MADISON WEEKLY: WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE CAPITAL

The Wisconsin Nurses Association testified in support of a medical
marijuana bill sponsored by Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, at an
Assembly committee hearing Tuesday.

Assembly Bill 740 provides a "medical necessity defense" for
marijuana-related prosecutions and property seizures.

"It is difficult for nurses to remain silent when seriously ill
patients are denied access to an effective medical treatment," Gina
Dennik-Champion, executive director of the nurses association, said
in a news release. "We support this legislation because there is
medical research that indicates that marijuana can serve as a form of
medical treatment for specific health problems such as nausea,
vomiting, pain, and glaucoma when other treatments fail."

If the Capitol feels cooler these days, it's not for a lack of hot
air. It's part of an executive order to reduce state energy usage
recently signed by Gov. Jim Doyle.

"Faced with huge increases in heating bills, many Wisconsin families
are looking at their thermostats and making the difficult decision to
turn it down a notch or two - especially when they're not home,"
Doyle said in a statement. "This executive order directs state
agencies to take the same common sense steps as Wisconsin families are taking."

One first step: the heat will be turned down in the Capitol from 72
to 68 degrees. State agencies are also directed to turn their
thermostats down, if they haven't already, and look for other ways to
reduce energy.

Doyle recently outlined plans for the possible event of a bird flu pandemic.

State plans include tactics to isolate patients to prevent spread of
the virus, agreements that will allow hospitals to assist each other,
and testing of people who may have been exposed to the virus and are
hospitalized with symptoms.

"There has been a lot said and written about bird flu lately - some
of it factual, and some exaggerated," Doyle said in a statement. "But
either way you look at it, a possible pandemic is a frightening
thing. And I want the people of Wisconsin to know that we're doing
everything that we possibly can to prepare for an outbreak of bird
flu here, should it occur."

People who want to support the state Capitol, and get something for
the Christmas tree, can purchase one of the 2005 commemorative state
Capitol ornaments. The ornaments, which were recently unveiled,
feature a replica of the gilded female statue that tops the Capitol.

The ornaments, which raise money for the State Capitol Restoration
Fund, retail for $17 and are available at various Madison locations,
including the Wisconsin Historical Society gift shop or online at
www.wisconsin history.org.

Former state treasurer and revenue secretary Cate Zeuske helped
spearhead the effort and in a statement called the ornaments "a
keepsake that can be passed on from one generation to the next."

On Thursday, oil executives will be answering questions about high
oil and gas prices in Wisconsin.

Gov. Jim Doyle subpoenaed executives of five major companies to
answer questions about the rising cost of home heating and surging gas prices.

Executives subpoenaed include David O'Reilly, chairman and CEO of
Chevron Corp.; Lee Raymond, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corp.;
James Mulva, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips Co.; Ross Pillari,
chairman and CEO of BP America Inc.; and John Hofmeister, president
and U.S. country chair of Shell Oil Co.

The hearing will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education facility, 161 West
Wisconsin Avenue, Room 7970, Milwaukee.

"As your family prepares for the Thanksgiving Day holiday, you might
just get caught up in a massive crime wave sweeping across the
state," state Rep. Scott Jensen, R-Brookfield, in a newsletter to his
constituents. Jensen pointed out that the deeply discounted turkeys
that grocery stores offer to lure customers are in violation of the
state's minimum markup law, which requires retailers and wholesales
to add a certain percentage to the cost of goods in order to prevent
larger businesses from underselling smaller operators. Jensen
advocates eliminating the law, which he called "silly" and
"antiquated." He noted that state inspectors have looked the other
way during the turkey sales.