Sen. Jeff Smith

Maddy summarySJR 130 is a ceremonial joint resolution celebrating Wisconsin athletes competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy. It formally recognizes the state's athletes, including those in cross-country skiing, biathlon, wheelchair curling, sled hockey, and other sports, by urging the Wisconsin Legislature to honor their participation. The resolution has no binding effect or policy changes; it serves solely as a symbolic gesture of support. It directly affects Wisconsin athletes by acknowledging their representation of the state on an international stage.

Maddy summarySB 958 creates a dedicated "Water Fund for Our Future" with $250 million transferred from the general fund for state water infrastructure and emergency response. It establishes a rapid response account within the fund to cover costs for natural disasters and public health emergencies, including remediation, relocation, and assistance for affected individuals. A joint legislative committee oversees fund spending, ensuring money is only used for clean water activities and requiring written recommendations for funding requests. The fund also includes provisions for transferring unspent balances to the budget stabilization fund during fiscal shortages.

Maddy summarySB 1050 requires school boards to pay teachers for time spent on nonclassroom duties, such as staff meetings, grading, or administrative tasks outside regular teaching hours. It directly affects public school teachers in Wisconsin school districts covered by collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts. The law prohibits school boards from mandating such nonclassroom work without providing compensation. This policy change applies to teachers when their current contracts expire or are renewed, starting from the effective date specified in the bill. The legislation aims to ensure fair payment for work outside standard classroom instruction.

Maddy summarySB 1052 requires Wisconsin school districts to include at least 45 minutes of daily self-directed preparation time in teachers' schedules, or one full class period if longer. This applies to teachers in 1st class city school districts under collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts. The requirement takes effect when current contracts expire or are renewed, whichever comes first. The bill establishes this as a new statutory standard (120.12(30)) without specifying funding or enforcement details.

Maddy summarySB 1051 establishes minimum annual salaries for full-time public school teachers based on experience. It requires school boards to pay teachers at least the state legislator's annual salary (as defined in the bill), plus $15,000 for those with 10+ years of service, and a flat $100,000 for those with 20+ years. These salary requirements cannot be altered by collective bargaining agreements. The bill applies when current teacher contracts expire or are renewed.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SJR 136) is a symbolic recognition by the Wisconsin Legislature that February is designated as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. It does not create new laws or directly affect specific groups, but it aims to raise public awareness about teen dating violence - highlighting statistics like one in five teens experiencing abuse and two in three victims not reporting it - by encouraging community education and support for prevention efforts.

Maddy summarySB 942 amends state tax statutes to clarify how the low-income housing tax credit is claimed by entities and their members. It specifies that partnerships, limited liability companies, and tax-option corporations cannot claim the credit directly, but their individual partners, members, or shareholders may claim it based on the entity’s eligible costs. The bill requires entities to calculate and distribute credit amounts to members and mandates that individuals claiming credit under written agreements must submit those agreements with tax returns. It also adds a specific provision allowing insurers (as shareholders) to claim the credit based on costs incurred by the entity they are part of. This bill directly affects housing developers, investors, and insurers involved in low-income housing projects financed with tax-exempt bonds.

Maddy summarySB 1013 requires all public and private schools, including charter schools, to maintain an on-site, easily accessible supply of opioid overdose reversal medication. Schools must ensure this supply is available at all times to address potential opioid overdoses on campus. The bill also appropriates $100,000 for fiscal year 2026-27 to fund grants helping schools purchase this medication, effective September 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1062 creates a new program to help residents in unserved broadband areas pay for connecting to existing broadband infrastructure. It allocates $1.75 million for 2025-26 and $3.5 million for 2026-27 to provide financial assistance grants of up to $4,000 per household. Applicants must participate in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, and priority is given to primary residences. The program is funded through the universal service fund and administered by the Public Service Commission.

Maddy summarySB 1078 designates "manoomin" (Ojibwe for wild rice) as Wisconsin's state native grain. The bill adds this designation to Wisconsin statutes and requires the Wisconsin Blue Book to list "native grain" among other state symbols like the state song and tree. This is a symbolic, non-regulatory change that recognizes wild rice's cultural significance to Native American communities in Wisconsin.