Both the Senate and Assembly met June 14. Notably, the Senate passed three bills related to the 2023-25 state budget, and the Assembly subsequently took up and passed those bills in addition to its scheduled calendar. Those budget-related bills were as follows:
- AB 245: Changes the shared revenue formula to provide increased aid to counties and municipalities; allows Milwaukee to increase the local sales tax to retire pension debt; includes various other changes to local authority.
- SB 247: Establishes an agricultural road improvement grant program to be managed by the Department of Transportation.
- SB 330: Raises the per-pupil revenue limit for public schools and implements various other funding increases for the school choice, charter school, and special education programs.
Gov. Tony Evers (D) has since signed these bills into law. See this article for more information about those bills and the budget process.
Update: On June 22, Gov. Evers announced that he had signed five bills into law as 2023 Acts 14 through 18. These were Assembly Bills 264 through 268, discussed below.
Assembly (floor calendar)
In addition to the budget-related legislation taken up on the floor, the Assembly’s scheduled calendar included seven bills related to housing development including loans, tax incentives, and regulatory approvals. These bills were all amended and passed via voice vote:
- AB 39: Changes to the low-income housing tax credit.
- AB 96: Developer-financed tax incremental districts.
- AB 264: Residential housing infrastructure revolving loan fund and revolving loan program.
- AB 265: A main street housing rehabilitation revolving loan fund and loan program.
- AB 266: Judicial review of local governmental decisions related to certain land development, local approval of residential housing development, and amendment of zoning ordinances.
- AB 267: Housing rehabilitation loans awarded by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
- AB 268: Commercial-to-housing conversion revolving loan fund and loan program.
Senate (floor calendar)
In addition to passing the three budget-related bills listed above, the Senate concurred in five of the seven housing development bills from the Assembly (ABs 264 through 268). The Senate also concurred in several bills, passed by the Assembly on June 7, that were developed by last year’s Study Committee on Occupational Licenses (ABs 200, 201, and 203).
For more information about the 2023-24 legislative session in Wisconsin, see the following articles: