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March 2010

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State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend, the town of Vernon and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.

Senate Small Business Committee holds public hearing

By Mary Lazich

Feb. 5, 2010

The state Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection that I serve on conducted a public hearing on several bills Wednesday. The legislation considered included soliciting purchases of goods or services using unsolicited checks or money orders and providing a penalty; exempting certain capital expenditures made by a technical college district from the requirement for a referendum; professional employer organizations; and life settlements.

Assembly Bill 261 would prohibit the current practice of companies sending consumers what appears to be a check. The endorsees often fail to notice their signatures obligate them to purchase products or services.

Assembly Bill 509 deals with technical school referenda. Under current law, a technical college school board is required to hold a referendum for a capital expenditure of over $1.5 million. Under this legislation, if the expenditure is financed in part with student housing payments, that portion of the expenditure is subtracted from the total cost for the purpose of deciding whether or not a referendum is needed.

Senate Bill 504 makes changes to regulation of Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). The changes include the following:

Explicitly excludes temporary help agencies from the definition of PEO.
Changes the name from “limited registration” to “small operations registration” for PEOs located outside Wisconsin.
Exempts a PEO located out of state from providing a financial statement to DRL.
States that PEO employees will be considered employees of the client for purposes of determining tax credits, etc., offered by local governments.
Requires that government-mandated per-employee taxes, benefits, etc., be paid by the client, rather than the PEO, if the employee is doing work for the client.
Requires Department of Regulation and Licensing to periodically update its list of PEOs and to make the list available on the internet.

Senate Bill 513 pertains to life settlements. Current law allows a life insurance policyholder to sell that policy to a third person. The practice originated with HIV/AIDS patients selling their life insurance policies to third parties in exchange for a smaller amount to help them afford medications.

Senate Bill 513 allows anyone to sell a life insurance policy and enter into a life settlement. The person must have owned the policy for a minimum of 5 years.

No votes were taken by the committee. Votes will occur at the time the committee holds an executive session on the bills.

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