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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 35

The use of race-based names, nicknames, logos, and mascots by school boards, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and providing a penalty

Topics: Discrimination in education, Indians and tribal issues, School: Board, School: Health program, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Passed the Assembly, then stopped

The Assembly passed it on Feb 23, 2010, but the Senate never voted on it. A bill has to ⁠. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 12, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 51 to 44

  4. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The Senate never voted on it.

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to concur in pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Current law prohibits discrimination against pupils on a number of grounds, including race and ancestry. This bill provides that a school district resident may object to a school board's use of a race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot by filing a complaint with the state superintendent of public instruction. The state superintendent must schedule a hearing on the complaint, at which the school board has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the use of the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot does not promote discrimination, pupil harassment, or stereotyping. If the state superintendent finds in favor of the complainant, the state superintendent must order the school board to terminate its use of the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot within 12 months after issuance of the order. A school board is subject to a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 for each day that it uses the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot in violation of the order. The decision of the state superintendent is subject to circuit court review.

Who's behind it

31 lawmakers are its ⁠. 28 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican. 2 have no party on record.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 36 names

Authors (31)

Signed on in support (5)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Education vote on an amendment

Passed, 13 to 0 · Feb 17, 2010

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Failed, 46 to 48 · Feb 23, 2010

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Refused to table Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1, Ayes 46, Noes 48”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Failed, 47 to 48 · Feb 23, 2010

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Refused to table Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly substitute amendment 1, Ayes 47, Noes 48”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 51 to 42 · Feb 25, 2010

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 51, Noes 42, Paired 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 8, 2010

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  3. Mar 5, 2010

    The Senate received it.

  4. Mar 4, 2010

    “Messaged pursuant to Assembly Rule 50 (1)” (the official wording)

  5. Feb 25, 2010

    The Assembly passed it, 51 to 42.

  6. Feb 23, 2010

    The Assembly adopted it, 53 to 42.

  7. Feb 23, 2010

    “Reconsideration of the vote by which Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 was refused adoption, Ayes 48, Noes 47” (the official wording)

  8. Feb 23, 2010

    “Motion to reconsider vote by which Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 was refused adoption offered by Representative Strachota” (the official wording)

  9. Feb 23, 2010

    The Assembly adopted it.

  10. Feb 23, 2010

    The Assembly adopted it, 51 to 44.

  11. Feb 17, 2010

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 17, 2010

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 5.

  13. Mar 17, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Feb 13, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Feb 12, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  16. Feb 12, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 12, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Soletski, Pope-Roberts, Mursau, Young, Benedict, Berceau, Black, Colon, Cullen, Fields, Grigsby, Hilgenberg, Kessler, Mason, Milroy, Molepske Jr., Nelson, Parisi, Pasch, Pocan, Radcliffe, Schneider, Sheridan, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Smith, Steinbrink, Turner, Van Akkeren and A. Williams;Cosponsored by Senators Coggs, Hansen, Carpenter, Taylor, Risser and Holperin

  2. Feb 12, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  3. Feb 13, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 17, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Mar 20, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Soletski

  6. Mar 24, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Jun 18, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Soletski

  8. Feb 17, 2010 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  9. Feb 17, 2010 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 5

  10. Feb 17, 2010 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  11. Feb 17, 2010 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-23-2010 by committee on Rules

  12. Feb 22, 2010 · Assembly

    Senator Carpenter withdrawn as a cosponsor

  13. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Vruwink

  15. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Refused to table Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1, Ayes 46, Noes 48

  16. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Refused to adopt Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1, Ayes 47, Noes 48

  17. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Vruwink

  18. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Refused to table Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly substitute amendment 1, Ayes 47, Noes 48

  19. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted, Ayes 51, Noes 44

  20. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 3 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representatives Staskunas, Hraychuck, Vruwink, Hilgenberg, Garthwaite and Clark

  21. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 3 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted

  22. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted

  23. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Motion to reconsider vote by which Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 was refused adoption offered by Representative Strachota

  24. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Reconsideration of the vote by which Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 was refused adoption, Ayes 48, Noes 47

  25. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted, Ayes 53, Noes 42

  26. Feb 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  27. Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 51, Noes 42, Paired 4

  28. Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly

    Messaged pursuant to Assembly Rule 50 (1)

  29. Mar 5, 2010 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  30. Mar 8, 2010 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  31. Apr 28, 2010 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary