Establishing the shoreline of Lake Michigan in the city of Milwaukee

What it does

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

This bill fixes and establishes the shoreline in the city of Milwaukee (city) in accordance with an agreement entered into in 1913 (agreement of 1913) between the Chicago and Northwestern Railway company and the city. The bill provides that this shoreline constitutes the boundary line between the lake bed of Lake Michigan and land that is not part of the lake bed of Lake Michigan. The bill specifies than any restrictions or other conditions imposed on the use of land or conveyance of land under various enactments of the legislature conveying a part of the lake bed of Lake Michigan do not apply to land located to the west of the shoreline as established under the bill. The bill provides that a person may challenge the shoreline boundary as established under the bill only by bringing an action in court for a declaratory judgment.

The bill also makes legislative findings and declarations with respect to the authority of the legislature to act as representative of the state in exercising the function of trustee of the public trust in navigable waters established under article IX, section 1, of the Wisconsin Constitution. The bill contains other findings that describe land conveyances under the agreement of 1913 and under various other legislative enactments and that describe other activities that occurred after 1913 to establish that the shoreline in the city of Milwaukee is as described in the agreement of 1913.

Who's behind it

14 lawmakers are its authors⁠. 12 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

6 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

Versions and amendments

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

• Amendment Histories
• LC Amendment Memo