"We were just trying to collect money from past-due bills," Wulf said. "It is not a lawsuit by any means. We were just going after people that owed us money."

Unlike those who testify before Congress, people who provide testimony to state legislative committees are not sworn to tell the truth, so Wulf's lack of full disclosure did not break any laws.

Staskunas said he would leave it up to the public to "draw their own conclusions" in regard to Wulf's answers to his questions.

The hearing at which Wulf testified lasted 10 hours. Opponents of the proposed changes provided example after example of families whose relatives had been seriously injured in nursing home facilities or from faulty products.

Such families would have a more difficult path to litigation with a cap on punitive damages of $200,000 or twice the amount of compensatory damages if the bill is signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Business owners like Wulf, on the other hand, would be less liable for the products they produce or install.