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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 593

Authorizing the creation of a Chippewa Valley regional transit authority and making appropriations. (FE)

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 10, 2015

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Transportation. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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.

The 2009 Biennial Budget Act ( 2009 Act 28 ) authorized the creation of several regional transit authorities (RTAs): the Dane County RTA, the Chippewa Valley RTA, and the Chequamegon Bay RTA. Under 2009 Act 28 , each RTA, once created, is a public body corporate and politic and a separate governmental entity. An RTA's authority is vested in its board of directors, and its bylaws govern its management, operations, and administration. Among its powers, an RTA may operate a transportation system or provide for its operation by contracting with a public or private organization; impose, by its board of directors adopting a resolution, a sales and use tax in the RTA's jurisdictional area at a rate not exceeding 0.5 percent of the sales price if certain conditions are satisfied; acquire property by condemnation; and issue tax-exempt revenue bonds. An RTA has a duty to provide, or contract for the provision of, transit service within the RTA's jurisdictional area. Rates and other charges received by an RTA must be used only for the general expenses and capital expenditures of the RTA, to pay interest, amortization, and retirement charges on the RTA's revenue bonds, and for specific purposes of the RTA and may not be transferred to any political subdivision. With respect to the Chippewa Valley RTA, Act 28 included partial vetoes of provisions that would have required a referendum before the Chippewa Valley RTA could be created or impose a sales and use tax.

The 2011 Biennial Budget Act ( 2011 Act 32 ) eliminated authorization to create an RTA and dissolved the Dane County RTA, the Chippewa Valley RTA, and the Chequamegon Bay RTA to the extent previously created.

Read the full summary

This bill restores authorization to create the Chippewa Valley RTA, with essentially the same powers and authority as provided under 2009 Act 28 , except that the bill imposes the referendum requirements that were partially vetoed in Act 28. Also unlike Act 28, under the bill, if the Chippewa Valley RTA imposes a sales and use tax, a member of the RTA may not levy property taxes for transit purposes greater than the property taxes levied for transit purposes in the year before the RTA's sales and use tax is imposed.

Who's behind it

7 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 7 are Democrats.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 10 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (3)

What it would cost

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

What happened

  1. Apr 13, 2016

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Dec 22, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Dec 10, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  4. Dec 10, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 10, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Wachs, Subeck, Spreitzer, Pope, Berceau, Ohnstad and Bowen; cosponsored by Senators Vinehout, Carpenter and Risser

  2. Dec 10, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Dec 22, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Apr 13, 2016 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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

Signed on in support

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

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

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

Official term: Fiscal estimate