Sen. Eric Wimberger

Maddy summarySB 739 exempts home producers from commercial food licensing requirements when selling pickled fruits/vegetables and baked goods (nonpotentially hazardous foods that don’t require refrigeration). Home producers must register with the state, label products with their name, "made in private home," and ingredients, and limit annual sales to $40,000. Producers with over $10,000 in sales must display a "homemade" sign, maintain insurance, and hold a food safety certificate. The bill establishes new registration rules, labeling standards, and requires inspections for certain producers.

Maddy summarySB 18 standardizes how schools and districts are rated in annual accountability reports by maintaining consistent scoring methods. It requires using the same cut scores, score ranges, and performance categories (like "Proficient" or "Advanced") that were applied in the 2019-20 school year for all schools and districts. For grades 3-8 English/language arts and math tests, it mandates alignment with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standards, while grades 9-11 will use scoring from the 2021-22 school year. This bill directly affects public schools and districts in the state that receive these accountability reports. The changes apply starting with the 2025-26 school year.

Maddy summarySJR 9 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Justice David T. Prosser Jr., a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and state legislator who died in December 2024. It commemorates his 40+ years of public service, including 18 years in the Wisconsin Legislature and 18 years on the Supreme Court. The resolution, introduced by multiple legislators, expresses the Wisconsin Legislature's tribute to his career and legacy without creating any new laws or policy changes.

Maddy summarySB 157 prohibits healthcare providers from performing or referring minors under 18 for specific gender transition medical interventions. The bill bans surgeries (like hysterectomy or mastectomy), puberty-blocking drugs, and supraphysiologic hormone treatments aimed at changing a minor’s body to align with a gender discordant with their biological sex (defined as female or male based on chromosomes, sex organs, and hormones). Exceptions apply for minors with genetic disorders of sex development, infections, injuries, or life-threatening conditions requiring immediate surgery. Violations could lead to license revocation for healthcare providers, with disciplinary processes outlined in the bill.

Maddy summarySB 51 restricts the flags that can be flown on state and local government properties. It mandates that only the U.S. flag, the state flag, the official POW/MIA flag, and the flags of U.S. military branches may be displayed on state agency buildings, state authorities, and local government facilities (like city halls or county offices), unless a 3/4 vote of the local governing body or a legislative joint resolution allows exceptions. The bill repeals an existing administrative rule and takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to all state-owned or occupied facilities. This directly affects state agencies, local governments (cities, towns, counties), and their flag display practices.

Maddy summarySB 55 prohibits the state Department of Justice from using legal services provided by non-governmental employees (such as private attorneys or outside contractors) for civil or criminal investigations or prosecutions. The bill allows limited use of legal interns who are not state or federal employees, but only if they are paid $10,000 or less annually by their internship program. This rule directly affects the Department of Justice’s contracting practices and sets a specific pay cap for intern involvement in legal work. The bill would take effect upon enactment, changing how the agency hires legal support.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 144 proposes to reallocate judgeships within the state's court of appeals. It eliminates one judgeship from District IV of the court of appeals, effective July 31, 2026, upon the expiration of the current term. Concurrently, the bill establishes an additional judgeship for District III, increasing its total to four judges. The initial election for this new District III position would take place in spring 2026, with the term beginning on August 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 80 provides statutory recognition for specialized treatment courts and commercial court dockets within the state court system. For treatment courts, the bill formally acknowledges various types, such as drug, mental health, and veterans courts, which aim to address underlying issues related to criminal behavior through treatment and multidisciplinary teams to reduce recidivism. For commercial courts, it establishes a framework for handling complex business cases. The bill mandates that certain types of disputes involving business organizations be assigned to these dockets, with specific circuit court judges selected to preside over them.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 263 modifies the requirements for courts to provide written explanations regarding child physical placement decisions in family law cases, directly affecting parents and children. Currently, courts must issue specific findings of fact if one parent is granted less than 25% of physical placement time with a child. This bill raises that threshold, requiring courts to provide these specific findings when a parent is granted less than 50% of the child's physical placement time. This change applies to both temporary and final orders, ensuring courts explicitly state why a more equal distribution of physical placement is not in the child's best interest in a broader range of cases.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 198 proposes several changes to the state's unemployment insurance law. It requires the Joint Committee on Finance to approve any federally authorized increases to weekly unemployment benefits or total benefit amounts before they can be implemented by state agencies. The bill also expands the definition of employment misconduct that can disqualify individuals from receiving benefits, including new provisions related to theft of employer information or property damage, and violations of employer absenteeism or tardiness policies. Additionally, it adds a requirement for out-of-state claimants to register with their local job center website or labor market exchange.