Schedule

On May 5, 2025, UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health Population Health Sciences Monday Seminar featured the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease which is one of four such centers supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of which are dedicated to research and training efforts that support the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People. In this presentation, Lyric Bartholomay, the Bernard C. Easterday Professor in Infectious Disease, in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine showcases MCEVBD research successes in vector surveillance, a mosquito-borne disease outbreak response, and mosquito and tick control.

Now that public hearings are complete, the Joint Finance Committee begins the hard work of crafting the biennial budget with a goal of being done by July 1. Yet partisan disagreements over tax cuts, the impact of federal policies and the state of the economy all have the potential to stall this year’s timeline. Democratic members of the finance committee, Senator Kelda Roys and Representative Tip McGuire, joined WisconsinEye’s Newsmakers on May 5, 2025. (Brought to you by Nicolet National Bank).

On May 6, 2025, the Customers First Coalition will hold their annual Power Breakfast at the Premier Park Hotel in Madison, WI. The event agenda includes discussions about the expansion of data centers across the nation and the growing energy demand to power them.

Agenda:

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM – Opening Remarks

• Chairperson Summer Strand, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Panel: Data Centers and Energy Use: Challenges and Opportunities

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM – Panel Discussion: Data Centers: Regulatory, Policy, and Customer Implications

• Moderator: Commissioner Kristy Nieto, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
• Panel: Tyrel Zich, Regional Vice President, Energy Policy Xcel Energy; Tom Content, Executive Director Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin

On May 6, 2025, the Senate Committee on Education will hold a public hearing on the following:

Senate Bill 10 Relating to: access to public high schools for military recruiters.

Senate Bill 11 Relating to: allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property.

Senate Bill 58 Relating to: referendum questions for certain referenda that affect property taxes.

Senate Bill 22 / Assembly Bill 5 Relating to: requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.

Senate Bill 81 Relating to: school district operating referenda.

On May 6, 2025, the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development will hold a public hearing on the following:

Senate Bill 196 / Assembly Bill 169 Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law.

Senate Bill 197 / Assembly Bill 164 Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law and federal Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment grants.

Senate Bill 198 / Assembly Bill 167 Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law and requiring approval by the Joint Committee on Finance of certain federally authorized unemployment benefits

Senate Bill 200 / Assembly Bill 168 Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law.

Senate Bill 201 / Assembly Bill 162 Relating to: workforce metrics

Senate Bill 151 Relating to: requests for information from employers about unemployment insurance claims.

On May 6, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation will meet on the following:

Public Hearing:

• Assembly Bill 181 Relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.
• Assembly Bill 18 Relating to: fee waivers for state park vehicle admission receipts to pupils with Every Kid Outdoors passes.

Informational Hearing:

• The Wisconsin Policy Forum report, “This Land is our Land, The Past and Future of Conservation Funding in Wisconsin.”

On May 6, 2025, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government will hold a public hearing on the following:

Department of Transportation Design Build Report – DOT Design Build Report submission which was referred to the committee for review under s. 84.062(2)(e) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Senate Bill 170 Relating to: rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System.

Senate Bill 8 Relating to: repair and replacement of implements of husbandry under warranty.

Senate Bill 9 Relating to: special registration plates with white lettering on a black background.

Senate Bill 38 Relating to: personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates.

Senate Bill 159 Relating to: requirements for lighting on police vehicles.

Senate Bill 215 Relating to: town clerk and treasurer appointments, publication requirements for proposed budget summary and notice of public hearing, and discontinuance of highways.

Senate Bill 179 Relating to: applying the motor vehicle fuel tax supplier’s administrative allowance to diesel fuel, a motor vehicle fuel tax refund for evaporation losses, and making an appropriation.

On May 6, 2025, Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) and Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) will host a news conference to discuss the reintroduction of their Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Modernization Act. The APRN Modernization Act authorizes registered nurses in Wisconsin to practice independently and without the need for a collaborative agreement with a physician. Close to 30 red and blue states – including Minnesota and Iowa – have enacted comparable policies.

On May 7, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Local Government will hold a public hearing on the following:

Assembly Bill 188 Relating to: reduction of penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures reduced.

Assembly Bill 217 Relating to: local government competitive bidding thresholds.

Assembly Bill 187 Relating to: training completion awards for volunteer firefighters.

On May 7, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Science, Technology, and AI will meet on the following:

Public Hearing:

• Assembly Bill 33 Relating to: representations depicting nudity and providing a penalty.
• Assembly Bill 204 Relating to: creating a video game production tax credit and making an appropriation.

Informational Hearing:

• Rick Offenbecher Former Department of Revenue Head of IT
• Jeff Szczerbinski Wisconsin Account Executive, Salesforce 

On May 7, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Judiciary will hold a public hearing on the following:

Assembly Bill 34 Relating to: court-issued criminal complaints in officer-involved deaths.

Assembly Bill 88 Relating to: civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty.

Assembly Bill 124 Relating to: prohibiting persons who have been convicted of a violent crime from changing their name and providing a penalty.

Assembly Bill 191 Relating to: requiring a subpoena to a law enforcement officer or tribal law enforcement officer served in official capacity to be served at the officer’s work address.

Assembly Bill 121 Relating to: recodification of battery statutes and providing a penalty.

Assembly Joint Resolution 10 Relating to: the freedom to gather in places of worship during a state of emergency (second consideration).

• 05/05/2025: AB148 was removed from the list of items to be heard.

On May 7, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Children and Families and Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families will hold a joint public hearing on the following:

Assembly Bill 156 Relating to: requiring child sexual abuse prevention education.

Assembly Bill 153 Relating to: income change notifications for child support or maintenance orders.

Assembly Bill 233 Relating to: grants to child advocacy centers.

On May 7, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety will hold a public hearing on the following:

Assembly Bill 242 Relating to: tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and providing a penalty. 

Assembly Bill 53 Relating to: special circumstances battery to a community service officer and providing a penalty.

Assembly Bill 171 Relating to: privacy protections for judicial officers.

On May 7, 2025, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules will meet on the following:

Public Hearing:

• EmR 2418 [Extension Request] Related to: Technical education equipment grants (DWD)
• EmR 2419 [Extension Request] Related to: Alcohol beverage regulation and taxation (DOR)
• EmR 2420 [Extension Request] Related to: Extension of kinship care and long-term kinship care payments to likekin and the definition of out-of-home care in child welfare rules (DCF)

Executive Session:

• EmR 2414 [Extension Request] Related to: Innovation grant programs pursuant to 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 (DOR)
• EmR 2418 [Extension Request] Related to: Technical education equipment grants (DWD)
• EmR 2419 [Extension Request] Related to: Alcohol beverage regulation and taxation (DOR)
• EmR 2420 [Extension Request] Related to: Extension of kinship care and long-term kinship care payments to likekin and the definition of out-of-home care in child welfare rules (DCF)

On May 8, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate will hold a public hearing on the following:

Assembly Bill 157 Relating to: prohibiting filing or recording contracts for services or materials that do not improve real estate and providing a penalty.

Assembly Bill 175 Relating to: requiring periodic inspections of parking structures.

Assembly Bill 194 Relating to: modifications to housing programs under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

Assembly Bill 82 Relating to: exempting certain conveyances between grandparents and grandchildren from the real estate transfer fee.

On May 9, 2025, the Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board will hold two hearings on applications for clemency. This segment features part 1 with the following applicants:

8:30 to 10:00 am:

• Christopher Olson
• Robert Green
• William Morrissey
• Shaun Daniels
• Olides Lazcano
• Chiquita Shadwick
• Tiffany Gaumond
• Bacarri Carson
• Jason Little

10:00 to 11:30 am:

• Daniel Olejniczak
• Joseph Conley
• John Skenandore
• Desmond Graves
• Tony Moore
• Timothy Olson
• Adam Vandenberg
• Courtney Crawford
• Erik Stark
• Ashley Oppermann

On May 9, 2025, Waukesha County Circuit Court will hold a status conference on Ardis Cerney vs. Wisconsin Elections Commission et al, Case Number 2023CV001954.

On May 9, 2025, WisconsinEye’s Rewind Host and CBS 58 Capitol Reporter Emilee Fannon and WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross will review this week in state politics. (Brought to you by the Wisconsin Realtors Association).

On May 9, 2025, the Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board will hold two hearings on applications for clemency. This segment features part 2 with the following applicants:

1:00 to 2:30 pm:

• Brendan Brennan
• Latanya Trammell
• Kelvin Cook
• Amie Russo
• Johnalee Kawalec
• Bernardino San Martin
• Derwin Smith
• Annette Ragsdale
• Brenda Williams 

On May 17, 2025, the Republican Party of Wisconsin will host its State Convention in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Coverage features:

9 AM – 11:30 AM: Morning Convention Session

1:30 PM – 5 PM: Afternoon Convention Session