On April 1, Wisconsin voters elected Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court. Defeating former Attorney General Brad Schimel by more than ten points, Crawford secured the court’s slim liberal majority until 2028, when the next liberal justice will be up for re-election. Supreme Court justices serve ten-year terms. This race garnered national attention due to record-breaking spending and significant involvement from out-of-state donors, most notably Elon Musk, who contributed $20 million.
In another closely watched race, incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly won re-election, defeating challenger Brittany Kinser by six points. The outcome surprised many Republicans, as Underly’s tenure has been marked by controversy over changes to standardized testing benchmarks. Even Democratic Governor Tony Evers expressed concerns about the revisions.
Finally, Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment solidifying voter ID requirements, preventing future legislative majorities from overturning the law without another constitutional amendment. Republican leaders in the state Legislature have acknowledged that the results of the spring election—particularly the Supreme Court race—will influence their approach to budget negotiations and legislative priorities for the remainder of the session. As a result, significant legislative movement is unlikely for the rest of the year.
Below is the list of the key proposals we’re monitoring for the Fox Cities:
AB 38/ SB 36 (Rep. Tusler/Sen. Jacque) – Creates an income tax exemption for cash tips paid to employees.
AB 17/SB 21 (Rep. Sortwell/Sen. James) – Establishes a tax credit for employee ownership conversion costs, a capital gains deduction for business transfers to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program.
AJR 006/SJR 007 (Rep. Steffen/Sen. Bradley) – Recognizes nuclear power and fusion energy as clean energy sources critical to meeting Wisconsin’s energy demands. Declares the legislature’s commitment to expanding nuclear power, developing nuclear technologies, and investing in fusion energy.
AB 52/SB 60 (Rep. Bare/Sen. Spreitzer) – Expands the homestead income tax credit to provide additional relief for homeowners.
AB 60/SB 58 (Rep. Allen/Sen. Cabral Guevara) – Referendum questions to include how much property taxes would increase for the median-valued single-family home for certain referenda that affect property taxes.
AB 69/SB 90 (Rep. Murphy/Sen. Jacque) – The sales and use tax exemption for electricity and natural gas sold for residential use.
LRB 2074 (Rep. Moses) – Creating a video game production tax credit and making an appropriation.
LRB 0951 (Rep. Gustafson) – Exporting tobacco bars from the public smoking pan
by Jim Steineke, Government Affairs & Advocacy