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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 234

Tourism industry grants. (FE)

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Apr 22, 2021. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 2, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 56 to 37

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 18 to 13

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Apr 22, 2021.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 17, 2022: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes 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.

Tourism promotion and development organization grants This bill requires the Department of Tourism to award grants to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion and development of tourism in Wisconsin to assist those organizations to remain operational in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The bill further requires Tourism to award grants to such nonprofit organizations and to certain governmental organizations also having that same primary purpose for purposes of tourism marketing in connection with Wisconsin's recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

A nonprofit or governmental organization receiving a grant under the bill, as specified above, may not receive grants totalling more than $1,000,000 or 50 percent of the organization's average annual tourism marketing budget over the previous three years, not including 2020. The bill requires the governor to allocate $50,000,000 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the grants.

Read the full summary

Amusement industry grants This bill requires the Department of Tourism to award grants to organizations that own or operate amusement or theme parks in Wisconsin for purposes of short-term tourism marketing in connection with the organization's recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The bill limits each grant to 50 percent of the organization's average annual tourism marketing budget over the previous three years, not including 2020. The bill requires the governor to allocate $25,000,000 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the grants.

Who's behind it

17 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 17 are Republicans.

7 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 24 names

Authors (17)

Signed on in support (7)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 4 · Apr 8, 2021

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 Jobs and the Economy, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 56 to 36 · Apr 13, 2021 · 6 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (56)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 56 to 37 · Apr 13, 2021 · 5 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (56)

No (37)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Apr 14, 2021

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

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 18 to 13 · Apr 14, 2021 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 32 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 17, 2022

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Apr 22, 2021

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Apr 21, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 14, 2021

    The Senate passed it too, 18 to 13.

  5. Apr 14, 2021

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

  6. Apr 14, 2021

    The Senate received it.

  7. Apr 13, 2021

    The Assembly passed it, 56 to 37.

  8. Apr 13, 2021

    “Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  9. Apr 9, 2021 to Apr 12, 2021

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  10. Apr 8, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Apr 8, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 4.

  12. Apr 6, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Apr 6, 2021

    7 more representatives signed on in support.

  14. Apr 2, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy.

  15. Apr 2, 2021

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 2, 2021 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Dallman, Kurtz, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Duchow, Edming, Krug, Moses, Oldenburg, Plumer, Rozar, Snyder, Swearingen, Tranel, Vorpagel, Wittke and Zimmerman; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Bernier, Felzkowski and Ballweg

  2. Apr 2, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Jobs and the Economy

  3. Apr 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Representatives Born, Armstrong, Mursau, Petryk, Knodl, Loudenbeck and James added as coauthors

  4. Apr 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Apr 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Jobs and the Economy, Ayes 8, Noes 4

  7. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 4-13-2021 by Committee on Rules

  9. Apr 9, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  10. Apr 12, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor

  11. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Anderson, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, McGuire, B. Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, L. Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Vruwink

  13. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  14. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  15. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 56, Noes 36

  16. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  18. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 56, Noes 37

  19. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  21. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

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

  22. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-14-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  23. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 13

  27. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 4-14-2021

  30. Apr 21, 2021 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-21-2021 by directive of the Speaker

  31. Apr 22, 2021 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-22-2021

  32. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-17-2022 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  33. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

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

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote