Session Days

Speaker Vos continues to say the Assembly will complete the session on Thursday, while the Senate intends to meet in March. 

• The State of the State will be held Tuesday, the 17th at 7pm. It will be steamed on WisconsinEye.
  

• The Assembly will likely be in session Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (2/17, 2/18, and 2/19).
  



• It is expected the Senate will meet on Wednesday (2/18).
  

Not Seeking Reelection

The end of session is when most legislators who have decided not to seek reelection announce their intention. While it can be expected that more announcements will come in the next few weeks, only two have publicly announced so far:

• Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield)
  
• Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)
  

Dueling Tax Proposals

Republican leadership in the Senate and Assembly are not on the same page with tax proposals, and the evidence became public this week.

Senate Republicans introduced SB-001 (with funding in SB-995) providing a one-time income tax rebate. The proposal included all but two of the Senate Republicans as co-authors: Sen. Jacque (R-New Franken) and Sen. Marklein (R-Spring Green). According to the LRB analysis:

This bill provides a onetime rebate to taxpayers who filed a Wisconsin individual income tax return for tax year 2024 and who owed Wisconsin individual income tax for that year. The rebate is $1,000 for married persons filing a joint return and $500 dollars for all other individuals. The rebate payment may not exceed the amount of the taxpayer’s 2024 net income tax liability.

Under the bill, the Department of Revenue will issue the rebate payments without the taxpayers having to take any further action. The bill provides that the payments be made no later than September 15, 2026. If a taxpayer does not receive the amount of payment for which he or she is eligible, the taxpayer may file a claim with DOR by using a portal on DOR’s website. No claims may be made after December 31, 2026.

Meanwhile, Speaker Vos (R-Rochester) told media he has been negotiating with Governor Evers on a property tax cut that could include increased revenue for Special Education since the budget aimed for 42% and 45% but fell short because of low estimates from the Department of Public Instruction. The sticking point for the Assembly Republicans with the Governor appears to be the 400-year veto from Governor Evers. While Vos has spoken openly about negotiations, nothing has been made public or offered in the form of legislation.

When asked about the discrepancies between the two houses Speaker Vos said he is open to discussions, but he wants to ultimately see something that can get done and signed into law. Sen. LeMahieu said he believes the Assembly and Governor should be including the Senate in negotiations if they expect something to be done. 

Data Centers Continue to be an Issue

Several bills have been introduced regarding data centers, including:

• AB-228 and SB-241 Data Center TIFs - Rep. Born (R-Beaver Dam) and Sen. Jagler (R-Watertown)
  
• AB-245 and SB-244 Tax Exemption - Rep. Zimmerman (R-River Falls) and Sen. Quinn (R-Birchwood)
  
• AB-722 and SB-729 Energy Customer Fees - Rep. Stroud (D-Ashland) and Sen. Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay)
  
• AB-840 and SB-843 Data Centers - Rep. Zimmerman (R-River Falls) and Sen. Quinn (R-Birchwood)
  
• SB-969 and AB-1036 Nondisclosure Agreements for Data Centers - Rep. Moses (R-Menomonie) and Sen. Jacque (R-New Franken)
  
• LRB-5992 Data Centers Information - Sen. Jacque (R-New Franken)
  
• LRB-6377 Data Center Moratorium - Sen. Larson (D-Milwaukee)
  

Wake Boats at Issue

Another local control versus state regulation issue has seized the Capitol, this time it’s about wake boats (a specialized motorboat designed to create a large, high-energy wake or wave, for activities like wake surfing and wakeboarding). AB-1033 was introduced and immediately scheduled for a hearing and executive session (Senate companion SB-1025 was introduced and referred to Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government). According to the LRB analysis:

This bill regulates wakesurfing. The bill defines “wakesurfing” as surfing a motorboat’s wake, regardless of whether the person is being pulled by a tow rope attached to the motorboat that is producing the wake, or operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake that is, or is intended to be, surfed by another person.

Under current law, various regulations apply to water skiing, aquaplaning, or a similar activity, and under current law, wakesurfing likely falls under “aquaplaning” or a “similar activity.” The bill explicitly provides that aquaplaning includes wakesurfing and thereby applies the same safety regulations that apply to water skiing and aquaplaning to wakesurfing. These regulations include requiring an observer or a wide-angle mirror on the motorboat, restricting wakesurfing to between sunrise and sunset, prohibiting intoxicated wakesurfing, requiring a motorboat used for wakesurfing to stay more than 100 feet away from any occupied anchored boat, personal watercraft, or marked swimming area or public boat landing, and prohibiting a person engaged in wakesurfing from being within 100 feet, or allowing a tow rope to be within 100 feet, of a personal watercraft.

The bill generally prohibits a person from engaging in wakesurfing unless all of the following apply:

1. The motorboat is operated farther than 200 feet from a shoreline or dock, pier, boathouse, or other structure located completely or partly on the water.

2. The motorboat is operated farther than 200 feet from any person in the water or any occupied vessel.

3. Any person surfing on or across the wake of the motorboat or being towed on a board is wearing a personal flotation device prescribed by federal regulations.

The Wakesurfing restrictions under the bill and the current law restrictions that the bill explicitly applies to wakesurfing do not apply to a wakesurfing tournament, competition, exhibition, or trial that is authorized by the Department of Natural Resources or a municipality and where adequate lighting is provided.

The bill applies the same penalties to wakesurfing that apply to water skiing violations under current law.



Testimony and Press Releases:

• Testimony
  
• Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and Partners. Advance Balanced, Science-Based Wake-Enhanced Boating Policy
  
• Wake Boat Reform Coalition. Coalition to Protect Wisconsin’s Lakes Now Largest in the U.S.
  

Registered Lobbying Positions: