Sen. Howard Marklein

Maddy summarySB 533 defines "equipment" for correctional officers to include tools used for communication, seeking help, or accessing locked areas, alongside items designed to cause harm or restraint. The bill amends penalties for intentionally disarming an officer or removing their issued equipment. It directly affects correctional officers and individuals who interfere with their authorized tools, making such actions a punishable offense under existing law. The legislation clarifies what constitutes prohibited interference with an officer's duties-related equipment.

Maddy summarySB 822 allows health care providers to offer discounts for prompt payment of fees to patients covered by disability insurance policies, while prohibiting them from reducing required coinsurance or deductibles under those policies. Key provisions require discounts to be no more than 15% of the fee, based on actual collection savings, and mandate providers to post their discount policy on their website. Providers cannot shift discount costs to other patients, include discounts in third-party payer agreements, or advertise the discount publicly (merely posting online is permitted). The bill directly affects health care providers, disability insurance patients, and insurers, with exceptions for undue financial hardship or federal law conflicts.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes eligibility requirements for state grants supporting commercial driver training. To qualify, training must meet federal standards, be provided by a registry-listed provider at a state-based facility, and trainees must obtain a commercial license in Wisconsin after March 2024 (with a specific exception for non-training-provider applicants). It also limits grants to one per trainee. The bill directly affects training providers and applicants seeking state funding for driver education programs.

Maddy summarySB 501 creates a state program to help veterinarians repay student loans by providing annual grants of up to $25,000 (max $100,000 total) to those working full-time in rural counties. To qualify, veterinarians must have at least $25,000 in veterinary education debt, work in a rural county for one year, and provide at least 25% of their care to farm animals (defined as animals raised for food or fiber). The program, administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board, is available to recent graduates (within 7 years) or final-year veterinary students. Amounts received through the grant are exempt from state income tax.

Maddy summarySB 521 requires the state transportation department to install and maintain two directional highway signs along both eastbound and westbound U.S. Highway 18 for the Mount Horeb Veterans Memorial. The bill creates a new statute (86.19(1g)(i)) mandating this signage to improve navigation to the memorial site. This procedural bill directly affects the department's highway signage responsibilities but does not alter memorial funding, design, or public access. It has no fiscal impact beyond standard maintenance costs.

Maddy summarySB 474 adds soybean-derived fire suppression products to the list of eligible costs for state fire grant programs. This means local fire departments and municipalities can now use state grant funds to purchase fire suppressants made from soybeans, rather than only traditional chemical-based products. The bill directly affects grant recipients by expanding their funding options for fire safety equipment under existing state grant programs. It creates a specific policy change without altering other grant requirements or imposing new costs.

Maddy summarySB 556 creates new annual payments to municipalities and counties for hosting energy storage facilities (like batteries or thermal systems) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities. For energy storage facilities with at least 1 megawatt capacity, payments are calculated as $2,000 per megawatt, split between the local city/town (two-thirds) and county (one-third) or town (one-third) and county (two-thirds). For LNG storage facilities, payments are based on the property's net book value at 6 mills for cities/villages or 3 mills for towns, with the county receiving the remaining share. The bill ensures payments continue even if some facility units cease operation, maintaining consistent support for local governments.

Maddy summarySB 529 repeals outdated tax provisions and updates specific tax rules in Wisconsin's statutes. It removes obsolete tax credits (like those in sections 71.03(7)(d) and 77.54(57d)(a)1) and modifies college savings account deductions, limiting annual tax deductions for contributions to $5,000 per beneficiary (adjusted annually for inflation). The bill also clarifies that income from disaster relief work performed by out-of-state businesses does not increase a business's taxable income in Wisconsin. These changes primarily affect taxpayers claiming college savings deductions or involved in disaster relief work with out-of-state businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes rules for objections to video testimony in civil cases. It requires courts to use discretion when ruling on objections (instead of automatically sustaining them) for most civil proceedings, except for expert witness testimony in cases under chapters 51 or 55. The change directly affects defendants and respondents who object to video testimony, and applies to cases where physical courtroom presence isn’t required. Courts must now follow specific criteria in statute 885.56 when deciding such objections.

Maddy summarySB 84 exempts real estate transfers between grandparents and grandchildren from the state's real estate transfer fee when the transfer is for nominal or no consideration (such as a gift). This change adds "grandparent and grandchild" to the existing list of family relationships already exempt under Wisconsin law, which includes parent-child and stepparent-stepchild transfers. The exemption applies only to transfers filed on or after the law's effective date (November 1, 2025), and does not apply to standard market-rate sales. This bill directly affects families transferring property between these generations without monetary exchange, reducing associated costs.