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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 3

Appealing a municipal court matter after review by a circuit court

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 8, 2015. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 7, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 22, 2015

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 17, 2015

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 12

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2015: “Published 4-9-2015”

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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, a final judgment or a final order of a circuit court may generally be appealed to the court of appeals. Under current law, a judgment or order of a circuit court in a traffic forfeiture or a municipal ordinance case is considered final when it disposes of the entire matter in litigation as to one or more of the parties, and is either reduced to writing and filed with the circuit court or, after the matter is prosecuted in circuit court, recorded in a docket entry.

In Village of McFarland v. Zetzman , 2012 WI App 49, the court of appeals held that in a traffic forfeiture case or other municipal ordinance case, for the purpose of determining whether a matter may be appealed, the matter may be considered "prosecuted in circuit court" if the matter was initially heard in municipal court and subsequently reviewed by the circuit court.

Read the full summary

This bill clarifies the language in current law to conform with the Zetzman decision.

Who's behind it

Jim Ott, a Republican, is its ⁠.

See all the details

Author (1)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Jan 16, 2015

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

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 6, 2015

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 Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 8, 2015

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 8, 2015

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 12.

  3. Apr 7, 2015

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 17, 2015

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 6, 2015

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

  6. Feb 4, 2015

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Jan 23, 2015

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  8. Jan 22, 2015

    The Senate received it.

  9. Jan 22, 2015

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Jan 16, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Jan 16, 2015

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  12. Jan 8, 2015

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Jan 7, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.

  14. Jan 7, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 7, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representative J. Ott

  2. Jan 7, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. Jan 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 15, 2015 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Jan 16, 2015 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  6. Jan 16, 2015 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Jan 20, 2015 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-22-2015 by committee on Rules

  8. Jan 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Jan 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Jan 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  11. Jan 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  12. Jan 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Jan 22, 2015 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  14. Jan 23, 2015 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  15. Feb 4, 2015 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  16. Feb 4, 2015 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  17. Feb 6, 2015 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  18. Feb 6, 2015 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  19. Mar 13, 2015 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2015 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  20. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Read a second time

  21. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  22. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  23. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  24. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  26. Mar 24, 2015 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-24-2015

  27. Apr 7, 2015 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-7-2015

  28. Apr 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2015. 2015 Wisconsin Act 12

  29. Apr 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Published 4-9-2015

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

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

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

Author

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

Official term: Author, coauthor

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote