Rep. Ryan Clancy

Maddy summaryAB 500 bans corporal punishment in all public and private schools, defining it as intentional physical pain used for discipline (e.g., paddling or slapping). The bill prohibits school staff from using such punishment on students but allows reasonable force for safety under new school policies. Schools must adopt policies clarifying when force is permitted, excluding individualized education programs and athletic training. This directly affects all public and private schools and their staff in the state.

Maddy summaryAB 1012 establishes a family and medical leave insurance program that would allow eligible workers to take up to 14 weeks of leave per year to care for a newborn, newly adopted child, or family member with a serious health condition, or to address certain family military needs. The bill would require employers with 50 or more employees to provide this leave, funded through a new family and medical leave insurance trust fund. It defines "family member" broadly to include spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, and other close relatives or people in close association with the employee. The legislation also sets specific limits on leave availability, including a maximum of 6 weeks for certain family situations and 8-14 weeks for combined reasons within a 12-month period.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes establishing an annual Education Foundation Day in Wisconsin on May 13, 2026, to recognize the role of over 350 education foundations in supporting public schools. The legislation aims to acknowledge how these foundations provide supplemental funding for programs, build community connections, and create endowments that traditional budgets cannot support. It does not create new funding or change existing laws, but rather designates a specific date to honor the contributions of these organizations. The measure was introduced in the 2026 Wisconsin Legislature but failed to advance after being referred to the Committee on Rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill would update Wisconsin election laws to implement ranked-choice voting for certain offices and establish procedures for resolving election ties. It directly affects state and local election officials, candidates, and voters by changing how votes are counted and how ties are handled. The bill creates new provisions allowing candidates to be ranked on ballots, grants rule-making authority to the Department of Justice for implementing ranked-choice voting systems, and provides funding to counties and municipalities to update equipment and software needed for administering the new voting method. Additionally, it establishes specific procedures for resolving ties when candidates receive equal numbers of votes, including the option for candidates to draw lots if present. The legislation also allows municipalities to combine voting wards to facilitate the use of common polling places.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a longevity bonus program for teachers in Wisconsin school districts, providing a $7,000 payment to educators who have been continuously licensed and employed by the same school board for five consecutive school years starting in the 2031-32 academic year. The program allows teachers to receive additional bonuses for each subsequent five-year period of continuous service, with school boards required to annually report eligible teacher names to the Department of Public Instruction. The legislation creates new statutory sections to authorize funding for these payments and defines eligibility requirements based on continuous licensure and employment history.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Wisconsin's Special Needs Scholarship Program to require private schools to implement individualized education programs or services plans for students with disabilities, as modified by agreement between the school and the parent. It mandates that private schools provide all records related to these program implementations within five days of receiving a request from the resident school board. The changes take effect starting with the 2026-27 school year, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in how private schools serving students with disabilities manage their educational plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Civic Information Consortium Board within the University of Wisconsin System to oversee a grant program that supports local journalism and media projects across the state. The board will consist of representatives from the university system, local media organizations covering print, online, radio, and television, and public members, with funding of $20 million initially allocated for grants and operations. The nonprofit corporation established to administer the grants must ensure recipients remain independent from state influence, direct at least 30% of funding to rural communities, and prioritize projects that address underserved populations and improve media literacy. The program aims to strengthen access to quality local news and civic engagement while requiring annual reports on how funds are spent and their impact on the public.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a journalism fellowship program within the University of Wisconsin System to place recent journalism graduates into local newsrooms. The program would establish a selection committee made up of university faculty and journalism industry professionals to review applications from candidates with degrees in journalism, media, or communications. Each year, the program would award 25 one-year fellowships providing $40,000 in salary to selected fellows, with funding appropriated for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. The bill also authorizes 25 full-time equivalent positions within the university system to administer the program starting July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a tuition exemption for nonresident students attending University of Wisconsin System schools if they meet specific residency and immigration status requirements. To qualify, a student must have lived in Wisconsin for 12 consecutive months before registering for classes and must have approved deferred action status under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The exemption applies to students enrolling in the semester or session following the bill's effective date. This legislation is designed to provide financial relief to certain immigrant students by allowing them to pay in-state tuition rates despite not being Wisconsin residents. The bill was introduced in March 2026 and referred to the Committee on Colleges and Universities for review.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Wisconsin's income and franchise tax rates for both individuals and corporations while establishing a new School Aid Fund to support education. It creates a separate trust fund that receives annual transfers from the general fund, with specific provisions for supplemental school aid and revenue limits for school districts. The tax structure introduces graduated rates for higher income levels, with individual and corporate brackets adjusted to increase percentages on income exceeding certain thresholds, and includes provisions for partnerships to elect entity-level taxation. Changes take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, with some rates already set for 2026.