Sen. Dora Drake

Maddy summarySB 840 creates new funding streams to support Wisconsin's Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, which helps farmers protect working land by restricting development. The bill allocates funds from the "working lands fund" and "capital improvement fund" to cover costs for purchasing conservation easements, with a maximum $25 million public debt limit for these purchases. It directly affects farmers who participate in the program and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which administers the easement acquisitions. The legislation modifies existing statutes to establish these funding mechanisms and streamline payments related to easement agreements.

Maddy summarySB 817 creates a state program to provide electronic payment processing equipment and services (including SNAP/food stamp processing) to farmers' markets and farmers selling directly to consumers. It allocates $367,500 biennially for this purpose and increases the healthy food incentive program appropriation by $1 million annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. The bill requires payment processors to handle both SNAP transactions and local purchasing incentives funded by third parties. It directly affects farmers' markets, vendors, and SNAP participants by improving access to electronic payments. The program is administered by the Department of Health Services with new staffing support.

Maddy summarySB 823 establishes specific spending limits for Wisconsin's agricultural exports program. It requires $2.5 million to be spent on one export objective, $1.25 million each for two other objectives, and caps total annual spending at $1 million. The bill also increases funding for the program by $1.07 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1.09 million for 2026-27. Additionally, it adds one administrative position (1.0 FTE) within the Department of Agriculture to manage the program. The bill directly affects the Center for International Agribusiness Marketing and the Department of Agriculture, which administer the program.

Maddy summarySB 829 increases state funding for two Wisconsin economic development programs. It adds $200,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to promote "Something Special from Wisconsin" (advertising the state's products), and $300,000 annually for the same periods to fund "Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin" grants. These grants support Wisconsin businesses selling locally produced goods, while the promotion campaign helps market Wisconsin-made products. The bill directly affects Wisconsin businesses participating in these programs and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which administers both initiatives.

Maddy summarySB 841 creates a program to fund local governments in Wisconsin to implement farmland preservation plans through grants. It establishes annual adjustments to the farmland preservation tax credit for inflation using agricultural price data, ensuring the credit amount increases with rising costs. The bill also sets maximum acreage limits for agricultural enterprise areas and authorizes funding for activities like zoning certification, farmland preservation agreements, and monitoring compliance. These changes directly affect Wisconsin farmers (through the tax credit) and local governments (through grant eligibility). The policy shifts focus to maintaining agricultural land by making preservation tools more adaptable to economic changes.

Maddy summarySB 806 creates a $25 million annual appropriation for "Main Street Bounceback Grants" to help businesses open new locations or expand operations in vacant commercial spaces. The grants, administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, directly assist eligible businesses (excluding nonprofits) seeking to revitalize underutilized downtown areas. The bill requires eligibility rules to mirror the existing Wisconsin Tomorrow Main Street Bounceback Grant program as of June 30, 2023. This provides a dedicated funding stream for business expansion in vacant commercial properties, with $25 million allocated for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates February 4, 2026, as "Transit Equity Day" in Wisconsin. It commemorates Rosa Parks' historic protest against unequal public transit access and acknowledges ongoing disparities in transit affordability and accessibility for people of color, low-income residents, and people with disabilities. The resolution serves as a symbolic observance to highlight efforts toward equitable transit systems, with no new policies or funding mechanisms attached.

Maddy summarySB 848 allows the City of Milwaukee to install utility lines (water, gas, sewer, or heat) connecting to homes without the property owner's permission under specific conditions. It applies to properties owned by non-residents where the city has made at least three reasonable contact attempts and has permission from a tenant. The bill explicitly prohibits the city from charging property owners for these installations, shifting costs away from residents. This change affects Milwaukee properties with absentee owners and tenants who consent to the work, streamlining utility infrastructure updates.

Maddy summarySB 867 creates a new grant program to help cities, towns, nonprofits, and tribal governments plant and maintain trees in urban areas to combat "urban heat islands" - places significantly warmer than surrounding natural areas. The bill provides grants covering up to $100,000 per project for tree planting, maintenance, and replacement to reduce heat effects, with $500,000 appropriated for fiscal year 2025-26. It also allows separate grants for replacing storm-damaged trees in declared emergency areas, exempting these recipients from cost-sharing requirements. The program directly benefits communities facing extreme heat, particularly in densely built neighborhoods.

Maddy summarySB 844 creates a $2.5 million biennial grant program to help healthcare facilities recruit and retain providers who conduct forensic exams for sexual assault, domestic abuse, or strangulation cases. It requires facilities to establish new positions or programs for these exams and guarantees reimbursement to providers regardless of whether victims cooperate with law enforcement. The bill modifies reimbursement rules to cover all exam costs (including STI prevention treatments) up to a $3,000 maximum per exam, adjusted annually for inflation. This directly affects healthcare facilities providing these services in counties needing additional exam providers.