Sen. Chris Larson

Maddy summarySB 828 creates a $10 million annual grant program for students enrolled in approved teacher education programs at Wisconsin institutions of higher education, requiring recipients to teach in Wisconsin public or tribal schools for at least four years after graduation. It reduces the state's reimbursement rate for special education costs from 100% to 90% of eligible expenses. The bill also adjusts annual revenue limits for school districts, increasing allowable funding growth for the 2023-2027 school years through revised calculation formulas. These changes affect teacher training programs, school districts, and special education funding mechanisms.

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 847 requires state correctional institutions and juvenile facilities to create and maintain written "Know Your Rights" resource guides for inmates and juveniles. These guides must explain rights based on legal status, confinement type, and facility, and be updated annually or after legal changes. The guides must be posted in facilities, provided to new entrants or upon request, and explained by trained staff during intake or transfers. The bill appropriates $200,000 for developing these guides, with requirements to involve formerly incarcerated people in the process, and takes effect July 1, 2027.

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 874 requires environmental impact reports for new or expanded facilities seeking permits in "vulnerable communities" - defined as census areas with at least 50% low-income households (200% of federal poverty level) plus either 40%+ minority residents or 40%+ households with limited English proficiency. Permit applicants must assess cumulative pollution impacts, hold public hearings, and share reports with the public and local officials before permits are issued. The department must consider community input and may deny permits if combined pollution risks pose unreasonable health or environmental harm. This applies to facilities needing permits under environmental codes 283, 285, 289, or 291.

Maddy summarySB 863 creates a new $10 million annual grant program for Wisconsin school districts to fund energy efficiency projects in school buildings, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill specifically directs the Department of Public Instruction to award these grants, with priority given to projects upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. School districts seeking to reduce energy costs and improve building efficiency directly benefit from this funding. The program includes authority for the department to develop implementing rules and is funded at $10 million for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

Maddy summarySB 870 requires Wisconsin energy utilities to spend at least 25% of their annual energy efficiency funds on programs for low-income households, including energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy measures. The bill defines "low-income household" per state statute and mandates that these programs become a priority when setting energy efficiency goals. It also establishes minimum requirements for these programs and ensures utilities allocate funds annually toward reducing energy burdens for qualifying households. The law directly affects low-income residents and energy utilities across Wisconsin.

Maddy summarySB 871 creates a $2.5 million grant program to help Wisconsin farmers adopt sustainable practices that reduce fossil fuel use and store carbon. Eligible activities include installing renewable energy systems, planting trees/vegetation to capture carbon, and improving soil health through cover cropping or no-till farming. The program prioritizes projects offering the greatest carbon reduction per dollar, with special focus on small farms and diverse agricultural regions across the state. Grant recipients must allow project monitoring and report on environmental impacts, with funds requiring matching non-state support for maximum climate benefit.

Maddy summarySB 869 increases the required funding for energy efficiency programs from 1.2% to 2.4% of energy utilities' annual operating revenues. It explicitly includes residential energy storage systems (like home battery systems) within eligible energy efficiency programs. The bill defines "energy storage system" as commercially available technology for storing energy, such as batteries. This change directly affects energy utilities, requiring them to allocate more funds toward programs that support residential energy storage adoption. The policy change focuses on expanding access to energy storage solutions for home customers through utility-funded programs.