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Bills from the 2017–18 session

Assembly Bill 838

Changes to board of review proceedings and elimination of the property tax assessment freeze (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Revenue). (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 17, 2018. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 16, 2018

  2. Committee, passed

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 23, 2018

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 20, 2018

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2017 Wisconsin Act 358

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 17, 2018: “Published 4-17-2018”

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.

This bill eliminates provisions related to board of review proceedings for hearing objections to property tax assessments that the Wisconsin Supreme Court found unconstitutional in Metropolitan Associates v. City of Milwaukee , 2011 WI 20, 332 Wis. 2d 85, 796 N.W.2d 717, and Nankin v. Village of Shorewood , 2001 WI 92, 245 Wis. 2d 86, 630 N.W.2d 141.

The bill also eliminates the property tax assessment freeze applicable to certain replacement property. Under current law, if a property owner 1) conveys property under threat of condemnation or through condemnation proceedings for the benefit of a public entity to be used for public purposes and 2) acquires a property to replace the conveyed property (replacement property), a municipality may “freeze” the assessed value of the replacement property, for up to five years, at an amount equal to the assessed value of the conveyed property in the year immediately preceding the conveyance. However, in Gottlieb v. City of Milwaukee , 33 Wis. 2d 408, 147 N.W.2d 633 (1967), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the uniformity clause of the Wisconsin Constitution requires that all property that is taxed must be taxed in its entirety and at the same rate that applies to all other property in a taxation district.

Read the full summary

The court concluded that a property tax assessment freeze applicable to urban redevelopment corporations was unconstitutional because it constituted a partial exemption from the property tax.

For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.

Who's behind it

Law Revision Committee is its ⁠.

See all the details

Author (1)

  • Law Revision Committee

What it would cost

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

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 15, 2018

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 17, 2018

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 17, 2018

    The governor signed it. It became 2017 Wisconsin Act 358.

  3. Apr 12, 2018

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 20, 2018

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 15, 2018

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  6. Jan 26, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  7. Jan 24, 2018

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  8. Jan 24, 2018

    The Senate received it.

  9. Jan 23, 2018

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Jan 16, 2018

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Jan 16, 2018

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 16, 2018 · Assembly

    Introduced by Law Revision Committee

  2. Jan 16, 2018 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Rules

  3. Jan 18, 2018 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-23-2018 by Committee on Rules

  4. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  5. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  6. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  7. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  8. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  9. Jan 24, 2018 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  10. Jan 24, 2018 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  11. Jan 24, 2018 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  12. Jan 26, 2018 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  13. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  14. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-20-2018 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  15. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a second time

  16. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  18. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  19. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Mar 21, 2018 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  21. Mar 29, 2018 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-29-2018

  22. Apr 12, 2018 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-12-2018

  23. Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-16-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 358

  24. Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Published 4-17-2018

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

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

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

Cost estimate

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

Official term: Fiscal estimate

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote