Passing the Red Tape Reset
This week, the Assembly passed a series of bills approved by the Assembly Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency, relating to regulatory reform by adapting the rulemaking process and returning appropriate authority to the legislature.
A recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision removed legislative oversight of rulemaking authority, eliminating a long-standing practice that ensured appropriate supervision from a democratized branch of government over impactful regulations. This decision undermined the procedural safeguards that ever justified such agency authority.
The ramifications of empowering the executive bureaucracy over accountable officials removes protections for the many affected by government regulations while granting excessive power to the governor and state agencies. Wisconsin is already the 13th most regulated state in the country, and this new concentration of authority is detrimental to Wisconsin’s economic well-being and damaging to governance.
Notable provisions of the package include:
- Establishing a 7-year sunset review process for old and outdated rules and regulations.
- Removing the financial penalty for citizens to challenge agency overreach, allowing individuals who successfully challenge unlawful rules in court to recover legal fees.
- Limiting an agency’s rulemaking authority to one rule per scope statement to create more transparency around the rulemaking process and close a loophole allowing regulatory overreach.
- Creating a “one rule in, one rule out” policy to ensure net-zero cost growth in our regulatory code.
Necessary new regulations would still become law, but this package ensures they occur through a collaborative process that maintains proper authority and governance regardless of partisan makeup.
Supporting Free Speech on Campus
The Assembly also passed AB 501, establishing freedom of expression and academic freedom standards on University of Wisconsin campuses and technical colleges across the state. The updated standards reinforce First Amendment protections for students, promoting an environment of academic freedom and safeguarding free speech.
According to a survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, more than one out of every three UW–Madison students say that it is acceptable, at least on rare occasions, to use violence to stop a speaker on campus. Our university and college campuses should be places that promote diversity of thought and freedom of expression. Students from universities across our state have testified and raised serious concerns about free speech on campus, and such concerns were also reflected in the UW System Free Speech Survey.
Important aspects of the bill include:
- Protecting expressive rights by banning excessive location restrictions, prohibiting security fees based on viewpoint or expected reaction, and applying the U.S. Supreme Court’s standards for regulating campus expression.
- Restricting participation in activities that materially or substantially disrupt the free speech of students or speakers.
- Defending academic freedom by ensuring faculty can research, publish, and teach without interference from campus administrators.
- Establishing a due process provision for students who believe their right to free speech has been infringed.
Establishing provisions to protect free speech and promote viewpoint diversity is not only a proper policy for education, but also essential for encouraging families in Wisconsin to choose in-state schools. This legislation has now been approved by both legislative chambers and will await action from the Governor.
Financing for Resource Management
The Fish and Wildlife Account of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources finances resource management to support hunters and anglers in Wisconsin by protecting and providing access to land. The state has made significant transfers in two consecutive budgets from other accounts so the Fish and Wildlife Account can meet its obligations.
To ensure it remains solvent, the account must have stable revenue and efficient management. AB 682 passed the Assembly this week, making modest increases to non-resident hunting and fishing license fees to generate an estimated $5 million annually. These increases will help stabilize the Fish and Wildlife Account without threatening demand.
Read the bill here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.
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My office is always available to help with any state-related questions or concerns you may have. You can reach my office at (608) 237-9104, or email me at Rep.Steffen@legis.wisconsin.
