I don't want to get into the good or bad of it, but it seems like every time I turn around lately I am tripping over a new state law. No "gridlock" in the Wisconsin state legislature.
As of June 1st all drivers must carry proof of insurance. I don't know where that came from -- I never heard about it until about June 2nd. On June 25th the method your local county register of deeds uses to determine charges for recording documents changes from the system that has been in use since forever. Yes, such things are a state law matter -- the governor signed this last one into law on May 12th. Are you like me and never hear about many of these new bills until they are already signed into law?
Here is another example, and it does have something to do with real estate. Two months ago the governor signed into law a bill that requires carbon monoxide detectors in all homes by February 1, 2011. Since this past April 1st the detectors have been required in all new and existing multi-family units. The new law extends the requirement to all one and two-family homes. For the owners of one and two-family residences the law does not have a fine or penalty associated with non-compliance (similar to the smoke detector law), but non-compliance will show up on home inspections, so sellers must be aware of the new requirements. I think there was an attempt to enact this requirement as an emergency rule several years back but it must have been put on the back burner, so-to-speak, until lately.
The new law will require carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in the basement and on each floor (except an unoccupied attic) of all newly constructed and existing homes. Dwellings with no fuel burning appliances (furnace, fireplace, water heater, garage heater, etc.) and do not have an attached garage are exempt. For all new construction the alarms must be hard-wired, but for existing one and two-family homes battery powered alarms are allowed and plug-in alarms are acceptable for existing multi-family units.
Here is a link to the actual bill: Senate Bill 415