Managing Educator Shortages With Foreign Professionals
Virtually every sector of the U.S. economy is currently struggling with a lack of qualified and willing individuals to fill vacant employment positions. Education is no exception to this reality. Wisconsin school districts report high levels of available positions in teaching and administration, while college and university education programs report low enrollment. As a result, […]
Wisconsin Legislation Would Prevent Transgender Students From Participating in Sports Based on Their Gender Identity
Two identical bills have been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate that would drastically affect transgender students’ participation in sports. 2021 AB 196 and 2021 SB 322 would amend provisions of Wis. Stat. §118.13(1), to create exceptions to the pupil discrimination statute. The bills would also create Wis. Stat. §118.132 to identify the requirements […]
Open Meetings Law and Closed Session Reminder
As new school board members and other municipal officers are taking their oaths, it is a good time for a reminder about the Open Meetings Law and closed sessions. This Legal Update will review some basic, but important, information about governmental body meetings and closed sessions. Every meeting of a governmental body must initially be […]
The Importance of Estate Planning
The officials for our school district, municipal, and other institutional clients often inquire about estate planning resources and legal counsel. This article is intended to provide an introduction to estate planning and to remind you that our firm has the capability of assisting individuals with estate planning and other related legal issues. One topic that […]
Recent Stimulus Laws Provide Tax Benefits for Employers That Pay Employees’ Student Loans
Two recently-enacted stimulus laws, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), provide that an employer may be eligible for tax benefits if the employer makes payments toward its employees’ student loans in certain circumstances. Employers and employees can avoid paying federal payroll taxes on an employee’s student […]
Hunting Season & Expulsion Reminder
April 17, 2021 marks the start of the turkey hunting season in Wisconsin. The season kicks off with a special youth hunting weekend during which those who are 15 years of age or younger are permitted to hunt, provided they are accompanied by an adult and hold a valid license, stamp, and harvest authorization. The […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision Invalidates Governor’s Public Health Emergency But Not School District Mask Requirements
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, invalidated Governor Evers’ public health emergency declarations on March 31, 2021. The Court’s decision in Fabick v. Evers, 2020AP1718-OA, March 31, 2021 declared a series of public health emergency declarations invalid. The case was originally brought to the Court challenging the validity of Governor Evers’ July 30, […]
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Provides Additional Funding to Assist Students Most Impacted by COVID-19
Much of the media coverage and discussion of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has focused on stimulus checks and employee paid-leave provisions. However, ARPA also included several other significant provisions that affect public school districts and their special education programs. ARPA allocated nearly $123 billion to a new Elementary and Secondary Schools […]
Renewed Union Organizing Efforts
Organized labor has renewed its efforts at the state and federal level to expand various labor protections related to employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. House and Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) on February 4, 2021 (the House previously passed the PRO Act in […]
Best Practices For Litigation Holds
When a public or private entity receives notice of an actual or potential claim or lawsuit, one of the first steps it should take is to implement a litigation hold. In general terms, a litigation hold is a directive to preserve documents, including electronically stored information, and other tangible items that may be relevant to […]
