Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: local wheel tax referenda. (FE)
County — Taxation Motor vehicle — Taxation or registration Municipality — Taxation Natural disaster Referendum
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides that a municipal or county vehicle registration fee, commonly known as a wheel tax, may be imposed only if approved by a majority of electors voting in a referendum at a regularly scheduled election.
Under current law, the governing body of a municipality or county may enact an ordinance imposing an annual flat municipal or county registration fee on all motor vehicles registered in this state that are customarily kept in the municipality or county. The fees collected are required to be used only for transportation-related purposes.
Under the bill, a municipality or county that proposes to impose a registration fee is required to hold a referendum at a regularly scheduled election. The registration fee may be imposed only if approved by a majority of the electors who vote in the referendum. Registration fees imposed prior to the date on which the bill becomes law must be approved by a majority of electors voting in a referendum at a regularly scheduled election occurring not later than the first day of the 18th month beginning after the date on which the bill becomes law.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Introduced by: Cabral-Guevara (R) , Hutton (R) , Jacque (R) , Kapenga (R) , Nass (R)
10 cosponsors
B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Dittrich (R) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Maxey (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Wanggaard (R) , Wichgers (R)
Registered lobbying interests · 10
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
- Americans For Prosperity
- City of Madison
- Dane County Cities & Villages Association
- League of Wisconsin Municipalities
- Milwaukee County
- National Federation of Independent Business
- Wisconsin Counties Association
- Wisconsin County Highway Association
- Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Inc
- Wisconsin REALTORS Association
Votes
Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 Jan 13, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Aye · 18
- André Jacque (1)
- Chris Kapenga (33)
- Cory Tomczyk (29)
- Dan Feyen (20)
- Devin LeMahieu (9)
- Eric Wimberger (2)
- Howard Marklein (17)
- Jesse James (23)
- John Jagler (13)
- Julian Bradley (28)
- Mary Felzkowski (12)
- Patrick Testin (24)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara (19)
- Rob Hutton (5)
- Rob Stafsholt (10)
- Romaine Quinn (25)
- Steve Nass (11)
- Van Wanggaard (21)
Nay · 15
- Bob Wirch (22)
- Brad Pfaff (32)
- Chris Larson (7)
- Dianne Hesselbein (27)
- Dora Drake (4)
- Jamie Wall (30)
- Jeff Smith (31)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin (8)
- Kelda Roys (26)
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (18)
- LaTonya Johnson (6)
- Mark Spreitzer (15)
- Melissa Ratcliff (16)
- Sarah Keyeski (14)
- Tim Carpenter (3)
Aye · 18
- André Jacque (1)
- Chris Kapenga (33)
- Cory Tomczyk (29)
- Dan Feyen (20)
- Devin LeMahieu (9)
- Eric Wimberger (2)
- Howard Marklein (17)
- Jesse James (23)
- John Jagler (13)
- Julian Bradley (28)
- Mary Felzkowski (12)
- Patrick Testin (24)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara (19)
- Rob Hutton (5)
- Rob Stafsholt (10)
- Romaine Quinn (25)
- Steve Nass (11)
- Van Wanggaard (21)
Nay · 15
- Bob Wirch (22)
- Brad Pfaff (32)
- Chris Larson (7)
- Dianne Hesselbein (27)
- Dora Drake (4)
- Jamie Wall (30)
- Jeff Smith (31)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin (8)
- Kelda Roys (26)
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (18)
- LaTonya Johnson (6)
- Mark Spreitzer (15)
- Melissa Ratcliff (16)
- Sarah Keyeski (14)
- Tim Carpenter (3)
Full history
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Hutton, Cabral-Guevara, Jacque, Kapenga and Nass; cosponsored by Representatives Maxey, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Mursau, Piwowarczyk and Wichgers
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government
- Nov 11, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Nov 17, 2025 · Senate
Representative Mursau withdrawn as a cosponsor
- Nov 19, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Nov 19, 2025 · Senate
Senator Wanggaard added as a coauthor
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 1-21-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Hesselbein, Smith, Spreitzer, Drake, L. Johnson, Roys, Wall, Carpenter, Ratcliff, Keyeski, Pfaff, Habush Sinykin, Dassler-Alfheim and Larson
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate, Ayes 18, Noes 15
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Referred to joint committee on Finance
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 18, Noes 15
- Jan 21, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1