Today, Governor Doyle signed into law historic drunk-driving legislation, Senate Bill 66. Before passing the bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis) and Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa), Wisconsin was one of only two states that did not issue felony charges until the fifth Operating While Intoxicated arrest or stop. This bill will make an OWI a felony after the fourth offense within five years.

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This is an update to a blog post dated May 8. Read about the statewide smoking ban.

Last night just after 10 p.m., the State Assembly voted 61-38 to concur with the 25-8 vote earlier in the day by the State Senate to pass a statewide smoking ban to go into effect July 5, 2010. More than 40 amendments were offered to attempt to water down the reach of the statewide ban.  All of the amendments failed. It now goes to the Governor for his signature.

Congratulations and thank you to the many people at Children’s Hospital and Health System who worked in support of this legislation year after year, and so many of you who took the time this week to call your legislators.  Your voices were heard!

–Michelle Mettner, vice president of Government Relations, Children’s Hospital and Health System

This week at the State Capitol, Legislators, the American Cancer Society, Smoke-Free Wisconsin and the Tavern League announced a compromise on the statewide smoking ban legislation. The deal would include a ban in all public workplaces, including bars and taverns to go into effect July 5, 2010.  Exceptions to the ban would be granted to existing cigar bars that receive a majority of their income from tobacco sales and tobacco retailers who derive 75 percent of their income from tobacco sales.  The compromise deal does not allow for smoking rooms in hotels or motels.  It does provide language to ensure taverns could have outdoor smoking areas.

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