State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu of Oostburg said that crucial legislation was passed on the last day of the Fall Session of the Senate. LeMahieu commented following a day that saw passage of 26 bills, 20 appointments and 6 resolutions, and the close of the Senate’s fall session.
LeMahieu said that “After months of negotiation, several crucial pieces of legislation passed the State Senate today. These bills will keep Major League Baseball in Wisconsin through 2050, provide regulatory clarity and certainty to Wisconsin’s alcohol beverage industry, and ensure Wisconsinites have access to the quality drinking water and mental health services they deserve.”
The bill overhauling Wisconsin’s liquor laws was a last-minute amendment inserted by Lemahieu into Senate Bill 268 that, among other things, creates a division of alcohol beverages attached to the department of revenue that is dedicated to enforcement of the liquor laws…laws which now also regulate so-called “Wedding Barns” that don’t sell alcohol, but bring caterers to sell and serve. Those venues will now be required to obtain a Class-B Liquor license, just as a bar would, however the permit holder won’t be required to complete a responsible beverage server training course in order to be eligible for that license.
Sheila Everhart, the executive director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association called LeMahieu’s move “sneaky and it’s deceitful”, after the bill was introduced as an amendment, thus bypassing the committee hearing process that could have threatened its passage. The move was initially ruled improper by Senate President Chris Kapenga, but that ruling was overruled by a 19-14 vote, thus enabling the measure to be included.
Governor Tony Evers must still sign the legislation before it becomes law.
