Public Hearing on Assembly Bill 1

On January 5, 2021, the Assembly Committee on Health will hold a public hearing on Assembly Bill 1 relating to state government actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

This hearing is on the new COVID-19  bill. This is the first bill before the state legislature since the first COVID-19 relief bill that was passed in April. Governor Evers had previously worked with both parties to develop a bi-partisan law for the pandemic, but that is not the bill currently under consideration. Although the current bill incorporates some of the principles brought forth by the governor, this bill is quite different in many ways.

Some of the more controversial portions of the bill include restrictions on virtual learning in the schools (where shifts to virtual learning must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the school board and can only last two weeks), restrictions on local communities to invoke health orders for longer than 2 weeks, and immunity for businesses from COVID-related lawsuits. Some of the initial ideas for this bill have been dropped, including penalizing school districts that hold virtual classes. 

The Assembly will likely vote on the bill after this hearing, and it could be passed by the Senate as early as today.