The 2023-24 legislative session has been off to a relatively slow start, with the Assembly and Senate each holding only one day of floor votes each in January and none in February. The Assembly voted earlier this week and each house is expected to meet one day next week.

Assembly: March 14 (floor calendar)

The Assembly passed four bills, including legislation on the reporting of crimes and incidents at schools (AB 53), requiring certain schools to employ school resource officers (AB 69), and eliminating the sunset date for the Wisconsin Merit Scholarship program (AB 67).

Notably, the Assembly passed AB 28, which creates an optional program for county jail officers to receive “protective occupation” status, allowing them to retire at an earlier age and participate in the Duty Disability Insurance Program.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing on the Senate companion bill (SB 28) on March 14. The Assembly also passed 10 resolutions including proclamations on Black History Month, American Heart Month, and American Red Cross Month.

Ozaukee County Undersheriff Marshall Hermann and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt testified before the Assembly Committee on State Affairs in support of AB 28.

Assembly: March 22

The Assembly will meet at noon on March 22 to consider the following items. All eight bills on the calendar are related to criminal justice, law enforcement, and parole:

• AB 47: Public access to actions by Parole Commission.
• AB 51: Appointment of certain lawfully present aliens as law enforcement officers.
• AB 54: Statutory changes to implement the constitutional amendment relating to conditions of release.
• AB 55: Penalties for reckless driving and providing a penalty.
• AB 56: Impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses.
• AB 57: Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes.
• AB 58: Mandatory minimum sentence for felons who illegally possess a firearm and providing a penalty.
• AB 70: Participation in a riot and providing a penalty.
• AJR 16: Proclaiming March 2023 as Women’s History Month.

Senate: March 22

The Senate is expected to meet for a floor session on March 22 at 11 AM. A floor calendar was not available at the time this post was published.