Rep. Joe Sheehan

Maddy summaryAB 529 requires school boards to provide eligible high school students with voter registration forms, eligibility information, and nonpartisan materials explaining voting importance and civic roles. It directly affects high school students who become eligible to register to vote (typically 16-18 year olds in most states). The bill mandates schools to distribute these resources as part of student enrollment or transition processes, ensuring access to nonpartisan voting information. It creates a new statute (6.31) specifying these requirements without altering voting eligibility rules. The measure aims to streamline voter registration access for young adults through educational institutions.

Maddy summaryAB 531 creates a $200,000 annual grant program for counties and law enforcement agencies to establish safe firearm disposal initiatives. Agencies must advertise the program, use law enforcement personnel (with grant funds covering overtime), securely store firearms until destruction, prevent fraud, and have firearms inspected by licensed dealers before payment. Participants receive gift cards (not cash) that cannot be redeemed for guns or ammo, and agencies must report firearm details and program outcomes to the state. The bill also funds staff positions to administer the program and requires annual reports on participation and improvements.

Maddy summaryAJR 98 is a symbolic resolution that would officially proclaim October 2025 as "Filipino American History Month" in Wisconsin. It directly affects Wisconsin residents by encouraging the state to recognize and celebrate Filipino American heritage, contributions, and history. The resolution cites historical milestones, including the first Filipino settlement in the U.S. and Wisconsin's Filipino population of over 22,000 people. It does not create new laws or policies, but rather serves as a ceremonial recognition of Filipino American contributions to Wisconsin and the U.S. The resolution was introduced by multiple legislators and refers to the established national observance of Filipino American History Month.

Maddy summaryAJR 111 is a symbolic resolution recognizing September 23, 2025, and September 23, 2026, as "Celebrate Bisexuality Day" in Wisconsin. It formally acknowledges the bisexual community's resilience and contributions without creating new laws, funding, or requirements. The resolution aims to increase visibility and respect for bisexual individuals within Wisconsin, aligning with an internationally observed day. It directly affects Wisconsin's bisexual community by affirming their inclusion through legislative recognition. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on symbolic support rather than policy changes.

Maddy summaryAB 579 creates a new University of Wisconsin System tuition grant program to help cover the gap between other scholarships and full tuition and fees for eligible students. It directly affects Wisconsin residents enrolled in their first bachelor's degree program at a non-Madison UW campus with household income under $71,000 annually. The bill appropriates $11.86 million for 2025-26 and $28.11 million for 2026-27 to fund grants covering up to 8 consecutive semesters for freshmen or 4 for transfers (excluding summer terms). The program requires students to meet academic standards and excludes those with unmet selective service or child support obligations.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 464 revises state laws concerning prevailing wages for public works projects. It establishes new definitions for terms related to wage determination areas, types of projects, and specific work classifications, directly affecting local governmental units and contractors. The bill aims to create uniform prevailing wage requirements across the state, explicitly stating that local ordinances requiring prevailing wages are inconsistent with state law. It also outlines the applicability of these wage rules to various public works projects, including infrastructure and facilities acquired by local units, and adds a provision to protect employees' personally identifiable information on these projects.

Maddy summaryAB 466 repeals specific statutes that previously required municipalities to include project labor agreements (PLAs) in public construction contracts for buildings and structures (excluding highways). The bill removes legal provisions allowing cities to mandate PLAs - agreements between contractors and unions covering wages, hours, and working conditions - and eliminates related requirements for contractor classification. This directly affects public contractors and municipalities when awarding bids for non-highway construction projects, as they can no longer legally require PLAs. The amendment to Section 66.0901(6) clarifies that municipalities may set reasonable labor conditions but no longer must include PLAs in contracts. The bill is currently pending in the Workforce Development Committee with fiscal estimates received.

Maddy summaryAB 643 establishes November 11 (Veterans Day) as a state holiday when all state government offices must close. It directly affects state government employees (excluding limited-term staff) by adding Veterans Day as a recognized paid personal holiday, in addition to their existing 9-10 annual paid holidays. The bill amends statutes to include November 11 in the list of holidays requiring office closures and creates a new provision specifying that employees earn one additional paid personal holiday each year specifically for Veterans Day. This change clarifies the holiday schedule and ensures Veterans Day is treated as a standard paid holiday for state employees.

Maddy summaryAB 621 prohibits virtual schools from participating in parental choice education programs. It directly affects virtual schools (defined under Section 118.076(4)(a)) that would otherwise qualify for these programs. The bill adds new requirements to statutes governing parental choice, explicitly stating that participating schools cannot be virtual schools. This change takes effect for the 2026-27 school year.

Maddy summaryAJR 114 is a non-binding resolution recognizing nature's inherent rights - including the right to exist, flourish, and regenerate - and affirming Wisconsin's duty to protect these rights as part of its conservation legacy. It calls for exploring policies to implement "rights of nature" principles, engaging Indigenous communities and experts, and encourages local governments and agencies to adopt such approaches. The resolution does not create new laws but urges future legislative action and collaboration to address environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.