Rep. Will Penterman

Maddy summaryAB 627 modifies licensing fees for animal-related businesses in Wisconsin. It creates three new market license classes: Class A ($420 annual fee) for markets selling livestock and wild animals, Class B ($220) for livestock-only sales with limited auctions, and Class E ($280) for equine-only sales (no wild animals or non-equine livestock). The bill also establishes a $20 annual fee for each animal transport vehicle and clarifies a $150 reinspection fee for violations. These changes directly affect animal market operators, dealers, truckers, and transport vehicle owners by adjusting their required annual fees and reinspection costs.

Maddy summaryAB 624 increases penalties for distributing methamphetamine or similar drugs near homeless shelters. If someone distributes these substances within 1,000 feet of a homeless shelter (and knows or should know the location), the maximum prison sentence for that offense rises by 5 years. The bill defines "near a homeless shelter" as being on or within 1,000 feet of the shelter premises, including when the shelter is readily recognizable. This directly affects individuals convicted of drug distribution offenses in these specific locations. The policy change modifies existing sentencing rules without altering the core definition of drug offenses.

Maddy summaryAB 327 increases the empty weight limit for utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) from 3,000 pounds to 3,500 pounds under Wisconsin law. This change directly affects UTV operators and manufacturers by expanding the regulatory threshold for vehicles classified as UTVs (excluding golf carts, dune buggies, and tracked vehicles). The bill amends two sections of statutes to reflect this updated weight limit, which applies to vehicles originally manufactured with that weight capacity and designed primarily for off-highway use. The bill passed committee recommendations in November 2025 and is currently pending further legislative action.

Maddy summaryAB 546 redefines "abortion" in state statutes to exclude specific medical procedures performed to save a pregnant woman's life when doctors make reasonable efforts to preserve both the mother's and unborn child's life. It clarifies that procedures like emergency cesareans, early inductions, or removal of dead embryos/fetuses - especially during ectopic, anembryonic, or molar pregnancies - do not count as abortion. The bill creates consistent definitions across multiple statutes (including 20.927, 48.375, and 69.01) to ensure these medical exceptions apply uniformly. It directly affects healthcare providers by clarifying legal boundaries for life-saving treatments during complex pregnancies. The bill does not restrict access to these procedures but explicitly defines them as non-abortion under the law.

Maddy summaryAB 458 modifies standards for admitting expert witness testimony in court cases. It directly affects courts, lawyers, and parties involved in legal disputes where expert opinions are used, such as medical malpractice or accident investigations. The bill establishes new criteria for determining whether an expert's qualifications and methodology meet legal standards before testimony is allowed. This would require courts to evaluate the reliability and relevance of expert evidence more rigorously during pretrial proceedings. The bill is currently pending in the Judiciary Committee after its introduction and public hearing.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Wisconsin state highway maps to specifically identify the Brooklyn Area Veterans Memorial in Brooklyn, Green County. It creates a new statutory reference (84.02 (5) (d) 2. r.) to ensure the memorial's location appears on official state highway maps. The bill directly affects state transportation mapping practices but does not alter veterans' benefits, funding, or other policies. This is a procedural change to improve map accuracy for the memorial's location.

Maddy summaryAB 520 requires the state department to erect and maintain two directional highway signs along USH 18 (eastbound and westbound) for the Mount Horeb Veterans Memorial. This bill directly affects the memorial's visibility by mandating specific signage for drivers approaching the site. The key provision is the requirement for the department to install and upkeep these signs, with no financial or operational impact beyond this specific signage. As a commemorative procedural bill, it does not change laws or policies affecting people or programs.

Maddy summaryAB 599 simplifies absentee ballot access in Wisconsin by allowing voters to automatically receive absentee ballots for all elections after one application, eliminating the need to reapply annually. It removes the "indefinitely confined" voter status (previously requiring annual reapplication for voters confined in facilities) and establishes a new system where municipal clerks retain voter ID electronically until the voter opts out or ID expires. Voters must submit ID verification once, and clerks must notify them if ID expires. The bill also adds penalties for non-compliance with ID requirements, though specifics are not detailed in the provided text. This affects all Wisconsin voters who choose automatic absentee ballot delivery.

Maddy summaryAB 640 sets a maximum age of 75 for new appointments or elections to the state supreme court or trial court judgeships. It prohibits anyone turning 75 or older from being appointed or elected to these positions on or after their 75th birthday. The bill excludes temporary reserve judges appointed under separate statutes. This directly affects future judicial candidates and appointments, not current judges.

Maddy summaryAB 38 clarifies that cash tips received by employees from customers are taxable income under state law. It creates a new definition (71.05(1)(j)) specifying that "tips" include cash tips paid directly by customers, and amends multiple tax calculation sections to explicitly include "tips" in income categories for nonresident and part-year resident taxpayers. The bill updates formulas to ensure tips are counted when calculating taxable income for apportionment purposes, affecting tipped employees (like servers) and nonresidents earning tips in the state. This change ensures cash tips are treated consistently with other wages for tax purposes, without creating new exemptions.