Sen. Sarah Keyeski

Maddy summarySB 661 creates a $6 million program to fund safety improvements at high-crash intersections in cities and counties. Local governments can apply for reimbursement or grants to upgrade signalized and stop-sign intersections identified as having excessive crash rates, using data from 2019-2024. The program prioritizes projects in the 10% of counties with the highest intersection crash rates. This is a direct appropriation from the transportation budget for fiscal year 2025-26, with no new legal requirements.

Maddy summarySB 623 imposes a moratorium on issuing new permits for mining sulfide ore bodies (mining operations that extract minerals mixed with sulfide minerals) until specific environmental safety conditions are met. It requires the Department of Natural Resources to verify that similar mining operations in the U.S. or Canada have operated for at least 10 years without polluting water from acid drainage or heavy metals, or that such operations have closed safely for 10 years. This applies to all permit applications, regardless of when they were submitted, directly affecting mining companies seeking new sulfide ore permits in the state. The bill creates a new statute (293.50) to enforce this requirement while allowing permits to proceed once the conditions are satisfied.

Maddy summarySB 568 changes how leftover scholarship funds are handled when students leave private school choice programs or charter schools. If a student withdraws mid-year from a Parental Choice Program, Special Needs Scholarship Program, or independent charter school and enrolls in a public school district, the state must pay the remaining scholarship amount to that public district instead of the original private school or charter operator. This applies to all covered programs and ensures public school districts receive funds for students who switch during the school year. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 634 eliminates a legal exception that previously allowed spouses to avoid prosecution for sexual crimes against minor spouses. It amends statutes (948.09 and 948.093) to remove language stating that sexual assault laws do not apply when the victim is the defendant’s spouse, making it a crime for a spouse to engage in sexual activity with a minor regardless of marriage age. This change directly affects minors who married as children and their spouses, ensuring such acts can now be prosecuted under standard sexual assault laws. The bill also adds a new provision (767.185) allowing minors under 18 to file for divorce.

Maddy summarySJR 110 is a non-binding resolution introduced by Wisconsin legislators calling for the federal government to immediately resolve the U.S.-China trade war. It specifically aims to address how the ongoing trade conflict harms Wisconsin's $1.3 billion soybean industry, which employs 16,000 farmers, by preventing U.S. soybean exports to China while China purchases soybeans from Argentina instead. The resolution cites a $20 billion U.S. bailout for Argentina (including a currency swap) as an example of prioritizing foreign interests over Wisconsin farmers during a federal budget shutdown. It urges the federal government to end the trade war to protect Wisconsin's agricultural economy. The resolution has been referred to a committee but has no legal force.

Maddy summarySJR 111 is a joint resolution designating October 2025 and October 2026 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Wisconsin. It formally asks the Wisconsin State Legislature to recognize these months for public education on cybersecurity threats like phishing and identity theft. This resolution does not create new laws or impose obligations - it is a symbolic designation to raise awareness, consistent with the national observance since 2003. The resolution was introduced by multiple senators and representatives in November 2025.

Maddy summarySB 168 modifies Wisconsin's worker's compensation law to adjust how mental injury claims (specifically PTSD) are handled for certain public safety and emergency response professionals. It directly affects emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners, medical examiners, and their staff. The bill creates new statutory definitions for these roles and requires that PTSD claims for these workers meet specific conditions to be compensable, rather than automatically covering all mental injuries without physical trauma. This change clarifies the process for filing such claims under the state's worker's compensation system.

Maddy summarySB 598 would require the state health department to seek a federal Medicaid waiver enabling coverage for incarcerated individuals in the Medical Assistance program (state Medicaid) up to 90 days before release. It specifically covers case management, medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, and a 30-day supply of prescription medications for those already eligible for Medical Assistance. If approved, the federal government would fund the program’s share of these services, with the state covering its portion. This bill directly affects incarcerated individuals transitioning to community care, aiming to improve continuity of health services upon release.

Maddy summarySB 664 lowers the disability rating requirement for veterans and surviving spouses to qualify for the state property tax credit. Previously, claimants needed a 100% service-connected disability rating; this bill reduces that threshold to 70% or higher. It also creates a new provision allowing the credit amount to be calculated as a percentage of the full credit based on the veteran's actual disability rating (e.g., a 70% rating would yield 70% of the full credit). The bill directly affects veterans and surviving spouses with service-connected disabilities rated between 70% and 99%, who now qualify for a proportional tax credit. The change applies to taxable years beginning in the year the bill takes effect.

Maddy summarySB 461 clarifies the definition of "design-build project" for Department of Transportation (DOT) contracts. It specifies that such projects involve procuring design, engineering, construction, and related services through a single contract with one private entity (like a company or joint venture), rather than separate contracts. This procedural bill updates statute 84.062(1)(e) to remove ambiguity in how DOT contracts are structured. The change affects DOT's contracting procedures but does not alter project requirements or impact specific groups directly. The bill passed on November 18, 2025, after third reading.