The state Assembly voted on a series of split and bipartisan bills at a hearing Tuesday, ranging from civil service reform to allowing people to carry concealed switchblades.

Civil service sparks

Proposed changes to civil service law left both parties fiercely defending their points.

The Assembly approved the civil service bill in a 57-35 party-line vote Tuesday.

Rep. Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, authored the bill, whose main purpose alters the hiring process for government employees, removing the job-specific civil service exam and instead basing hiring decisions solely off of candidates’ resumes.

Forget today's "hyperbowl" from the left, our recruitment reform bill is good for taxpayers & employees #Wiright #CommonSense

— Jim Steineke (@jimsteineke) October 27, 2015

Republicans supported the bill because they sought to speed up the hiring and firing process, while Democrats disagreed with the bill’s fast-tracked nature and what removing the civil service examination might do to the state employee make-up.

Much of the bill repeats what is already law, La Follette School of Public Affairs political science professor Dennis Dresang, who wrote the majority of the original civil service law’s content when the then-Gov. Patrick Luckey appointed him to a task force, said.

Several Democrats, including Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee, said at the hearing the bill increases favoritism.

“This bill will lead to greater political patronage,” Zamarrippa said. “Thus it will lead to cronyism, favoritism, nepotism and finally corruption.”

We have an author of a bill running from debate on his bill. #OpenForCorruption #WhereIsSteineke

— Andy Jorgensen (@StuckWithAndy) October 27, 2015

But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the bill has nothing to do with that, arguing it rewards people who work hardest to earn state jobs.

Standardized test exemptions

The Assembly also passed a bill in a bipartisan voice vote allowing elementary through high school students’ parents to exempt them from taking standardized tests.

Under current law, students are allowed to opt out of state examinations in fourth grade and in grades eight through 11, according to a statement from Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac.

Theisfeldt, author of the bill, said it doesn’t make sense to make the opt-out option for only some grades. The new bill allows parents to exempt students from all grades three to 11.

Michael Wagner, an associate professor in UW’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said opting out is a way for parents to push back against lawmakers who necessitate too many standardized tests.

Wagner said standardized tests are not good predictors of student success.

“There’s really not much in the way of evidence that mandatory testing improves education,” Wagner said.

Wagner said one problem this bill could create is misrepresentation of academic performance.

High performers may opt out of the tests, causing schools scores to be lowered, Wagner said. On the other hand, Wagner said, teachers could encourage low achieving students to opt of the tests in order to falsely boost their scores.

Concealed switchblades carry

The Assembly also approved a vote on party lines to approve the use of concealed switchblades.

The Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs and Educators, Inc. applauded the bill in a statement, saying every Wisconsinite has a right to carry around this common tool, and the use of an object is what makes it dangerous, not the object itself.

But Democrats warned against the bill’s dangers. Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, called it misguided legislation.

“I cannot understand this bill,” Taylor said. “I think this is a horrible bill.”

Group health insurance

The Assembly voted almost unanimously, 90-2, to allow the Joint Finance Committee to oversee certain group health insurance changes in the state.

State finance committee wants a say in Wisconsin health insurance program

There was no discussion of the bill at the hearing.

Dresang said like the civil service reform bill, this legislation has many ambiguities due to how quickly it went through the legislation process.

The full Senate must still hear all the bills passed Tuesday. Dates of these hearings have yet to be determined.