By EZEKIEL KINGSBURY
Two interesting bills were introduced this week — another was introduced that I do not have the legal know-how to dissect (it has to do with Employment Choice First, “to preserve the dignity, self-esteem, and pride of individuals with disabilities in Wisconsin.” It is 2023 SJR70 if you want to try to make heads OR tails of it.). The other two seemed salient to our young and bustling slice of Wisconsin.
You know the scene. Scrolling through Instagram Reels, an ad pops up for a sick photo editing app. You download it, thinking little, and find that you need the pro version to do what the ad shows. No worries! There’s a free trial! You fart around for five minutes and forget about it. One week later, you find a charge for $30 on your account. Damn, those mobile ads.
For all youse who fall for the “free trial” trap, on September 19, 18 Democrats and two Republicans introduced Assembly Bill 417, “Relating to: automatic renewals of consumer contracts and providing a penalty.” The bill would force vendors (probably offering free trials) to “present the terms of the renewal offer clearly and conspicuously, in a manner capable of being retained by the consumer” as well as making clear the price that will be paid once the offer ends. The consumer would also be provided with a clear guide to cancellation and “easy-to-use” methods for canceling. This bill is still in committee, meaning it hasn’t left the assembly.
Next bill introduced: In June, a group of 35 Republicans introduced Senate Bill 344, “Designating an unborn child as a dependent for income tax purposes and increasing the income tax exemption for a dependent.” A public hearing was held for it on September 19. Under this bill, an “unborn child” is considered a dependent beginning in the year in which its heartbeat is detected on an ultrasound. The tax exemption per dependent is also increased from $700 to $1000. When a person submits their tax return, they would be required to provide proof from a doctor that a heartbeat was detected in order to enjoy the benefits above.
Additionally (I thought it to be worth mentioning), under section 3, it reads: “The legislature of the State of Wisconsin finds and declares all of the following: Human life begins at conception. During the embryonic stage of pregnancy, the heart of an unborn child begins to beat. Less than five percent of all natural pregnancies end in spontaneous miscarriage after detection of cardiac activity, which makes fetal heartbeat a key medical indicator that an unborn child is likely to achieve the capacity for live birth.” The bill is also still in committee.
Leave a Reply