An update on the October 3, 2017 public hearing on AB118:

AB118 modifies current statutes regarding preservation of burial sites in Wisconsin. It was approved and introduced by the Joint Legislative Council on March 2, 2017 and assigned to the Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry. The committee's hearing was the first public hearing regarding the bill since its introduction.

The hearing was well attended by members of the public, particularly tribal members including Ho-Chunk Nation legislators and officials. Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, chair of the Legislative Council's study committee that drafted the bill, described the bill's provisions and drafting history. Environment and Forestry Committee members had several questions regarding the kinds of discussions that occurred during the drafting process, including items that were not included in the final bill. A presentation by Ho-Chunk Nation officials also generated questions on items that the Nation might have wanted to see included but were not. Other presenters (see below for links) also spoke in favor of the bill. Nobody spoke or registered against it.

The history and current status of AB118 are accessible online at  https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/ab118.

At that site, the full list of presenters at the hearing is available at https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/records/assembly/environment_and_forestry/1404668

Also at that site, copies of testimony and other material presented by Rep. Loudenbeck, the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Repatriation Committee are available at
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lc/hearing_testimony_and_materials/2017/ab118/ab0118_2017_10_03.pdf.

Finally, that site also lists entities that are lobbying in relation to the bill, at https://lobbying.wi.gov/What/BillInformation/2017REG/Information/13918.

Video of the hearing is online via Wisconsin Eye at  http://www.wiseye.org/Video-Archive/Event-Detail/evhdid/11882

The AB 118 discussion starts at 39:20.

No opposition has yet surfaced to the bill. The Wisconsin Realtors Association and Wisconsin Builders Association have registered as "Other" regarding the bill -- neither in favor nor opposed.