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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AJR 121

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: custody of the county jail and its inmates (first consideration).

Constitutional amendments — First consideration County — Board Jail Sheriff

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Adopted, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has held that the county sheriff has the inherent constitutional authority to exercise custody of the county jail and its inmates. See

State

ex rel.

Kennedy v. Brunst

, 26 Wis. 412 (1870);

Kocken v. Wisconsin Council of Churches 40

, 2007 WI 72. This proposed constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2025 legislature on first consideration, amends the Wisconsin Constitution to provide that the sheriff has custody of the county jail and its inmates except to the extent the county board of supervisors delegates that authority to another public officer or public entity designated by the county board.

A proposed constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Arney (D) , Bare (D) , Clancy (D) , Hong (D) , Madison (D) , Neubauer (D) , Phelps (D) , Stubbs (D) , Tenorio (D)

4 cosponsors

Larson (D) , Mayadev (D) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Palmeri (D)

Full history

  1. Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Clancy, Madison, Arney, Hong, Phelps, Tenorio, Bare, Stubbs and Neubauer; cosponsored by Senator Larson

  2. Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Dec 9, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Palmeri added as a coauthor

  4. Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Moore Omokunde added as a coauthor

  5. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Mayadev added as a coauthor

  6. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to adopt pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1