Sen. Julian Bradley

Maddy summarySB 1018 creates a mandatory one-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of a felony committed with the intent to terrorize, intimidate, or coerce two or more people inside a church. It prohibits probation for these offenses and requires courts to obtain a special verdict confirming the intent to terrorize church occupants. Prosecutors cannot dismiss or amend related charges without court approval, and deferred prosecution programs are banned for such cases. This law directly affects defendants charged with church-targeted violent crimes, prosecutors handling these cases, and courts overseeing sentencing.

Maddy summarySB 994 prohibits the public affairs network from charging fees for accessing live or archived state government proceedings when the network receives state funding for its operations. This applies directly to the state's public affairs network (which broadcasts government meetings) and the public seeking access to those recordings. The bill modifies existing rules to ensure fee-free access regardless of whether state funds are used, removing a prior condition that required explicit state funding for the fee ban. The key provision guarantees public access to government proceedings without cost under state-funded operations.

Maddy summarySB 803 expands state funding for workforce training grants to specifically support programs preparing individuals to become teachers. It directly affects teacher training programs - especially dual enrollment initiatives - and aspiring educators seeking classroom careers. The bill requires these programs to include research-backed training, leadership development, hands-on job experience, and additional support services. This change modifies existing grant guidelines by adding a new subsection (106.27(1)(b)1.b) to mandate these specific components. The bill is currently pending in committee review after its January 2026 introduction.

Maddy summarySB 693 creates a specific $200,000 grant from the environmental fund for the Town of Norway in Racine County to improve water quality. The bill appropriates this funding for water abatement projects and requires the Department of Natural Resources to award the grant by June 30, 2026. This is a targeted fiscal measure with no broader policy changes, directly benefiting Norway's local water management efforts. The existing statutory section for this grant is repealed effective July 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 781 modifies how Wisconsin calculates state aid for public school districts by excluding costs funded through voter-approved referendums from the "shared cost" formula. Specifically, it removes referendum-funded expenditures (like those for capital projects or debt service) when determining eligibility for general equalization aid, which directly affects school districts relying on such local funding. The bill creates new rules to exclude referendum-authorized levies and related debt service from the calculation, ensuring these costs don't reduce state aid payments. This change aims to prevent school districts from losing state funding due to referendum-based spending.

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 summarySB 141 modifies Wisconsin statutes to hold vehicle owners and renters accountable when unlicensed individuals operate their vehicles, regardless of whether the owner or renter knew the driver lacked a license. The bill creates new provisions (343.45(2m) and 343.46(2m)) that remove the requirement for owners or renters to have "actual knowledge" of the driver's unlicensed status. Penalties for violations include fines up to $1,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for subsequent offenses. This bill directly affects vehicle owners, renters, and those who permit unlicensed operation of motor vehicles.

Maddy summarySB 61 modifies how Wisconsin school districts calculate their "shared costs" for determining state equalization aid. It creates a new provision (121.07(6)(ap)) that excludes debt service from referenda-approved borrowing (over $50 million) from these costs, but only if the district's equalized valuation exceeded a specific threshold. This directly affects school districts that use referendum funds to finance large capital projects or debt, preventing those costs from reducing their state aid. The change applies to districts that borrowed via referendum after the bill's effective date and met the valuation condition.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 249 proposes to create a new section of state law (17.03 (10m)) concerning vacancies in specific state government positions. This bill applies to individuals serving in "appointive state offices" that have a fixed term. It defines these offices broadly to include most state departments, agencies, boards, and commissions, excluding the legislature and courts. The new section is intended to address situations where an incumbent's fixed term in such an office expires, though the specific policy change for this scenario is not detailed in the provided text.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 240 establishes a workforce literacy grant program to be managed by the Department. This program will provide an annual grant to a single eligible nonprofit organization located in the state. To qualify, the organization must provide adult literacy services or support community-based literacy programs in over half of the state's counties. Grant funds can be used for teaching workforce readiness skills, GED preparation, digital literacy, and other literacy programs aimed at strengthening the state's workforce, or for supporting other organizations that directly provide these services to adult learners.