Absent from the Assembly calendar this week is a piece of legislation aimed at reining in the rule making power of unelected bureaucrats. The bill, known as the REINS Act, would require legislative approval for any new regulation with an estimated impact of $10 million or more. Last year, the bill stalled out on the final day of session. A revised version of the bill passed the full Senate and is ready for a vote on the Assembly floor. The Assembly held a public hearing on the bill on April 19 and voted it out of committee on May 3.
Given the near universal support for the REINS Act, its potential impact on the Wisconsin economy and the failure to get the bill through last year, conservatives worry that the bill may again stall before the legislature adjourns in June.
If a conservative bill like this can’t make it through the legislature with an historically large Republican majority, the legislature has no hope of getting a full budget passed by the end of the fiscal year. Wisconsin conservatives should take an easy win when they can get one and send the REINS Act to Governor Walker for his signature.