In this update:

Election Updates
Administration Updates
Legislative Updates
Court Updates
Committee Schedule
Upcoming Events

Election Updates

MU Law Poll releases national survey

A new national survey from Marquette Law Poll finds President Trump’s approval rating at -14% with 43% of respondents saying they approve of the President’s job performance and 57% saying they disapprove. Looking to the 2026 midterm elections, the poll finds 49% of registered voters expect to vote for a Democrat and 44% expect to vote for a Republican in congressional elections. Among those certain to vote, 53% say they will vote Democratic while 44% will vote Republican.

The poll of 1,052 adults nationwide was conducted November 5-12 online using the SSRS Opinion Panel and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3%. The sample included 903 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%. Nate Silver rates Marquette University Law School an A/B pollster.

View the full poll here

Administration Updates

Evers announce $282 Million for safe drinking water

Governor Tony Evers, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), announced that more than $282 million will be distributed through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program to 74 municipalities statewide. The funding will support critical water infrastructure projects aimed at improving drinking water quality, with a focus on addressing contaminants like PFAS and nitrates, and prioritizing small and disadvantages communities.

Governor Evers stated, “Over the last six years, my administration and I have worked to ensure every Wisconsinite has access to clean, safe drinking water that is free of lead, PFAS, and other contaminants that have long been known to harm our kids and families, farmers and industries, and communities across our state. Today’s announcement is thanks in part to the bipartisan, pro-kid 2025-27 Biennial Budget I signed earlier this year, in which we were able to increase borrowing for the Environmental Improvement Fund by over $730 million to help meet statewide demand for low-interest financing for clean water and safe drinking water loans. While there is still more work to do, I am incredibly proud of our work to fight PFAS, help private well owners replace their contaminated wells, and replace lead service lines statewide, and these funds bring us one step closer to meeting our goal of ensuring every Wisconsinite has access to clean, safe water.”

Since its launch in 1998, the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program has provided nearly $1.5 billion in assistance to Wisconsin municipalities. This year’s funding includes federal support through the bipartisan infrastructure law for emerging contaminants like PFAS.

Examples of approved projects include:

Fairchild (Eau Claire County): Nearly $2 million to replace a nitrate-contaminated well and build a new wellhouse.
Hales Corners (Milwaukee County): Nearly $5 million to address PFAS contamination and connect residents to the Milwaukee Water System.
Suring (Oconto County): $1.3 million to construct a second water main river crossing for system reliability.

Additional efforts include replacing lead service lines statewide and implementing a new permanent rule lowering the lead poisoning threshold to 3.5 µg/dL, expanding eligibility for intervention resources.

Read the full press release here.

Legislative Updates

GOP lawmakers seek to roll back Evers’ “400-year veto”

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted in favor of a bill that would roll back a controversial school funding provision created by Governor Tony Evers’ partial veto in the 2023-25 state budget. The Republican bill would end the funding increase after the 2027-28 school year.

In 2023, Governor Evers used his powerful veto authority to strike digits and a hyphen from a temporary funding increase, effectively allowing local school districts to raise per-student spending by $325 annually through the year 2425. Republican lawmakers have labeled the move as an abuse of power and a violation of the state constitution’s separation of powers. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the veto in April.

The measure passed 18-15 along party lines and heads to the Assembly, but is unlikely to become law without Gov. Evers’ signature.

Gaming bill pulled from Assembly agenda

A bipartisan proposal to legalize online sports betting in Wisconsin was unexpectedly withdrawn from the Assembly’s agenda, hours before its scheduled vote. The bill would have allowed residents to place bets online provided the servers processing those wagers were located on tribal land. After initial introduction the measure drew strong opposition from conservative groups.

Supporters argued Wisconsin is losing revenue by not legalizing online sports betting, noting it popularity and adoption in other states. The bill drew backing from tourism groups, Milwaukee’s chamber of commerce, three gaming tribes, and the Milwaukee Brewers. Opponents include platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings, which said revenue-sharing requirements, at least 60% to tribes, made participation unfeasible and would limit consumer options.

Removing the bill from the agenda does not kill it. Lead author Rep. Tyler August (R-Walworth) said he plans to reintroduce it early next year. Governor Tony Evers indicated he would consider signing the bill if it preserves tribal control over gambling.

Last floor period of the year

The Wisconsin Legislature has wrapped up its final floor period of the year. Lawmakers have spent the past several days voting on dozens of bills as they conclude legislative business ahead of the holiday season.

The Legislature will return for its next floor periods in January 2026.

The following bills were passed and messaged by the Assembly at its final floor period of the year:

AB-156 Requiring child sexual abuse prevention education. (Rep. Gundrum)
AB-185 Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (Rep. Kitchens)
AB-207 Information provided to voters concerning proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. (Rep. O’Connor)
AB-223 Residency requirements for persons circulating nomination papers or recall petitions. (Rep. Piwowarczyk)
AB-225 Determination of where a defendant resides or does substantial business for purposes of venue. (Rep. Duchow)
AB-238 Prohibiting hotels, inns, and motels from discriminating against dog handlers who are accompanied by search and rescue dogs. (Rep. Green)
AB-240 A sales and use tax exemption for equipment associated with the use of a search and rescue dog. (Rep. Green)
AB-312 Hours for voting by absentee ballot in person at the office of the municipal clerk or an alternate site. (Rep. Krug)
AB-374 Compliance with the federal Electoral Count Reform Act. (Rep. Krug)
AB-375 Modifications to the historic rehabilitation tax credit. (Rep. Armstrong)
AB-385 Online credit card contributions and providing a penalty. (Rep. Murphy)
AB-426 Election observers and providing a penalty. (Rep. Tittl)
AB-518 Allowing individuals who hold a substitute teaching permit to substitute teach at private schools participating in a parental choice program. (Rep. Penterman)
AB-530 The operation of drones over school property and providing a penalty. (Rep. Kitchens)
AB-582 Dual enrollment programs, creating the Council on Dual Enrollment, and transfer of postsecondary course credits. (Rep. Murphy)
AB-592 Professional development for science teachers. (Rep. Franklin)
AB-595 Compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act, voter registration data sharing agreements, removing ineligible voters from the official voter registration list, and fees for obtaining the official voter registration list. (Rep. Krug)
AB-596 A state matching grant program for recipients of federal per diem payments and making an appropriation. (Rep. Franklin)
AB-597 A state matching grant program for recipients of federal per diem payments. (Rep. Franklin)
AB-602 Participating in the federal tax credit program for contributions to scholarship granting organizations. (Rep. Rodriguez)
AB-613 Notifying parents if a pupil is removed from the classroom. (Rep. Goeben)
AB-614 A teacher’s authority to manage the teacher’s class, parental notification of disruptive or violent behavior at school, and a school district’s code of conduct. (Rep. Goeben)
AB-616 Funding for reimbursements to municipalities for required office hours for in-person absentee voting and making an appropriation. (Rep. Krug)
AB-617 Applying for and returning absentee ballots; use of central counting locations; election night reporting; court determinations of incompetency and ineligibility to vote; preelection tests of electronic voting equipment, and providing a penalty. (Rep. Krug)
AB-644 State aid for consolidated school districts. (Rep. Kitchens)
AB-645 Grants for feasibility studies of school district consolidation or whole grade sharing. (Rep. Kitchens)
AB-646 Requiring a school district consolidation study. (Rep. Duchow)
AB-647 Whole grade sharing grants for school boards. (Rep. Nedweski)
AB-648 Supplemental state aid for consolidated school districts. (Rep. Nedweski)
AB-649 Supplemental funding for whole grade sharing grants, supplemental state aid for consolidated school districts, grants for feasibility studies of school district consolidation or whole grade sharing, and making an appropriation. (Rep. Duchow)
SB-010 Access to public high schools for military recruiters. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-011 Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-162 Bid requirement for publication and printing of county board proceedings, notices, and advertisements in counties having a population of 250,000 or more and at least two English newspapers published daily. (Sen. Wimberger)
SB-190 Ratification of the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-193 Revoking a transfer of real property on death, obtaining evidence of the termination of a decedent’s property interests, disbursing deposits after rescission of real property wholesaler contracts, and filing satisfactions of judgment. (Sen. Jagler)
SB-210 Changes to amount of, and criteria for designating recipients of, academic excellence higher education scholarships. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-270 The right of appeal for complainants aggrieved by decisions of the Elections Commission concerning the conduct of election officials. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-310 Time limits on local unit of government chief executive officer emergency power proclamations. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-337 Local grant writing and compliance assistance. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-358 Fees charged for certain coroner or medical examiner services. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-374 Exemptions from minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping requirements for minor league baseball players. (Sen. Feyen)
SB-421 A grant for modernization of a dam in the village of Rothschild and making an appropriation. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-423 The time limitation on prosecution for hiding a corpse. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-424 Teacher preparatory programs. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-440 Newspaper publication and typeface for certain legal notices. (Sen. Quinn)

The following bills were passed and messaged by the Senate at its final floor period of the year:

SB-011 Allows representatives of certain federally chartered youth organizations to share information with students on public school property. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-016 Relates to participation in interscholastic athletics and applying public records and open meetings laws to athletic associations. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-188 Reduces penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures are reduced. (Sen. Feyen)
SB-190 Ratifies the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-210 Changes the amount and criteria for academic excellence scholarships. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-227 Establishes the law enforcement officers’ bill of rights. (Sen. James)
SB-279 Provides grants to law enforcement agencies for data-sharing platforms. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-291 Makes certain child care expenses eligible for the business development tax credit. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-310 Sets time limits on emergency power proclamations by local government executives. (Tomczyk)
SB-337 Provides local assistance for grant writing and compliance. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-358 Addresses fees for certain coroner or medical examiner services. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-366 Provides technical education equipment grants. (Sen. Stafsholt)
SB-367 Allows virtual credit card payments in health insurance policies. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-376 Creates a tax credit for employer-provided child care. (Sen. Feyen)
SB-377 Identifies the Brooklyn Area Veterans Memorial on state highway maps. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-387 Indicates veteran status on driver’s licenses or ID cards for certain service members. (Sen. Jacque)
SB-389 Adjusts per-pupil revenue limits for school districts. (Sen. Kapenga)
SB-391 Requires audiovisual recording devices on school buses. (Sen. James)
SB-392 Adds school bus safety to driver education instruction. (Sen. James)
SB-394 Creates penalties for damage or graffiti to certain historical property. (Sen. Jacque)
SB-413 Provides immunity from prosecution for certain crimes when assisting sexual assault victims; extends prosecution time limits; and sets standards for terminating tenancy when the tenant is a sexual assault victim. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-419 Allows emergency testing of criminal defendants for certain diseases. (Sen. Feyen)
SB-421 Appropriates funds for modernization of a dam in Rothschild. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-423 Removes time limits on prosecution for hiding a corpse. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-424 Addresses teacher preparatory programs. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-432 Requires mandatory reporting and referral of suspected child abuse cases to law enforcement. (Sen. Quinn)
SB-439 Sets levy increase limits for Oregon village and towns of Oregon and Rutland. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-440 Specifies newspaper publication and typeface for certain legal notices. (Sen. Quinn)
SB-448 Permits videoconferencing in certain civil actions. (Sen. James)
SB-459 Addresses admissibility of expert witness testimony. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-461 Allows alternative delivery methods for DOT projects. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-466 Changes age criteria for issuing Missing Child Alerts. (Sen. James)
SB-474 Promotes fire suppression products derived from soybeans. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-482 Extends carryover period for research income tax credit. (Sen. Feyen)
SB-485 Allows video monitoring in residential care centers, group homes, and shelter care facilities for children and youth. (Sen. James)
SB-498 Protects free speech and academic freedom at UW System institutions and technical colleges; ensures due process in disciplinary proceedings; and creates causes of action against governing boards. (Sen. Cabral-Guevara)
SB-504 Regulates dental provider network rental by insurance plans. (Sen. Felzkowski)
SB-521 Authorizes highway signs for the Mount Horeb Veterans Memorial. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-525 Requires removal of vegetation obstructing outdoor advertising signs. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-528 Addresses airport improvement contracts. (Sen. Tomczyk)
SB-529 Repeals obsolete tax credits and provisions. (Sen. Marklein)
SB-531 Regulates post-loss assignment of rights under property insurance policies to residential contractors; includes penalties. (Sen. Felzkowski)
SB-532 Addresses course fees at UW System institutions. (Sen. Hutton)
SB-533 Created penalties for intentional disarming a correctional officer. (Sen. James)
SB-537 Prohibits nonfunctional and counterfeit airbags; include penalties. (Sen. Wanggaard)
SB-553 Limits the definition of abortion. (Sen. Quinn)
SB-593 Makes various changes to insurance laws. (Sen. Quinn)
AB-074 Requires parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (Rep. Franklin)
AB-089 Related to theft crimes and penalties. (Rep. Penterman)
AB-136 Classifies the crime of impersonating law enforcement officers, firefighters, and certain emergency personnel; includes penalties. (Rep. Wichgers)
AB-165 Prohibits local guaranteed income programs. (Rep. Piwowarczyk)
AB-166 Requires reporting of certain college cost and outcome data; addresses academic and career planning services for pupils. (Rep. Melotik).
AB-211 Exempts tobacco bars from the public smoking ban. (Rep. Gustafson)
AB-265 Addresses human trafficking and trafficking of a child; includes penalties. (Rep. Wittke)
AB-280 Modifies workforce housing and childcare awards under the business development tax credit. (Rep. Armstrong)
AB-302 Authorizes lights for funeral procession vehicles. (Rep. Kaufert)
AB-308 Prohibits funding for health services for individuals unlawfully present. (Rep. Dallman)
AB-366 Regulates emotional support animals in housing; prohibits false claims of service animal status; includes penalties. (Rep. Tittl)
AB-409 Creates rules for passing certain vehicles stopped on or near a highway; includes penalties. (Rep. Piwowarczyk)
AB-424 Establishes requirements for renting mobile and manufactured homes. (Rep. Krug)
AB-450 Clarifies applicability of the commercial building code to certain buildings. (Rep. Penterman)
AB-452 Allows subdividers to self-certify compliance of public improvements with state requirements; makes other changes to subdivision plat approvals. (Rep. Kreibich)
AB-456 Makes changes to laws governing real estate practice. (Rep. Krug)

Court Updates

Schimel appointed Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District

Brad Schimel has been sworn in as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The appointment was made by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the oath of office was administered by Chief U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper.

As Interim U.S. Attorney, Mr. Schimel serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District. He oversees the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters on behalf of the United States within the district. Mr. Schimel leads an office of roughly 82 professionals, including prosecutors, civil litigators, and support staff.

Mr. Schimel most recently sought a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the Spring of 2025, but lost to liberal candidate Susan Crawford by 10 percentage points. President Donald Trump endorsed Mr. Schimel in the race.

Mr. Schimel was elected Wisconsin Attorney General in 2014 as a Republican serving one term. Before that, he spent nearly nine years as Waukesha County District Attorney. Until August, he served as a circuit court judge in Waukesha County.

Committee Schedule

As of 10:30 am Friday, there have been no committee meetings scheduled for next week. Committee and Agency meeting notices are frequently updated and can be found here (for the Legislature) and here (for the Administration).

Upcoming Events

Friday, December 5th at 8:30am - Capitol Chats with Sen. Devin LeMahieu (virtual)

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