New Legislators Sponsor ‘Wish List’ Bills

Wisconsin State Capitol. Photo by Dave Reid.

New legislators come to the Capitol with a fresh zeal to try and make changes they campaigned on, even if they are Democrats in a Legislature controlled by Republicans.

For that reason, what bills first-term lawmakers have sponsored or cosponsored is interesting, giving us a kind of survey of what issues concern voters across the state.

For Rep. Karen DeSanto, Baraboo Democrat: Prohibit hedge funds from acquiring single-family homes in this state.

Rep. Karen Hurd, Republican from Withee (a village in Clark County): Bills include using the state buildings trust fund assets as grants to hospital emergency departments, preventing childhood obesity, licensing minors as emergency medical services practitioners and allowing certified child care operators to care for up to six children.

Rep. Darrin Madison, Milwaukee Democrat: Create a Public Bank of Wisconsin that would provide  “affordable financing to eligible recipients and small- and medium-sized businesses, especially in underserved communities,” and “address the historic and current disadvantages experienced by the state’s minority-owned and women-owned enterprises.”

Rep. Christian Phelps, Eau Claire Democrat: Prohibit discrimination on the basis of an individual’s gender identity or gender expression.

Rep. Margaret Arney, Wauwatosa Democrat: Allow someone to claim both the farmland preservation tax credit and the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit in the same tax year.

Rep. Brienne Brown, Whitewater Democrat: Prohibit the use of algorithmic software in setting rental rates or occupancy levels for residential dwelling units and prohibit persons from selling, licensing, or providing algorithmic software to a residential landlord.

Rep. Brent Jacobson, Mosinee Republican: Bills include creating a new felony for “sextortion;” requiring the state Department of Corrections to recommend revoking a person’s extended supervision, parole, or probation if the person is charged with a crime while on release, and expand the list of offenses for which the vehicle used in the offense may be impounded for 90 days.

Rep. Amaad Rivera-Wagner, Green Bay Democrat: Prohibit the offering of anything worth more than $5  as a bribe to induce a voter “to sign or refrain from signing a petition supporting or opposing a candidate, referendum, or proposition about political or social issues, state law, or proposed or potential legislation.” The current limit is anything worth more than $1.

Rep. Renuka Mayadev, Madison Democrat: Require health insurance policies and plans that provide coverage of prescription drugs to cover prescription drugs and related medical supplies for the treatment of asthma.

Rep. Ann Roe, Janesville Democrat: Make someone who is deaf-blind eligible for Senior Care, a program that provides community-based long-term care services.

Rep. Angelito Tenorio, West Allis Democrat: Require the legislature, during the 2025-26 session, to pass legislation creating a viable plan to reduce carbon emissions by 52% by 2030 and creating a viable plan for achieving carbon neutral emissions by 2050.

Rep. Duke Tucker, Grantsburg Republican: Prohibit state agencies and local governments from restricting the use or sale of a motor vehicle based on its energy source, or ban the use or sale of a vehicle based on its energy source.

Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, Appleton Democrat: Four bills to provide “equity and protections for the LGBTQ+ community in Wisconsin,” and resolutions that designate June 2025 as Pride Month and would remove marriage restrictions in Wisconsin’s constitution.

Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, Whitefish Bay Democrats: Bills include allowing local governments to regulate pesticides for the purpose of protecting pollinators and pollinator habitats and allow issuance of a special license plate for someone wanting to express support for protecting pollinators.

Sen. Sarah Keyeski, Lodi Democrat: Reimburse public and private school districts for the costs of providing free meals to all pupils.

Sen. Melissa Ratcliff, Cottage Grove Democrat: Exemption from the state law requiring that notices of name changes be made public for someone seeking a name change to conform with the individual’s gender identity.

Republicans who formerly served in the Assembly who returned this session are calling for other changes. Neenah Republican Dean Kaufert wants tougher penalties on convicted drunk drivers who tamper with or disconnect their required ignition interlock devices. And Rob Kreibich, of New Richmond, wants tougher penalties for anyone who defrauds or sexually assaults “at risk” adults

It’s quite a range of proposals. One first-term lawmaker even wants to change how your breakfast is served. Rep. Tara Johnson, a Town of Shelby Democrat, wants to prohibit all restaurants from serving “a food product identified as maple syrup unless the product is made entirely of maple syrup,” as defined by the federal government.

It’s a bipartisan idea; it has 15 Assembly and seven Senate cosponsors.

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com