Quinn Bills Pass Assembly

Madison -- Rep. Romaine Quinn (R-Barron) said he was proud to see four of his bills pass the Assembly last week.

"We've had a very busy legislative session, with many accomplishments to be proud of," said Rep. Quinn. "The bills I passed last week represent some of the areas that I am most passionate about: expanding broadband internet access, supporting local government, defending our sporting heritage, and ensuring our children have great schools."

The bills that were passed were:

• Assembly Bill 814: ensuring the Bear Hunters Association can continue to raffle off bear tags to fund the charitable causes they support, such as the "hunt of a lifetime," in which helps young people who have been diagnosed with life-threatening diseases or disabilities get out on a dream hunt.
• Assembly Bill 713: granting a tipping fee exemption to two waste-to-energy facilities including the Barron County Incinerator. The exemption mirrors an exemption already in place for similar recycling facilities that do not burn waste for energy, and will help the Barron facility reinvest savings back into the plant.
• Assembly Bill 661: bringing town regulations into line with powers cities and villages already have, and increasing the wage a town official can be paid to work for the town. Often, town board members are also the ones who operate snowplows and do other vital maintenance work.
• Assembly Bill 585: improving guidelines around the use of seclusion and restraint techniques in schools, and creating a reporting system that can be used to track use of seclusion and restraint across the state. This will give stakeholders a way to ensure that the practice is only being used when truly necessary.

AB 713 and 814 are awaiting passage in the Senate; AB 585 and 661 have also been passed in the Senate, and are awaiting the Governor's signature.

"These bills have all had strong bipartisan support throughout the committee process and represent important issues for our community and for the state," said Rep. Quinn. "I'm proud to say that when we come together to focus on the needs of Wisconsin over partisan bickering, we can get things done. I look forward to the Governor signing all four of these bills soon."