Advisory Council Bill on Gov.'s Desk After Passing Legislature Unopposed

A bill that will increase maximum benefits by $40 a week but also bar benefits for accidents caused by drug or alcohol intoxication has cleared both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature and is awaiting a signature by Gov. Scott Walker. Assembly Bill 724 by Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, was drafted by the labor and management representatives on the state's Workers' Compensation Advisory Council. The bill would increase maximum weekly benefits from $322 to $342 for injuries occurring before Jan. 1, 2017, and to $362 for injuries occurring on or after that date. The measure would bar...