Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara

Maddy summarySJR 81 is a ceremonial resolution congratulating the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Baseball Team for winning the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship. It formally recognizes the team's historic season, including their 49-6 record, record-setting 74 runs in the tournament, and championship victory over Messiah University. The resolution specifically commends the student-athletes, coaching staff (led by Head Coach John Vodenlich), and athletic department for their achievement. As a symbolic gesture with no policy or funding changes, it directly affects the team and their supporters but does not impact broader legislation or public policy.

Maddy summaryWisconsin would designate the last full week of September as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Awareness Week through this symbolic resolution. It aims to raise public awareness about FTD - a misdiagnosed condition affecting behavior, language, and emotional expression in people aged 45-64 - with no new policies or funding attached. The resolution references FTD’s $120,000 annual economic burden per family and its lack of cure, aligning with global awareness efforts. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct policy impact but seeks to highlight the condition’s challenges.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SJR 91) that declares October 2025 and October 2026 as "Breast Cancer Awareness Months" in Wisconsin. It does not create new laws or allocate funds - it is a symbolic gesture to promote public awareness, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer. The resolution cites Wisconsin-specific statistics on breast cancer incidence and mortality to highlight the issue. It directly affects Wisconsin residents by encouraging community-focused awareness efforts during those months.

Maddy summarySB 527 clarifies rules for skateboard and in-line skate use on roadways. It defines skateboards as non-motorized devices and prohibits attaching them to vehicles or riding on certain roadways under state jurisdiction. Local governments may create ordinances restricting skateboard use on their roads (except at crosswalks), while riders must follow safety rules like riding carefully. The bill also updates vehicle definitions to exclude skateboards and in-line skates from certain categories. These changes aim to standardize safety expectations and local authority over sidewalk and roadway access.

Maddy summarySB 12 creates a sales and use tax exemption for gun safes and firearm safety devices. The bill defines qualifying items as locked containers (using combinations, keys, or biometrics) designed solely for secure storage - not display cases - and safety devices preventing unauthorized firearm access. It clarifies that firearms sold with safety devices already installed are taxed as firearms, not as safety devices. This exemption applies directly to consumers purchasing these specific storage or safety products.

Maddy summarySB 584 designates the wild turkey (meleagris gallopavo) as Wisconsin's state game bird and the ruffed grouse (bonasa umbellus) as the state upland game bird. The bill amends Wisconsin statutes to add these designations to the list of official state symbols included in the Wisconsin Blue Book. This is a symbolic change with no new policies or regulations; it simply updates the state's official records to recognize these birds. The bill affects state identity and official documentation but does not impact laws, funding, or citizen rights.

Maddy summarySB 582 simplifies residency verification for students continuing in Wisconsin's private school choice program. It eliminates the requirement for parents to submit new residency documents when a student re-enrolls in the same participating private school the following school year, unless their address has changed since the last verification. This applies directly to families using the parental choice program and affects all participating private schools in the state. The rule change takes effect for applications submitted for the 2026-27 school year.

Maddy summarySB 218 amends how counties retain and distribute real estate transfer fees and related grants under existing programs. It clarifies that counties must account for both fees collected from property transfers and grants received under the land information program (s. 16.967(7)(c)) when calculating retained funds. The bill makes technical adjustments to fee retention language but does not change tax rates, create new fees, or alter funding amounts for counties. It directly affects local governments managing real estate transaction records and land information grants. The bill is procedural and focuses on administrative accuracy, not policy changes.

Maddy summarySJR 96 is a proposed resolution that would officially recognize October 2025 as "Careers in Construction Month" in Wisconsin. It highlights the construction industry's significance to the state's economy - employing roughly 6% of Wisconsin's workforce - and emphasizes career pathways that allow workers to advance without student debt. The resolution encourages employers, schools, and community groups to host events like job fairs during October 2025 to promote construction careers to students. This is a ceremonial recognition, not a law creating new requirements or funding.

Maddy summarySB 434 regulates prior authorization processes for health insurance plans by requiring greater transparency and standardizing procedures. It directly affects health insurers, self-insured employer plans, and utilization review entities (like insurance companies) that manage pre-approval for medical services. Key provisions include defining "prior authorization" and "adverse determination," mandating that adverse decisions be made by qualified healthcare providers (physicians, physician assistants, or nurse practitioners), and setting timeframes for non-urgent cases. The bill also establishes new requirements for notifying enrollees about coverage decisions. This focuses on clarifying the process for patients seeking covered treatments, not altering coverage benefits.