Senate and Assembly Floor Sessions: February 13, 2024 (Redistricting, Taxes, Economic and Workforce Development)

Date Mon, Feb. 26, 2024 - 7:45am By Hamilton

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature met February 13, 2024. Also this month, both houses of the Legislature met February 20 (Senate, Assembly) and the Assembly met February 15 and 22.

Most notably, both houses voted to amend and pass SB 488, related to legislative redistricting. The updated bill consisted of new Senate and Assembly maps drafted by Gov. Evers (D) for consideration by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Gov. Evers subsequently signed the bill into law, establishing new state legislative districts that will be in place for the 2024 election. More about that here.

Senate (floor calendar)

The Senate passed 50 bills. Following is a full list of the bills that the Senate approved, which were passed by unanimous roll call or voice vote unless otherwise noted:

SB 58 Well Compensation Grants Nitrate contamination and the well compensation grant program.
SB 158 Health Care Credentials Preliminary health care credentials granted to previously unlicensed individuals. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted by voice vote.
SB 172 Community Reentry Centers Establishing and operating community reentry centers and making an appropriation. Passed, 28-3.
SB 174 Electronic vital records Requiring use of the electronic system of vital records for medical certifications of death. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted by voice vote.
SB 274 Real Estate Transfer Fees The amount and distribution of the real estate transfer fee. Passed, 21-11.
SB 351 Tax Exemption Creating a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of certain memberships to a real estate broker.
SB 367 UW Admission Guaranteed admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges and requiring high schools to prepare class rankings for certain pupils. Passed, 23-9.
SB 374 Tax Reciprocity Wisconsin and Minnesota income tax reciprocity. Passed, 21-11.
SB 407 Aging Grants Healthy aging grants and making an appropriation. Passed, 30-1.
SB 488 Legislative Redistricting Legislative redistricting. Passed, 18-14.
SB 514 Fleeing an Officer Fleeing an officer and providing a penalty.
SB 517 Criminal Complaints Court-issued criminal complaints if the person’s actions were in self-defense. Passed, 21-10.
SB 518 UW Redevelopment Grants University of Wisconsin System branch campus redevelopment grants, including a grant to Richland County, and making an appropriation. Passed, 26-5.
SB 541 Lake Bed Fill Use of fill in commercial waterways and Great Lakes waters. Passed, 23-8.
SB 549 Youth Organizations Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property.
SB 553 Deep Fakes Representations depicting nudity and providing a penalty.
SB 616 DOR Law Changes A sales tax exemption for road-building equipment; increasing the income tax withholding threshold for nonresidents; modifying the certification requirement for a qualified opportunity fund; prohibiting certain lottery games; and extending the capital gains exclusion to family members who inherit certain farms organized as a partnership or limited liability company.Passed, 30-2.
SB 641 Electric Weapons Eliminating the prohibitions on electric weapons and providing a penalty. Passed, 22-10.
SB 707 Reading Program Grants National reading program grants.
SB 736 Postelection Audits Postelection audits by the Legislative Audit Bureau and providing a penalty. Passed, 22-10.
SB 742 Teacher Certification An alternative teacher certification program for an initial license to teach. Passed, 23-9.
SB 759 Trust Administration Trust administration, the Uniform Powers of Appointment Act, the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, disclosure of certain digital property, and the classification of certain digital property as individual property for purposes of determining marital property.
SB 768 LP Dispensing Prohibiting certain rules related to dispensing liquefied petroleum gases for vehicle fuel purposes.
SB 780 License Fees Nonresident archer and crossbow hunting license fees.
SB 787 Evansville TIF Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Evansville.
SB 788 Chiropractors Delegation of adjunctive services by chiropractors.
SB 829 Firearm Exception Allowing a tactical emergency medical services professional to carry a firearm in prohibited areas.
SB 833 Resource Center Funding Funding for the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center and making an appropriation.
SB 836 Juvenile Court Imposing conditions on a juvenile between a plea hearing and a fact-finding hearing or disposition hearing. Passed, 22-10.
SB 866 Electronic Recycling Changes to the electronic waste recycling program and granting rule-making authority.
SB 874 Conviction Count Counting convictions and findings for the purpose of the sex offender registry and notifications. Passed, 24-8.
SB 875 Xylazine Exception Excepting xylazine testing materials from the definition of drug paraphernalia and civil and criminal liability exemptions for distributing and administering xylazine testing products.
SB 880 Stevens Point TIF Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Stevens Point.
SB 894 BioForward Grant A technology and innovation hub grant to BioForward, Inc., and making an appropriation. Passed, 31-1.
SB 898 Estate Documents Electronic and remote witnessing and notarization of estate planning documents.
SB 915 Antigo TID The maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 4 in the city of Antigo.
SB 917 Student Teaching Student teaching requirement for teacher preparatory programs and granting rule-making authority. Passed, 23-9.
SB 932 Building Program Modifications to building program project budgets, selection of project architects and engineers, single prime contracting, agency cooperation with energy conservation contractors, timeline for claims before the Claims Board, and making a transfer to the state building trust fund.
SB 971 Early Literacy Early literacy programs administered by the Department of Public Instruction.
AB 251 DPI Licenses A tier I license issued by the Department of Public Instruction and modifying administrative rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction.
AB 298 Polling Place Closures Polling place closures.
AB 330 Nomination Papers The number of signatures on nomination papers.
AB 356 Next Gen 911 Grants for incumbent local exchange carriers for costs associated with Next Generation 911 and making an appropriation. Passed, 30-2.
AB 388 Child Care Centers Creating a child care center renovations loan program. Passed, 22-10.
AB 480 Farmland Preservation Tax Credits Eligibility for farmland preservation tax credits. Passed, 22-10.
AB 510 Parent Rights Rights reserved to a parent or guardian of a child. Passed, 22-10.
AB 512 Hunting Dogs Hunting wild animals with the aid of a dog, dog training on wild animals, and dog trialing on wild animals in the northern portion of the state.
AB 572 Absentee Voting Absentee voting in certain residential care facilities and retirement homes and court determinations of incompetency and ineligibility to vote. Passed, 22-10.
AB 637 Catalytic Converters Removing a catalytic converter without consent and providing a penalty.
AB 890 Investment Program Fund of funds investment program.

The Assembly Bills (AB) listed above, as well as SBs 158 and 174, have passed both houses of the Legislature and can be presented to the governor for his signature or veto.

The Senate referred one bill on the calendar, SB 612 (regarding seasonally maintained highways), back to the Committee on Senate Organization. That bill was rescheduled for a Senate vote on February 20. The Senate also rejected a motion from Democratic legislators to take up SB 365 (establishing a statutory right to contraception).

The Senate voted to confirm six gubernatorial appointments, including two former Democratic state legislators: former Sen. Jon Erpenbach as Chair of the Parole Commission (29-2) and former Rep. Don Vruwink as Commissioner of Railroads (30-1). The Senate also confirmed two appointments each to the Medical Examining Board and the Veterinary Examining Board.

The Senate adopted two resolutions consisting of proposed constitutional amendments:

SJR 93 Government Continuity Continuity of government (first consideration). Adopted, 31-0.
AJR 6 Appropriation Authority The appropriation authority of the legislature and the allocation of moneys Wisconsin receives from the federal government (second consideration). Adopted, 22-10.

Finally, the Senate adopted eight other resolutions, all by voice vote except for AJR 105:

SJR 103 Women In Office
SJR 112 NCSL
SJR 113 SB 408 Recall
AJR 104 Birkebeiner
AJR 105 School Choice Week Adopted, 22-10.
AJR 106 Sturgeon Spearing Day
AJR 111 Rare Disease Day
AJR 113 American Heart Month

Assembly (floor calendar)

The Assembly passed 29 bills. Following is a full list of the bills that the Assembly approved, which were passed by unanimous roll call or voice vote unless otherwise noted:

AB 337 Earnings Garnishment Eliminating the 13-week limit on the garnishment of earnings of certain debtors.
AB 627 Business Development Tax Credit Various changes to the business development tax credit.
AB 742 Obsolete References Eliminating obsolete statutory references regarding property, sales, and income taxes; the uniform unclaimed property act; and lottery games.
AB 793 College Savings Accounts Modifying the tax treatment of college savings accounts and the employee college savings account contribution credit.
AB 851 Cotton Candy License requirement exemption for retail food establishments that sell or process cotton candy.
AB 891 Cost Reporting Academic and career planning services provided to pupils, requiring the reporting of certain data on college student costs and outcomes, and granting rule-making authority.
AB 910 Tobacco Sellers Remote sellers of cigars and pipe tobacco.
AB 912 Charitable Organizations Financial statements of registered charitable organizations.
AB 1020 Tax Bracket Expansion Expansion of the second individual income tax bracket. Passed, 62-34.
AB 1021 Retirement Income Subtraction Increasing and expanding the retirement income subtraction. Passed, 64-32.
AB 1022 Married Persons Credit The married persons credit. Passed, 62-34.
AB 1023 Child Care Credit Expanding the child and dependent care credit. Passed, 92-4.
SB 99 Sewer Lines Funding for reduction of infiltration and inflow in connecting laterals and sewer lines.
SB 169 Hiring hotline Establishing a hotline for employers interested in hiring individuals with a conviction record.
SB 186 Commercial building plans Procedures for reviewing commercial building plans.
SB 187 Commercial building plans Local government review of commercial building plans.
SB 188 Commercial Building Construction Permission to start construction of a commercial building before plan approval.
SB 271 CDL Training A commercial driver training grant program and making an appropriation. Passed, 93-3.
SB 311 Fair Prizes State aid for prizes awarded at local fairs.
SB 351 Tax Exemption Creating a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of certain memberships to a real estate broker. Passed, 94-2.
SB 363 Pig Iron Transport Permits for the overweight transport of pig iron.
SB 367 UW Admission Guaranteed admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges and requiring high schools to prepare class rankings for certain pupils.
SB 436 Work Permits Permits authorizing the employment of minors. Passed, 62-34.
SB 451 Premier Resort Tax Allowing certain municipalities to increase the rate of the premier resort area tax.
SB 488 Legislative Redistricting Legislative redistricting. Passed, 63-33.
SB 626 Notarial Acts Notarial acts performed for remotely located individuals.
SB 759 Trust Administration Trust administration, the Uniform Powers of Appointment Act, the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, disclosure of certain digital property, and the classification of certain digital property as individual property for purposes of determining marital property.
SB 768 LP Dispensing Prohibiting certain rules related to dispensing liquefied petroleum gases for vehicle fuel purposes.
SB 894 BioForward Grant A technology and innovation hub grant to BioForward, Inc., and making an appropriation.

The Senate Bills (SB) listed above previously passed the Senate and can be presented to the governor for his signature or veto, except for SB 187, which was amended by the Assembly.

The Assembly did not act on two bills on the calendar:

AB 737 Wisconsin Consumer Act Exempting certain sales from the notice and right to cancel provisions of the Wisconsin Consumer Act.
AB 956 Building Program Modifications to building program project budgets, selection of project architects and engineers, single prime contracting, agency cooperation with energy conservation contractors, timeline for claims before the Claims Board, and making a transfer to the state building trust fund.

The Assembly adopted four resolutions, all by voice vote:

AJR 111 Rare Disease Day
AJR 113 American Heart Month
SJR 96 Margaret Farrow
SJR 113 SB 408 Recall

For more information about the 2023-24 legislative session in Wisconsin, see the following articles:

Categories Economic & Workforce Development / Elections & Politics / Wisconsin Legislature