Rep. Brienne Brown

Maddy summaryAB 495 adjusts Wisconsin's school funding system to protect districts from funding cuts between 2024 and 2025. It creates a "supplemental hold harmless aid" provision (20.255(2)(ab)) to ensure districts receiving higher state aid in 2024 retain that level in 2025-26. The bill also modifies per-pupil revenue limits, adding $325 for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, and increases state funding appropriations by $493.8 million for 2025-26 and $699.9 million for 2026-27. These changes directly affect public school districts receiving state equalization aid.

Maddy summaryAB 507 amends state civil service laws to adjust veteran preference policies for state government hiring. It repeals outdated sections and revises provisions related to veteran eligibility, removing age restrictions for veterans applying for positions and clarifying how preference points are calculated and applied. Specifically, it modifies rules so veterans and their spouses receive preference points without age limits, and updates procedures for adding qualified veterans to certification lists after initial hiring. These changes directly affect veterans seeking state civil service jobs and state hiring boards managing employment eligibility. The bill updates statutory language to align with current veteran preference practices under sections like 230.16 (7).

Maddy summaryAB 325 modifies Wisconsin's firearm transfer rules to require most sales or transfers to go through a licensed firearms dealer, with exceptions for direct family gifts, bequests, or inheritances (if the recipient is at least 18 and not prohibited from owning firearms). It adds a $10 fee for background checks conducted by dealers and mandates new forms requiring transferees to confirm they aren’t transferring to prohibited individuals. Violating these rules carries a misdemeanor penalty of fines ($500-$10,000) or up to 9 months in jail, plus a 2-year firearm possession ban. The bill directly affects gun sellers, buyers, and family members transferring firearms without a dealer.

Maddy summaryAB 423 establishes an annual sales tax holiday for qualifying back-to-school items, exempting them from state sales tax during a designated period. The bill defines "eligible property" to include clothing (excluding certain accessories), school supplies (like notebooks and pencils), art supplies, school computer supplies, and instructional materials (such as textbooks), but excludes items like protective gear or sport equipment. It creates a reimbursement mechanism requiring the state to fund counties and municipalities for lost sales tax revenue during the holiday. The policy directly affects consumers purchasing these items and retailers selling them during the tax-free period.

Maddy summaryAB 539 allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote in the state. This preregistration becomes active when they turn 18, enabling them to vote in future elections without needing to re-register. The bill amends voter registration rules to require that preregistered 16-17 year olds only appear on voter lists once they reach age 18 on election day. It does not permit their names to appear on election lists before they turn 18.

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 535 requires all polling places to be accessible to voters with disabilities by mandating election workers to use a standardized accessibility checklist on election day to identify and immediately report barriers. It also requires the election commission to submit annual reports (by June 30 in odd years) on voting impediments faced by elderly and disabled voters, consulting with relevant advocacy groups. Additionally, the bill creates uniform signage guidelines to notify disabled voters about ballot assistance options at polling place entrances. These changes apply to all polling places and take effect before the 2027 spring election.

Maddy summaryAB 434 creates a new $60 million annual state grant program to fund local traffic calming projects. It directly affects counties, cities, villages, towns, and federally recognized tribes by providing funding for infrastructure projects designed to reduce vehicle speeds. The program, administered by the Department of Transportation, will award grants for projects eligible under federal transportation alternatives programs. Grants require applications with specified details, and the department will set evaluation criteria for funding decisions. This is a concrete policy change establishing ongoing state funding for community safety improvements.

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.