Rep. Angela Stroud

Maddy summaryAJR 87 is a Wisconsin legislative resolution designating August and October 2025 as "Agent Orange Awareness Months" in the state. It aims to raise public awareness about the health impacts of Agent Orange exposure on Vietnam War veterans and their families, including conditions like cancer, diabetes, and genetic issues. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes this issue through symbolic designation. It was introduced by multiple legislators and referred to committee, pending further action.

Maddy summaryAB 538 requires state elected officials (such as governors, state senators, and representatives) to serve as election officials during their first full term and every three years thereafter. These officials must work at least eight hours on election day at a polling location, attend required training, and provide no compensation for this service. Officials with medical limitations may be exempt if they submit a physician's sworn statement verifying their inability to serve. The bill ensures their appointment doesn't count toward municipal staffing limits for elections. This applies to all general elections where they are not candidates on the ballot.

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 517 prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to referendum committees and bans referendum committees from accepting such contributions. The bill directly affects foreign nationals (defined using federal campaign finance rules) and referendum committees organizing ballot initiatives. It adds a new provision to state law stating: "No foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum committee, and no referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign national." This clarifies existing federal restrictions apply to state-level referendum committees. The bill is currently in committee for review after its October 2025 introduction.

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 summaryAB 527 removes restrictions on county advisory referendums in Wisconsin. It eliminates a specific exception that previously barred counties from holding advisory votes on most issues, except for capital projects funded by property taxes. The bill amends statute 59.52(25) to allow county boards to conduct advisory referendums on any topic without prior restrictions. This directly affects county governments seeking to gather public input on local policy decisions through non-binding votes. The change removes barriers to community engagement on a broader range of local issues.

Maddy summaryAB 541 requires election officials to mark the poll list number on the back of each absentee ballot after verifying its validity. This affects local election boards handling absentee ballots, specifically the "board of absentee ballot canvassers" during the ballot processing step. The bill amends a statute to mandate that officials record the elector's poll list number on the ballot's back before depositing it into the ballot box. This is a procedural change to standardize ballot tracking, not a policy shift affecting voters or election outcomes.

Maddy summaryAB 537 requires municipal clerks to return absentee ballots with incomplete or missing voter certification forms to the voter, rather than discarding them. This directly affects voters who make minor errors on their ballots and municipal clerks who process mail-in votes. The bill mandates that clerks return the ballot (in its sealed envelope) with a new envelope if needed, giving voters time to correct the error before the deadline. It changes the law from allowing clerks to return ballots ("may") to requiring it ("shall").