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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 530

Eliminating the advisory referenda restrictions under 2023 Wisconsin Act 12

Topics: County, Municipality, Property tax, Referendum

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 9, 2025

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs. The committee's chair at the time was Chris Kapenga. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 527. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a county may not conduct a countywide advisory referendum except for an advisory referendum regarding a political subdivision revenue sharing agreement or capital expenditures proposed to be funded by the county property tax levy. In addition, current law prohibits a municipality from conducting an advisory referendum except for an advisory referendum regarding tax incremental financing, a local government telecommunications utility, or capital expenditures proposed to be funded by the municipality’s property tax levy.

This bill eliminates the above restrictions and allows a county or municipality to conduct advisory referenda for any purpose, which a county or municipality was allowed to do prior to enactment of 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 .

Who's behind it

9 senators are its ⁠. All 9 are Democrats.

23 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 32 names

Authors (9)

Signed on in support (23)

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Oct 10, 2025 to Feb 9, 2026

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  3. Oct 9, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.

  4. Oct 9, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 9, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Ratcliff, Smith, Carpenter, Hesselbein, Keyeski, Larson, Roys, Spreitzer and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Joers, Anderson, Andraca, Arney, Bare, Clancy, Emerson, Fitzgerald, Hysell, Johnson, Madison, McCarville, Miresse, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Rivera-Wagner, Roe, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Stroud and Udell

  2. Oct 9, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs

  3. Oct 10, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  5. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

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