Assembly Bill 966
Reorganizing the Milwaukee Public School System into four to eight school districts and creating a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission. (FE)
Vetoed by the governor
Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Apr 15, 2022. Lawmakers did not , so it stands.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 8, 2022
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 22, 2022
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Senate vote, passed
Passed 19 to 12
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Governor, stopped here
Vetoed Apr 15, 2022.
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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”
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Terms on this page
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. 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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Effective July 1, 2024, this bill dissolves the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and creates in its place four to eight city of Milwaukee public school districts. Each new school district must operate grades kindergarten to 12. Each new school board must consist of seven members elected at large for three-year terms. The initial election of school board members occurs at the 2024 spring election.
The bill creates a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission consisting of the governor, two members appointed by the governor, the state superintendent of public instruction, the mayor of the city of Milwaukee, and two members appointed by the mayor. No later than October 1, 2022, the commission must determine the number of new school districts and the boundaries of those new school districts and submit to the legislature recommended changes to the statutes necessary to organize and operate the new school districts. The commission must recommend legislation to do all of the following:
Read the full summary Show less
1. Transfer school buildings from the city of Milwaukee to one of the new school districts.
2. Address the taxing and borrowing authority of each new school district.
3. Ensure that employees of MPS prior to its dissolution are employed by one of the new school districts after the dissolution of MPS.
4. Provide for the continuation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, under which an eligible pupil who resides in the city of Milwaukee may attend a private school at state expense under certain conditions.
5. Provide for the continuation of any charter school authorized by MPS.
The bill directs the Department of Public Instruction to provide staff support and funding to the commission and to assist each new school district created under the bill.
Who's behind it
10 representatives are its . All 10 are Republicans.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- John Macco · Republican, Assembly
- Gae Magnafici · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler Vorpagel · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Wittke · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Roger Roth · Republican, Senate
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There were 4 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Education vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 6 · Feb 17, 2022
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 Education, Ayes 7, Noes 6”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it
Passed, 4 to 3 · Mar 4, 2022
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 Education, Ayes 4, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 4, 2022
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, 19 to 12 · Mar 8, 2022 · 2 didn't vote
See how each of the 33 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (19)
- Alberta Darling (R, 8)
- André Jacque (R, 1)
- Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
- Dan Feyen (R, 20)
- Devin LeMahieu (R, 9)
- Duey Stroebel (R, 20)
- Eric Wimberger (R, 2)
- Howard Marklein (R, 17)
- Jerry Petrowski (R, 29)
- John Jagler (R, 13)
- Julian Bradley (R, 28)
- Kathleen Bernier (R, 23)
- Mary Felzkowski (R, 12)
- Patrick Testin (R, 24)
- Rob Cowles (R, 2)
- Rob Stafsholt (R, 10)
- Roger Roth (R, 19)
- Steve Nass (R, 11)
- Van Wanggaard (R, 21)
No (12)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
- Brad Pfaff (D, 32)
- Chris Larson (D, 7)
- Dale Kooyenga (R, 5)
- Janet Bewley (D, 25)
- Janis Ringhand (D, 15)
- Jeff Smith (D, 31)
- Kelda Roys (D, 26)
- LaTonya Johnson (D, 6)
- Lena Taylor (D, 4)
- Melissa Agard (D, 16)
- Tim Carpenter (D, 3)
Didn't vote (2)
- Joan Ballweg (R, 14)
- Jon Erpenbach (D, 27)
Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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May 17, 2022
The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.
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Apr 15, 2022
The governor vetoed it.
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Apr 13, 2022
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 8, 2022
The Senate passed it too, 19 to 12.
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Mar 4, 2022
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Mar 4, 2022
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 3.
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Feb 24, 2022
Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.
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Feb 22, 2022
The Senate received it.
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Feb 22, 2022
The Assembly passed it.
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Feb 17, 2022
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 17, 2022
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 6.
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Feb 16, 2022
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 16, 2022
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 11, 2022
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 8, 2022
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.
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Feb 8, 2022
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 8, 2022 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Wittke, Thiesfeldt, Brandtjen, Gundrum, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Macco, Magnafici, Murphy and Vorpagel; cosponsored by Senators Darling and Roth
- Feb 8, 2022 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- Feb 11, 2022 · Assembly
Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor
- Feb 16, 2022 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 16, 2022 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 6
- Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 2-22-2022 by Committee on Rules
- Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 24, 2022 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Education
- Mar 4, 2022 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 4, 2022 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 4, Noes 3
- Mar 4, 2022 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 4, 2022 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 4, 2022 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-8-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 8, 2022 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 8, 2022 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 8, 2022 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Mar 8, 2022 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 12
- Mar 8, 2022 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 9, 2022 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 11, 2022 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-11-2022
- Apr 13, 2022 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-13-2022
- Apr 15, 2022 · Assembly
Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-15-2022
- May 17, 2022 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 5-17-2022 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- 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.
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
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote