Rep. Mike Bare

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.

Maddy summaryAB 528 requires the Wisconsin Group Insurance Board to conduct a cost analysis study on whether school districts should join the state's group health insurance program, either voluntarily or mandatorily. The bill appropriates $300,000 to fund this study, which will examine potential costs and savings for school districts and current health plan participants. The study must be completed within six months, after which the Group Insurance Board will submit a written report to the governor and legislature. This bill does not change current insurance participation rules but sets the stage for future decisions based on the study's findings.

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 summaryAJR 78 is a joint resolution that directs the Wisconsin legislature to officially proclaim June 12, 2025, as "Women Veterans Day" in the state. It recognizes the historical significance of June 12, 1948 - the date President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act - and highlights Wisconsin’s 29,000+ women veterans, who represent about 10% of the state’s veteran population. The resolution aims to honor women veterans’ service and sacrifices, acknowledging their growing demographic presence and unique challenges like higher rates of PTSD and unemployment compared to male veterans. This is a symbolic recognition with no new policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryAB 506 would change primary election rules to allow voters to select candidates from multiple political parties in a single primary election. Currently, voters are restricted to choosing candidates only from one party's ballot in a primary; this bill removes that restriction. The key change amends voting machine rules (Section 5.37(4)) to permit voters to "secretly select the party" for which they wish to vote while still being able to choose candidates across different parties. This directly affects voters in partisan primaries who want to cross party lines. The bill does not alter party registration or general election rules.