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WCC Resumes Publication of the Capitol Update
With the start of the new legislative session, WCC staff will resume regular publication of the Capitol Update every two weeks, with special updates as events warrant. Additional updates are also posted regularly on the WCC website.
As we noted last January, the Capitol Update will no longer provide notice of upcoming hearings of interest because the biweekly publication schedule does not accommodate any hearing scheduled with less than two weeks' notification. For those who would like to follow legislative activity on a particular subject, proposal, committee, agency, state statute chapter, author, or administrative rule, the Legislature provides update notifications via email at notify.legis.wisconsin.gov.
WCC 2023 Public Policy Positions
The WCC has published its 2023 Public Policy Positions to inform state legislators, policy makers, and other interested parties. The biannual document is organized around the seven principles of Catholic social teaching. Catholics throughout Wisconsin are encouraged to review and share it.
2023-24 Legislature and Citizen Resources
As in the last session, Republicans will be in control of both the Senate and the Assembly. The Senate has 21 Republicans, 11 Democrats, and 1 vacancy. The Assembly has 64 Republicans and 35 Democrats.
To find out who your legislators are, go to the Wisconsin State Legislature's home page and enter your address under Who Are My Legislators. Other legislative resources include:
You can also follow state government by tuning in to WisconsinEye, the independent, nonpartisan news service that provides uncut video coverage of state government proceedings.
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Wisconsin
A bill may be introduced by a legislator, a legislative committee, or the Legislative Council. The house in which a bill is introduced is called the “house of origin.” Introduced bills are assigned to a specific committee, which may or may not hold a public hearing. Once a public hearing is held, the committee may vote to recommend the bill for passage. After which, it can be brought to the floor of the house and debated by all the members. Amendments can be made either in committee or on the floor. If the bill passes one house, it must go through the same process in the other, until an identical bill passes both houses. After this, the bill is sent to the Governor to be signed, vetoed, or partially vetoed (in the case of appropriations bills). The Legislature can override a veto only if two-thirds of both houses vote in favor. To learn more about the legislative process, visit here and here.
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