On Wednesday, March 31, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a ruling in Jeré Fabick v. Tony Evers, holding 4-3 that the governor cannot issue successive emergency declarations on the same subject. Petitioner Jeré Fabick sought a declaratory judgement on Governor Tony Evers’ authority to issue multiple public health emergency declarations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Gov. Evers Signs PBM and COVID-19 Bills
April 9, 2021
On Friday, March 26, Governor Tony Evers announced that he had signed 14 bills into law, including several key healthcare-related bills. One of these bills was Senate Bill 3, now 2021 Wisconsin Act 9. The law authorizes the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) to license and regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The Assembly […]
Appeals Court Rules State Can Release Records on Businesses with COVID-19 Cases
April 9, 2021
On Monday, April 5, a three-judge panel from the District IV Court of Appeals ruled against Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) and in favor of Governor Tony Evers, his administration, and the media in a case involving information about businesses whose employees have contracted COVID-19. The lawsuit was filed in October 2020 in Waukesha County […]
PA Modernization Bill Signed Into Law
April 9, 2021
On Friday, March 26, Governor Tony Evers signed into law 2021 Wisconsin Act 23, a bipartisan piece of legislation to update how Wisconsin regulates physician assistants (PAs). The bill (Assembly Bill 125) passed the Assembly on March 16 and the Senate on March 23, both on voice votes. Most of the provisions will take effect […]
PBM and PA Bills Head to the Governor; Senate Considers Dental Therapy Bill
March 26, 2021
On Friday, March 19, Governor Tony Evers was presented with Senate Bill 3, a bill authorizing the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) to license and regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The governor can now choose to sign the bill into law or veto it. The Assembly passed the bill on March 16 on […]
Legislature Advances COVID-19 Policies
March 26, 2021
On Tuesday, March 23, the Legislature advanced a series of bills related to COVID-19, including many policies that were originally part of Assembly Bill 1 (AB 1). In February, Gov. Evers vetoed AB 1, an omnibus COVID-19 response package, after he and the Legislature failed to reach a compromise. We covered the story of AB […]
Vaccine Update: Almost 2.5 Million Doses Administered; 15 Percent Fully Vaccinated
March 26, 2021
As of Tuesday, March 23, Wisconsin had been allocated nearly 2.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government. Earlier this month, the state began administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the third COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States. As we reported here, Wisconsin was initially allocated 47,000 doses of the Johnson & […]
Governor Evers Signs Two Laws on Vaccine Administration
March 26, 2021
Governor Tony Evers recently signed into law two bills intended to improve vaccine distribution in Wisconsin. The governor signed Assembly Bill 4 into law as 2021 Act 3 on February 19. The bill allows pharmacy technicians, who provide services under the direction of pharmacists, to administer vaccines under the supervision and with proper training. The […]
Vaccine Update: More Than Ten Percent Fully Vaccinated; State Announces Next Priority Group; Third Vaccine Approved
March 12, 2021
As of Tuesday, March 9, Wisconsin had been allocated nearly 1.9 million COVID vaccine doses from the federal government. About 1.74 million vaccine doses have been administered, and more than 600,000 Wisconsin residents or 10.5 percent of the state’s population have completed the two-dose series. Over 60 percent of Wisconsinites aged 65 and older have […]
Governor Evers Signs Bill Including COVID Liability Protections, UI Reforms
February 26, 2021
On Thursday, February 25, Governor Tony Evers signed 2021 Act 4, legislation including both COVID liability protections and reforms to the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) system. The bill cleared the Legislature with widespread support, passing the Senate by 27-3 on February 18 and the Assembly by 89-0 on February 23. Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), […]