Rep. Karen Kirsch

Maddy summaryAB 512 prohibits employers from asking about a job applicant’s previous salary before making a job offer or using that information to set pay. It also allows employees to discuss or disclose their own pay with coworkers without retaliation. Employees who face discrimination for discussing pay can file complaints with the state labor department or sue in court, with damages limited by company size (ranging from $50,000 to $300,000). The law directly affects all employers and employees in the state, aiming to increase pay transparency and reduce wage discrimination.

Maddy summaryAJR 103 designates the last full week of September as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Awareness Week in Wisconsin. This symbolic resolution aims to raise public awareness about FTD - a progressive brain disorder affecting behavior, personality, or language - highlighting its challenges, misdiagnosis rates, and economic impact on families, without creating new policies or funding. It aligns with existing global awareness efforts but does not alter laws or provide resources.

Maddy summaryAB 557 updates Wisconsin's regulations for real estate appraisers and appraisal management companies. It raises the transaction value threshold for "residential appraiser" certification from $250,000 to $500,000 and establishes state-to-state reciprocity agreements to recognize appraiser credentials. The bill also requires appraisers to display their title and license number on reports and prohibits appraisal management companies from removing independent appraisers from their panels without specific justification. These changes directly affect licensed appraisers, appraisal management companies, and the Department of Financial Institutions overseeing credentialing.

Maddy summaryAB 145 requires the state legislature to create and pass a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 52% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The bill mandates that any legislative plan developed must prioritize improving both economic and racial equity alongside emission reductions. It directly affects the legislature, which must finalize this plan during the 2025-26 session. The key provision is establishing legally binding emission reduction targets with an explicit requirement to address equity impacts in the implementation strategy.

Maddy summaryAJR 77 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley upon her retirement from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The resolution formally recognizes her 40-year career, including her 1985 appointment as Marathon County's first female circuit court judge, her 1995 election as the first woman to reach the Supreme Court via election, and her 2025 service as Chief Justice. It does not create any new policy or affect any laws, as it is purely a symbolic gesture of legislative appreciation. The resolution was introduced by 32 assembly members and 14 senators in July 2025.

Maddy summaryAB 404 establishes and funds the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program, which provides direct support services to veterans in need. The bill appropriates state funds to cover outreach, counseling, and recovery resources for veterans facing challenges like homelessness, mental health issues, or unemployment. It directly affects veterans seeking these services and the state agencies or community organizations delivering them. The program’s implementation is contingent on the approved budget allocation, with no policy changes beyond the funding mechanism. As a fiscal bill, it focuses on resource allocation rather than new legal requirements.

Maddy summaryAB 427 prohibits possessing a firearm on university or college campus property, including buildings and grounds owned or leased by the institution. It establishes a Class A misdemeanor charge for violations, with specific exceptions for law enforcement officers, military personnel on duty, individuals leasing residential or business spaces on campus, and firearms in approved programs or locked vehicles. The bill directly affects anyone on campus property - students, staff, visitors - by restricting firearm possession where it was previously not specifically prohibited under state law. Key mechanisms include creating new legal language (941.236) to define campus firearm rules and amending related statutes to clarify campus exemptions.

Maddy summaryAB 504 requires property tax bills to include specific information about state aid reductions for school districts. It mandates disclosing the dollar amount and percentage change in state aid reductions from the previous year to the current year, and explicitly identifies if reductions resulted from enrollment in choice programs (like Milwaukee or Racine Choice) or special needs scholarships. School districts receiving reduced aid must also note that they could raise property taxes to offset the loss. This applies only when an actual aid reduction occurs, not every year. The bill aims to provide property owners with clear, transparent details about how state funding changes affect their local schools.

Maddy summaryAB 586 amends Wisconsin statutes to clarify and strengthen shared governance at University of Wisconsin System institutions by defining the roles of faculty, academic staff, and students in institutional decision-making. The bill requires faculty to ensure STEM disciplines are represented in governance structures, gives academic staff the right to organize and advise on policies affecting them, and ensures students actively participate in policies related to student life and fee management. Key provisions specify that faculty have primary responsibility for academic matters, academic staff for their own policies, and students for advising on campus life and fee use. These changes directly affect all faculty, academic staff, and students across UW System campuses by formalizing their participation in governance and policy development.

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.