At Issue: The Wisconsin Legislature's Web Site

By Jennifer Boese

Have you ever exhausted a lot of resources trying to find out who offered an amendment to a bill, what legislation is out there, or where a bill is in the legislative process? Would you believe that the answers are at your fingertips?

The technological developments of the Information Age have spurred individuals, businesses, and governments onto the World Wide Web in record numbers. In fact, all 50 state governments maintain Web sites. Yet, no amount of information contained on those Web sites helps you or your clients if those resources go untapped. The Wisconsin Legislature's Web site is a simple-to-use tool to keep you informed.

The Legislature's Web site is full of useful information and is updated regularly. It has links to:

• state senate and state assembly, including legislator's home pages, email addresses, standing committees, and the session in audio format;
  
  
• pending or previously enacted legislation;
  
  
• session schedules and public committee hearing schedules;
  
  
• state statutes and the Wisconsin Constitution;
  
  
• the Administrative Code;
  
  
• the Blue Book, the biennial almanac of Wisconsin government;
  
  
• legislative support agencies (providing even more legislative resources), including the Legislative Audit Bureau, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Legislative Reference Bureau, and the Revisor of Statutes Bureau, among others;
  
  
• a lobbying directory compiled by the Wisconsin Ethics Board that includes registered lobbying organizations, licensed lobbyists, and legislative liaisons for state agencies;
  
  
• general information for using the Web site; and
  
  
• other legislative links on the Web.

While the Web site contains too much content to explain here, this article highlights several useful features, including accessing texts of legislation, acts, amendments, or bill history, and finding information on the state senate and state assembly.

Accessing bill texts

Accessing bill texts is one way to keep up to date on subjects of importance to you and your clients. To access bill texts, simply click on the option "legislation" at the main page for the Wisconsin Legislature. You will be forwarded to a screen entitled "Wisconsin Legislation".

To view legislation, your computer needs to have Adobe Acrobat Reader®, which can be downloaded free of charge from the State Bar of Wisconsin's Web site or from the Wisconsin Legislature Web site. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a program that allows different computers to view the same files, portable document format (PDF) files in this case, over the Web. Instructions on downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader are provided at each site.

At the "Wisconsin Legislation" screen you have several options on how to search for a particular piece of legislation. You may do a subject index search, a text and history search, or an author search. In this way you can access bill text information even though you might not know the bill number or author.

Next, click on the appropriate option (that is, text and histories of legislative proposals). You will be sent to a screen entitled, "Request Text of a Legislative Proposal". At this screen you are asked to input the "House" (senate or assembly), "Proposal Type" (bill, resolution, joint resolution), "Proposal Number" and the "Legislative Session." After inputting the information, click on "submit." You will be presented with a screen that allows you to access the text of the bill, the bill's legislative history, and any amendments (if applicable). It's that simple. (See the accompanying example.)

Searching the senate or assembly

Another source of useful information on the Wisconsin Legislature's Web site is found under "senate" or "assembly" . These two options provide information on all 132 members of the Wisconsin Legislature including their Web pages, member and staff email addresses, information on standing committees, and live audio of senate or assembly action.

The option of hearing the senate or assembly through Real Audio Player® is relatively new to the Legislature's Web site. Clicking on either the senate or assembly option of "session audio" allows you to listen to either the full senate or assembly as they debate legislation on the floor of their respective house. The only requirements for your computer are a sound card and Real Audio Player (also downloadable free-of-charge from either Web page).

Plenty of other senate and assembly information also is available. You can find legislator addresses, leadership positions, committee assignments, session rules, and more. For example, perhaps you want to find more information on your state senator. You know his or her name but are not quite sure of the district number. Simply click on "senate" and scroll through the list of names until you find it. Click on the name and you will be directed to the senator's personal Web page. Each legislator's Web page includes mailing addresses, voting addresses, phone numbers, district maps, and committee assignments.

Information overload?

The sheer amount of information available online or how to access that information can be a deterrent to exploring the Web, but do not let this dissuade you from trying. The usefulness and ease of obtaining this information clearly outweigh the initial trepidation you might have.

If you prefer to use more traditional means of research or if you just are not up to "surfing the Web" yet, do not fret. You can contact me for information toll-free at (800) 444-4904, ext. 6045, or by email. I'll be more than happy to help.

Additional government Web sites

State of Wisconsin - Provides information on Wisconsin government including links to state agencies.

Governor Tommy Thompson - Provides information on the office of the governor.

Revisor of Statutes - The Revisor of Statutes Bureau edits and publishes the Wisconsin State Statutes, Wisconsin Administrative Code, and Register. The bureau incorporates newly enacted laws into the existing statutes, which are published every two years; however, the Web site updates these statutes regularly.

Thomas - Provides comprehensive information on the U.S. Congress; administered by the Library of Congress. It is the place to start for information on the federal government.

Wisconsin Lawyer