The WMC-Annette Ziegler Platform

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) is going all out to elect Annette Ziegler to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. There is no question that Ziegler will do whatever the WMC wants if she gets the the Supreme Court.  WMC assures us of that.

Here is a portion of the legislative agenda for WMC from the last session. It gives an excellent perspective as to what Ziegler will be doing if she is elected.

    SB 58. A bill that would have essentially absolved manufacturers of any liability for defective products that caused injury or death if the company showed that it complied with existing government regulations.  Federal regulations have been seriously weakened under several Republican administrations, so complying with existing consumer and worker safety and health regulations is no assurance of protection.  It also would give any manufacturer automatic immunity from legal action if the defective product was on the market for 15 years.  Machinery used in industry, by farmers and on construction sites is often used far longer than that.

                                 Here is what WMC said: a WMC-backed bill that will protect product manufacturers from lawsuits where damages arise from an open and obvious characteristic of a product, or result from product misuse, alteration, or modification. The bill also limits application of joint and several liability in product liability cases so that a manufacturer is responsible only for their proportionate share of any damage award.

    SB 447. This legislation creates a new legal standard for punitive damage awards for workers who are severely injured or killed on the job as a result of extreme corporate recklessness.  Workers would need to prove that the corporation intended the accident to happen, which is an unreasonable standard, rarely possible to achieve.  Currently, an injured party can show that the corporation acted with “intentional disregard” for workers’ safety.

            Here is what WMC said, making the bill sound innocuous: The Legislature passed this WMC-backed bill requiring a showing of intent to cause harm before punitive damages can be awarded in a tort suit.

    AB 4. This bill gives preferential state tax breaks for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) that are tied to catastrophic health plans with substantial deductibles.  HSAs already receive federal tax-free status; the issue is whether that status should be granted by the state to encourage HSAs and catastrophic plans.  Health experts predict that, if employers promote this health care option, younger and healthier employees will opt to “take their chances” with catastrophic coverage, but older workers and those with families or health problems will need better, comprehensive coverage.  The pool of people who remain in the traditional plans will be those with higher medical costs and the premiums for such coverage will soar due to the lack of a broad, mixed risk pool.  This will further undermine comprehensive, employment-based health coverage.

        Here is what WMC said: Unfortunately, Governor Doyle vetoed the health savings account provision...

    Assembly Bill 287: Locomotive Crews  This bill would improve the safety of rail workers and the public.  It requires that two crew members be present in the cab of the lead control locomotive at all times that the train or locomotive is in motion, except for the purpose of switching.

                Here is what WMC said: Such a requirement would have increased freight rail shipping costs for Wisconsin businesses, with no discernable safety benefit.

    Assembly Joint Resolution 77: Taxpayer Protection Amendment/TABOR  This proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution is similar to the failed “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” (TABOR) constitutional experiment in Colorado. It places rigid revenue limits on how much the state, counties, cities, villages, public schools and technical colleges can collect each year.  Individuals have the unprecedented right to sue any of these governmental units if they dispute how the limits are applied.  Limits can be exceeded only by referendum.  One version of TPA/TABOR would have placed permanent limits on the bargaining rights of local government employees in our State Constitution. The so-called Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA) will take responsibility away from local elected representatives, create a potential litigation nightmare for communities, and cripple the ability of all levels of government to provide vital public services.   This tax gimmick promoted by some Republicans would greatly damage the quality of life in our state.

                Here is what WMC said: The Legislature considered various resolutions that would begin the process of amending the Wisconsin Constitution to limit state and local government spending and/or taxes. WMC strongly supported passage of a taxpayer protection amendment on first consideration during the spring floor period. While no single version of an amendment passed both houses of the Legislature, the votes on such a measure are historic and the fight limit taxes and spending will begin again next session.

Comments

[raul]

Annette Ziegler has not promised WMC anything.

Your obsession with WMC borders on an obsessive compulsive disorder.

Have you been checked?

You dom't walk out of rooms backward do you?

[Lark]

What I would like to see is what percentage of regular people have ever won a civil case against a business, wealthy person or goverment entity in Judge Annette Zieglers courtroom or in the entire Washington County Courthouse since she's been there.

It would be naive to think that WMC would support her if she didn't give them what they want.