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Wisconsin Legislative SpotlightMaintained by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), this page provides an overview of recent and upcoming activities in the Wisconsin Legislature. The LRB revises its content weekly during legislative floorperiods. Links to more detailed information are highlighted in the text. |
The 2009-10 legislative session began on January 5, 2009.
Notification service. The legislature's Wisconsin Legislative Notification Service makes following the legislative process easier for interested citizens. Registered users can receive daily or weekly emails when specified legislative activity occurs. For example, users may choose to be notified about every action affecting a specific proposal, bills introduced by a particular legislator, activities of a specific committee, or introductions relating to a particular topic.
Internet Broadcast of Floor Debate. Citizens can listen to live floor debate in both houses using the Legislature's InSession service: Senate audio and Assembly audio. Broadcasts are live only. If one house or the other is not in session, there is no audio available. The Assembly offers live video as well, with links from the InSession page. The InSession pages also provide the day's calendar with links from the calendar to bills before the house and to roll call votes as they occur.
Help Page on Legislative Database. The Legislature’s searchable infobase (NXT) now includes an expanded Help Page that includes information on finding legislative documents, understanding the legislative process, and links to other useful legislative research information, including the Legislative Reference Bureau’s Research and Information page.
The LRB has published a number of briefs describing acts passed in the recent legislative session.
The Weekly Hearings Schedule lists all scheduled hearings.
Visit the LRB’s Q&A page and view a sampling of questions and answers about a wide variety of interesting topics.
The 2009-2010 Blue Book, a manual of state government and statistical information about Wisconsin, is now available online.
The UW library has digitized the entire Blue Book series and made them available as part of the Digital Library Project. The complete Blue Book database is searchable and is accessible from the LRB and Wisconsin State Legislature Web sites.
You can now access updates from the LRB on Twitter, including information on new LRB publications, new acquisitions by the LRB Library, general information about the legislature, and the current legislative session. To find the LRB on Twitter, go to: http://twitter.com/WILRB.
Listen to or download free audio files on the LRB Podcasts Web site, which contains legislative information from experts in the field.
The Legislative Council's Publications Center provides overviews of topics of interest to the legislature as well as links to Council publications related to the topic.
The Legislative Audit Bureau conducts financial and program evaluation audits of state agencies. Recent audit reports are accessible online.
WisconsinEYE, a private, not-for-profit statewide public affairs network provides video coverage of Assembly and Senate floor sessions as well as select committee hearings. The proceedings they record are archived on their Web site.
WisconsinEYE has a seven-year contract with the state to provide C-SPAN-style coverage of the legislature at no cost to the state and has 70 camera positions installed in the State Capitol.
The Legislative Council released a "Q&A" on how Wisconsin Eye will affect legislative proceedings.
The next floorperiod for the Wisconsin Legislature is scheduled to run from February 16 to March 4, 2010. The schedule of floorperiods for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session was established by 2009 Senate Joint Resolution 1.
On February 3, executive action was taken by the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Homeland Security on 2009 Assembly Bill 663, relating to restricting access to and limiting information contained in the Consolidated Court Automation Programs.
On February 4, 2009 Assembly Bill 474, relating to carrying concealed weapons by law enforcement officers and by retired law enforcement officers, was passed by the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice.
As of February 5, 705 Assembly bills and 517 Senate bills have been introduced. Recently introduced legislation can be found on the Legislature's Searchable Infobases site.
As of February 4, Governor Doyle has signed 111 bills into law and vetoed 3 bills. A list of all enacted legislation from the 2009 session can be viewed at: http://www.legis.wi.gov/2009/data/acts/.
The LRB Library has posted a Noteworthy Titles list: "Public School Open Enrollment". It contains a selective list of resources on charter schools, school choice, and open enrollment.
The executive orders index has been updated through December 9, 2009. The official title is: Subject index to executive orders of Governors Knowles, Lucey, Dreyfus, Earl, Thompson, McCallum, Doyle, Acting Governor Schreiber, Lieutenant Governors Olson and Flynn, and Secretary of State Zimmerman, January 1965 – December 9, 2009. The index can be found on the LRB Publications page under the heading “Special Publications.”
For information on upcoming events refer to the Schedule of Committee Activities.
The 2009-2010 Wisconsin Blue Book has been published. The Blue Book is available online and is available for purchase from Department of Administration Document Sales for $8.75 plus sales tax if picked up in person; for mail orders, add $3 to the total to cover shipping. The authors of the Blue Book feature article, "Wisconsin at the Frontiers of Astronomy: A History of Innovation and Exploration," were interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio on November 11.
For more information about Legislative Service Agency publications, see the left panel of the Spotlight index page.
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Send comments to LRB.Reference@legis.wisconsin.gov
Last revised: February 05, 2010
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