Latest Wisconsin Headlines
All the headlines from our Wisconsin Topic Page, ordered by recency.
OSHA Fines Wis. Company for Safety Violations after 4 Workers Die
Feb 27 2008 // A federal agency has cited Lakehead Blacktop & Materials for safety violations in the deaths last fall of four men who were overcome by toxic fumes after going in a manhole at the company’s landfill. The...
Insurers Testify Against Wis. Zip Code Ban Proposal
Feb 20 2008 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) today testified against Wisconsin SB 348, a bill that would ban zip codes as an insurance rating factor, saying it is unfair and hides the real cost of insurance. “SB 348...
Wis. Senate Squeaks Through Bill to Ban Credit Scoring
Feb 10 2008 // With the 2008 legislative sessions now in full swing, many states are taking another look at the issue of insurers using credit scoring to underwrite or rate auto or homeowners insurance. Insurance trade groups are...
Colo. Legislation to Ban Use of Credit Scoring in Underwriting Defeated
Feb 10 2008 // Agents, insurers praise legislation’s defeat but say the battle is not over yet As the issue of credit scoring continues to be the subject of state legislative proposals, insurance agents in Colorado are celebrating...
Southern Wis. Gets Hit with 20-inch Snowstorm
Feb 8 2008 // A storm that dumped some 20 inches of windblown snow on southern Wisconsin earlier this week left hundreds of motorists caught in a massive traffic backup while bringing schools, buses and airports across the region to a...
Wis. Senate Passes Bill to Ban Use of Credit Scoring by Insurers
Feb 1 2008 // Insurance groups are criticizing passage of Senate Bill 259 by the Wisconsin Senate late on Thursday, Jan. 31st. Senate Bill 259 would forbid insurers from considering information in an individual’s credit report for...
Colo. Agents Praise Credit Scoring Ban Defeat; Next Up: Wisc.
Jan 31 2008 // As the issue of credit scoring continues to be the subject of state legislative proposals, insurance agents in Colorado are celebrating the defeat of a bill that would have prohibited property/casualty insurers from using...
Farmers to Add 400 Agents in Wis.
Jan 31 2008 // Farmers Group Inc. says it plans to recruit and train 400 new agents in the Milwaukee and Madison areas in an expansion that the insurer says could ultimately create 1,000 new jobs in Wisconsin. The company will invest...
National Trade Group Urges Wis. Senate to Reject Credit Ban Proposal
Jan 30 2008 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) recently announced that it is opposing legislation scheduled for a vote by Wisconsin Senate Thursday, Jan. 31st, that would prohibit insurers from using...
Accused Wis. Arsonist Found Not Mentally Responsible
Jan 30 2008 // A man who admitted setting fires that caused an estimated $500,000 damage has been found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect after a defense expert said he suffered from pyromania. Bayfield County Circuit...
Wis. Proposal Would Expand Malpractice Suits to Parents of Adults
Jan 24 2008 // A bill passed by the Wisconsin Senate would give parents of adult children who die as a result of medical malpractice the ability to file lawsuits. Right now, parents of adult children in Wisconsin can’t sue for...
Contractor Sends Letters to Wis. Residents at Risk for Identity Theft
Jan 16 2008 // Wisconsin residents at risk for identity theft have been mailed letters explaining how they can sign up for free credit monitoring and receive special insurance. State contractor EDS Corporation of Texas sent some of the...
Wis. Judge Orders $715,000 Restitution from Man Who Caused Crash
Jan 15 2008 // A Sussex man convicted of injuring a 59-year-old woman in a drunken vehicle crash was ordered to pay more than $715,000 in restitution. Jeffrey D. Thieme Jr., 27, was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded no...
Wis. Assembly Passes Cell Phone Ban for Teen Drivers
Dec 13 2007 // A proposal that would ban teen drivers from using cell phones passed the Assembly, 90-7, and now heads to the state Senate. Wisconsin would be the 16th state to limit or ban cell phone use by teen drivers if the bill...
Ratings Recap: DHC Group, Physicians (Wisconsin), Midwest Family Mutual, Western Mutual
Dec 6 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has assigned issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “bb-” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘B-‘ (Fair) of Long Beach Calif.-based DHC Group and its members. The outlook for...
Wis. Appeals Court Upholds $8 Million Malpractice Award
Dec 4 2007 // A Wisconsin appeals court has upheld a jury’s $8 million medical malpractice award to a woman whose inner organs were paralyzed by a botched surgery. The state’s medical malpractice fund argued a judge coerced...
Audit: Wis. Never Implemented Health Care Program for Businesses
Nov 20 2007 // A program created by Wisconsin lawmakers in 1999 to reduce health care costs for small businesses was never implemented after running up nearly $500,000 in spending, according to an audit released last week. The Private...
Wis. Jury Rules Lead Paint Industry Not Cause of Boy’s Mental Retardation
Nov 7 2007 // A Milwaukee County Circuit Court jury has ruled that lead paint industry products were not the cause of a young man’s mental retardation. It found Monday that Steven Thomas, now 17, had ingested white lead carbonate,...
Insurance Company Must Defend Wis. School Employee in Defamation Suit
Nov 1 2007 // A school’s insurance company must pay the attorney fees and expenses of an administrative assistant who was sued for defamation, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. Gail Haack, who worked for former Algoma School...
Wis. Medical Group to Sue Lawmakers over $200 Million Fund Transfer
Oct 24 2007 // The Wisconsin Medical Society is planning to challenge lawmakers’ decision to transfer $200 million from a medical malpractice fund to help balance the budget. Lobbyist Mark Grapentine says the group has hired a...
