act,” which would allow employees who have experienced pay or job discrimination to seek damages, and the “Job Postings Act,” requiring employers to list wages and benefits in every job posting while keeping records for two years. NFIB commented, "NFIB opposes all of the above labor law changes as they are anti-small business."

Legislation regarding emotional support animals is also under consideration. A new bill aims to address misuse of service animal credentials by individuals claiming pets as emotional support animals using service dog vests without proper training or documentation. The proposal would permit businesses to post signs indicating only properly credentialed service animals are allowed inside. On this matter, NFIB stated: "This commonsense bill looks to crack down on 'fake' service animals... This legislation would allow businesses to post a sign indicating only service animals with proper credentials are allowed inside.  NFIB is in favor of this bill."