Assembly Bill 406 Passes Committee
On Tuesday Assembly Bill 406, a bill I authored, passed the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection. My bill places tuition caps on the University of Wisconsin System. AB 406 prohibits UW from raising resident tuition by more than the increase in inflation. It is important that higher education is affordable for all Wisconsin students, and this bill holds UW accountable in ensuring that resident’s tuition is not increased by arbitrary amounts. As a member of NCSL’s taskforce on Higher Education, I have looked for ways to make higher education affordable while maintaining, and improving, student outcomes. This bill is a step in the right direction to increase the affordability of Wisconsin higher education.
Financial Institutions Committee
[see featured photo above] I am proud to serve on the Financial Institutions Committee which held a public hearing this week, on several key bills that I am a cosponsor of.First was Assembly Bill 968, introduced by Representative Pat Snyder, which aims to protect vulnerable citizens from fraud related to currency kiosks. Currency kiosks are vending machines that can exchange cash for bitcoin. Our legislation provides consumer protections including mandatory customer ID verification (collecting personal info, government-issued ID, and photographing customers per transaction), a $500 daily transaction limit per customer, fee caps at the greater of $5 or 3% of the amount, prominent fraud warning notices (with customer acknowledgment), full refunds for reported fraud within 30 days, antifraud policies, toll-free customer service, detailed receipts, and restrictions on kiosk placement near ATMs.
Financial Institutions also heard Assembly Bill 996 and Assembly Bill 997 both are introduced by Representative Elijah Behnke and are designed to compliment the new Trump Accounts that have been created at the federal level. AB 996 directs the state to make contributions to accounts set up for Wisconsin kids, and AB 997 provides the money to do so. Trump Accounts are a new federal policy deriving from the Big Beautiful Bill that creates “Child IRAs” for kids born from 2025 to 2028. These accounts allow contributions that become property of the kids when they turn 18 that can be used for education, buying a home, starting a business, and then convert to a traditional IRA.
Madison Meeting
Recently while I was at a hearing, my staffer Alan hosted the Wisconsin Credit Union League in our office as part of their lobby day efforts. The ladies pictured above are all from the Fox Valley and shared their thoughts on the current climate for Credit Unions in Wisconsin.  It’s always great to host folks from back home when they visit the Capitol!
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State Capitol Tours
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The best way to experience the beauty and grandeur of Wisconsin’s Capitol building (located at 2 East Main Street, Madison, WI 53702) is to see it for yourself. It is open to the public weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free tours are offered daily, year round except on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Tours start at the information desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m. A 4:00 p.m. tour is offered weekdays (Monday – Friday), excluding holidays, during Memorial Day through Labor Day. Plan on spending 45-55 minutes for a tour. The sixth floor museum and observation deck are open during the summer months. Groups of ten or more can make an on-line reservation for a tour of the State Capitol or call (608)266-0382.
