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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Assembly Bill 244

Special distinguishing registration plates displaying the words In God We Trust and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 4, 2014. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jun 13, 2013

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 90 to 2

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 30 to 2

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 188

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 4, 2014: “Published 4-5-2014”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

Under current law, any group or organization may apply to the Department of Transportation for designation as an authorized special group. If the application is approved, members of the authorized special group may obtain special distinguishing license plates for certain vehicles, including automobiles and motor homes, that are owned or leased by special group members. A fee, in addition to the regular registration fee for the particular kind of vehicle, is charged for the issuance or reissuance of most special plates.

Before October 2, 1998, authorized special groups whose members may obtain special plates were specifically enumerated in state law. With certain exceptions, current law provides that specific enumeration in state law of authorized special groups is limited to those special groups enumerated before October 2, 1998.

Read the full summary

This bill establishes an authorized special group specifically enumerated in state law for persons interested in obtaining special plates displaying the words "In God We Trust." In addition to the regular vehicle registration fee, special group members must pay a $15 fee for issuance or reissuance of these special plates, which fee is deposited into the veterans trust fund. Special group members must also annually include payment of $25 that provides funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the care of residents of the Wisconsin veterans homes.

Who's behind it

16 representatives are its ⁠. 15 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 19 names

Authors (16)

Signed on in support (3)

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 9 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment

Passed, 10 to 1 · Nov 12, 2013

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 Transportation, Ayes 10, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment

Passed, 11 to 0 · Nov 12, 2013

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 0 · Nov 12, 2013

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 90 to 2 · Nov 14, 2013

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

Official motion: “Assembly Amendment 1 adopted, Ayes 90, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 91 to 0 · Nov 14, 2013 · 5 didn't vote

See how each of the 96 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (91)

Didn't vote (5)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 91, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 7, 2014

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 14, 2014

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

Official motion: “Referred to joint committee on Finance by Committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 14, 2014

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

Official motion: “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 30 to 2 · Mar 18, 2014 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (2)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 30, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 4, 2014

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 4, 2014

    The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 188.

  3. Apr 3, 2014

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 18, 2014

    The Senate passed it too, 30 to 2.

  5. Mar 14, 2014

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  6. Mar 14, 2014

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  7. Mar 7, 2014

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  8. Feb 27, 2014

    The committee held a public hearing.

  9. Nov 21, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs.

  10. Nov 15, 2013

    The Senate received it.

  11. Nov 14, 2013

    The Assembly passed it, 91 to 0.

  12. Nov 14, 2013

    The Assembly adopted it.

  13. Nov 14, 2013

    The Assembly adopted it, 90 to 2.

  14. Nov 12, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  15. Nov 12, 2013

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  16. Sep 24, 2013

    The committee held a public hearing.

  17. Jul 10, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. Jul 8, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  19. Jun 13, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  20. Jun 13, 2013

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jun 13, 2013 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Kaufert, Thiesfeldt, Czaja, Barnes, Murphy, Schraa, A. Ott, Murtha, Spiros, Tittl, Bies, T. Larson, Pridemore, Krug, Steineke and Endsley; cosponsored by Senators Grothman, Ellis and Farrow

  2. Jun 13, 2013 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Jul 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jul 10, 2013 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Sep 20, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Ripp

  6. Sep 24, 2013 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  7. Sep 30, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Kaufert

  8. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 10, Noes 1

  10. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0

  11. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  12. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  13. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-14-2013 by Committee on Rules

  14. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Ripp

  16. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 withdrawn and returned to author

  17. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted, Ayes 90, Noes 2

  18. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  19. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 91, Noes 0

  22. Nov 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Nov 15, 2013 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  24. Nov 21, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs

  25. Feb 27, 2014 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  26. Mar 6, 2014 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  27. Mar 7, 2014 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  28. Mar 7, 2014 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  29. Mar 14, 2014 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by Committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  30. Mar 14, 2014 · Senate

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  31. Mar 14, 2014 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-18-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  32. Mar 18, 2014 · Senate

    Read a second time

  33. Mar 18, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  34. Mar 18, 2014 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  35. Mar 18, 2014 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 30, Noes 2

  36. Mar 18, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  37. Mar 18, 2014 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  38. Mar 31, 2014 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-31-2014

  39. Apr 3, 2014 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-3-2014

  40. Apr 4, 2014 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-4-2014. 2013 Wisconsin Act 188

  41. Apr 4, 2014 · Assembly

    Published 4-5-2014

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. 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

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

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