Legislative leaders declined the proposal of Gov. Tony Evers postponing in-person voting for the presidential primary and state elections Tuesday, April 7.

Evers called the Legislature into a special session on April 4 to take up legislation avoiding in-person voting.

The legislation created an all-mail election with a deadline of May 26 to return ballots.

An effort in federal court to delay the election also failed, but did result in a one-week extension for absentee ballots to be received.    

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced he wants to postpone the presidential primary and state Supreme Court elections scheduled for Tuesday, April 7.

Evers is calling the Legislature into a special session on April 4 to take up legislation to avoid in-person voting.

The legislation calls for an all-mail election with a deadline of May 26 to return ballots.

Although many states have postponed elections, as of April 1, Wisconsin plans to proceed with its primary on April 7 as planned despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several lawsuits were filed over the election.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Republican Party of Wisconsin

This will order a Dane County election official to change his guidance related to absentee voting and require strict compliance with voter identification laws.

Another federal lawsuit related to the election is still awaiting a verdict.

Formerly three separate cases, Federal Judge William Conley combined the three cases into a single case and heard arguments today.

A ruling in that case could happen any time.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission will work from home beginning March 25, 2020 through April 24, 2020, to comply with Emergency Order #12 issued by the Department of Health Services on March 24.

As of today, the Commission is still receiving mail daily and will continue to accept filings by mail.

Documents may be hand delivered by appointment only.

For an appointment, please email ethics@wisconsin.gov.

Despite restricted public access to the office, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission continues to operate normally.

Committees can register and required campaign finance reports can be filed online at https://cfis.wi.gov.

Lobbyists and principals can process licensing and registration, pay fees, and file reports online at https://lobbying.wi.gov.

For questions concerning campaign finance, please email CampaignFinance@wisconsin.gov and for questions concerning lobbying, please email ETHLobbying@wisconsin.gov or lobbying@wi.gov.

The Ethics Commission issued its first formal opinion on lobbying since being established in 2016.

Ethics Commission Opinion 2020-02 explains what duties on behalf of a principal are exclusive to lobbying.

Additionally, the order explains what duties are not exclusive to lobbying in order to clarify when the lobbyist’s duties require authorization by the fifth day of lobbying communication on behalf of the principal within a six-month reporting period.

For example, serving as the treasurer of a registered political action committee or administrator of a registered conduit are not duties exclusive to lobbying.

The opinion also provides examples of grassroots efforts that are not lobbying.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced a special session to introduce bills regarding the state’s dairy crisis.

Gov. Tony Evers, in his State of the State address on January 22, called for the Legislature to convene a special session to address the dairy crisis.

Wisconsin lost 10% of the state’s dairy farms in 2019, breaking the previous year’s record high of 7.25%.

The governor wants the Legislature to act on a package of proposals to assist rural Wisconsin.

Gov. Tony Evers called for the Legislature to convene in a special session on November 7 to vote on gun control legislation.

The bills require universal background checks for all firearm purchases in the state.

The legislation would also implement red-flag laws requiring people perceived as threats to surrender their firearms.

The impact of a special session may be limited, as lawmakers plan to convene and then immediately adjourn the special session on the same day without voting on the proposals.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order calling for a special election to fill Rep. Sean Duffy’s vacant seat in the 7th Congressional District.

The election will take place on January 27, 2020.

Duffy announced his resignation earlier this year after revealing the child he and his wife are expecting in October will have medical issues.

Due to Duffy’s resignation, effective at 5 p.m. on September 23, Evers stated a primary for the seat, if necessary, will be held on December 30.

A special election will take place on August 13 with a primary expected July 16 to fill a vacancy in Ald. District 13.

Former Rep. Terry Witkowski, 74, resigned after serving since 2003.

A Senate bill introduced in Wisconsin aims to lower by half contributions made to statewide officeholders from individuals and candidate committees.

Senate Bill 76 would reduce the contribution limit from $20,000 to $10,000 for contributions made to candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice.

If passed, the bill would take effect January 1, 2020.

A special election will take place on April 30 to fill a vacancy in Assembly District 64.

Rep. Peter Barca resigned after Gov. Tony Evers picked him to serve as Revenue Department secretary.

Barca’s nomination as Revenue secretary is pending state Senate approval.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission will be unavailable by phone on Tuesday, December 18, due to a change in its location.

As of Tuesday, at approximately noon, the Ethics Commission will be located in the Wisconsin Department of Administration Building at 101 E Wilson St. Ste. 127. The PO Box of 7125 Madison WI 53703 will remain unchanged.

The Ethics Commission may be reached via email at lobbying@wi.gov for lobbying issues, finance@wi.gov for campaign finance issues and ethcis@wi.gov for all other inquiries.

In Wisconsin, Democrat Tony Evers upset incumbent Republican Scott Walker in the governor’s race.

Evers denied Walker a third term with 49.6% of the vote to Walker’s 48.4%.

Walker lost two key groups he carried in 2014, independents and college graduates.

Evers won in a landslide in urban Dane County and Milwaukee County, winning by more than 150,000 votes and 140,000 votes, respectively.

The Wisconsin Legislature plans to call an extraordinary session to allow the Senate to consider a bill authorizing $100 million in tax incentives to prevent paper giant Kimberly-Clark from shutting down.

If passed, Assembly Bill 963 would authorize Kimberly-Clark to claim as income and franchise tax credits a percentage of the business’s eligible payroll for full-time employees.

Gov. Scott Walker said he is fighting to keep hundreds of jobs in Wisconsin. The extraordinary session will be held on Monday, November 12.