April Update

April 21st, 2026
 
In This Issue: 
  • Special Session - Your Questions Answered
  • Legislation Signed into Law
  • Around the District

School is still in session, so why has your state legislature wrapped up for the summer? Though we are unlikely to hold more regular session days, conversations between Governor Evers and Republican leaders continue. Will there be a compromise between the Governor’s special session call to end gerrymandering and the Republicans’ wish to spend down the surplus? No matter what happens (or does not happen), our office is here to serve our constituents. 

One of the biggest issues that was left unaddressed was how to prevent school referendums and pay for public education. Read my  op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how we can repair Wisconsin’s school funding formula and provide property tax relief for Wisconsinites - something I will work on no matter what the legislature has in store. As always, please reach out to my office whenever we can be of service.

Special Session - Your Questions Answered

During Governor Evers’ State of the State Address, he announced that he was calling a Special Session for the Legislature to come in on April 14th and vote on a constitutional amendment regarding banning gerrymandering in Wisconsin.

Below are some questions being asked by our constituents regarding the special session: 
 

What is a special session? 
  • A special session is a way for the Governor to convene the legislature to address one or more topics the Governor considers so important that it must be addressed promptly and separately from other legislative business. In a special session, the legislature can only act on the subject(s) of the call for the special session. 
  • This special session was called to pass a constitutional amendment banning partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Up until two years ago, Wisconsinites were living under some of the most gerrymandered legislative maps in the country. The Governor would like to prevent this from happening again by adding language banning gerrymandering to the state constitution.

Fun fact - Since Wisconsin became a state in 1848, the governor has called a special session 110 times. This is Governor Evers’ 14th special session and the only one that was not gaveled in and gaveled out in a matter of minutes.
 

What happened in the special session on April 14th? What are the next steps? 

  • Last Tuesday Democrats showed up for the special session but Republicans did not. Instead, two members of Assembly Republican leadership came to the floor to gavel in the special session and then adjourn until Thursday. On Thursday, Republican leaders called a “skeletal session” and adjourned until Tuesday of this week. 

What is a “skeletal session?”

  • It has nothing to do with Halloween. It is a legislative session that is convened but doesn’t involve any substantive legislative activity. This could mean no debate, no introduction of bills, or no votes. 

What did the Senate do for the special session? 

  • The Senate was also on the floor on Tuesday and had a similar experience to the Assembly. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu went to the floor and gaveled in and then immediately postponed, as Senate Democrats objected. 
As negotiations continue, keep an eye on our social media accounts for updates.

Legislation Signed into Law

Over the last few weeks Governor Evers has been signing many bills into law. This is an exciting time in the Capitol  when advocates and constituents come into the building to celebrate legislative accomplishments. I had the opportunity to join Governor Evers as he signed many pieces of legislation where I was a co-author and issues that impacted our district. 

 

Below are some of the new laws that I am proud to have co-authored:
AB238 - Now Act 151, extends nondiscrimination protections to search and rescue dogs and their handlers and better clarifies lodging policies when search and rescue dogs are present. 

AB239 - Now Act 152, adds search and rescue dogs to the list of animals included in the crime harassment of police and fire animals.

AB80 - Now Act 232, ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Social Work Licensure Compact. This provides social workers with the ability to become eligible to practice in Wisconsin and other compact states, helping to address the workforce shortage.
AB913 - Now act 105, creates an income tax subtraction for any amount of basic pay income received by a member of the National Guard or a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces and any amount of inactive-duty training compensation. We have constituents in our district serving in the National Guard who reached out about this legislation, and I was very pleased to help this measure become law.
SB248 - Now Act 210, increases penalties for violation of the terms of use of ignition interlock devices (IID), eliminates waiting periods for occupation licenses if an IID is installed on a vehicle, and restricts a person ordered to only operate vehicles equipped with an IID from operating motorcycles. Ignition interlocks are among the most effective countermeasures to prevent impaired driving. From 2006 to 2022, the use of ignition interlock devices has prevented over 410,000 drunken driving attempts in Wisconsin, according to data collected by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
SB181 - Now Act 212, creates a local levy limit exception which supports regional delivery of EMS by providing targeted levy limit flexibility to encourage shared service arrangements and cost efficiencies across multiple municipalities. 
 

AB968 - Now Act 226, requires operators of virtual currency, or cryptocurrency, kiosks to be licensed as money transmitters and establishes consumer protection and fraud prevention requirements. I heard from members of law enforcement in our district about how this legislation will provide greater protections for individuals who may be a victim of a scam. 
 

AB604 - Now Act 233, specifies that case management services, medication-assisted treatment of all substance use disorders, and a 30-day supply of prescription medications are covered under the Medicaid program for incarcerated individuals. 

AB130 and AB131 - AB130, now Act 200, and AB131, now Act 201, facilitate the release of the $125 million in stalled PFAS investments that have been held up in negotiations for years. This critical funding will allow communities across our state to better address the PFAS contamination and ensure clean water for all Wisconsinites.

AB964 - Now Act 218, adds the crime of sexual extortion, if the victim was a child at the time of violation, to the definition of “internet crime against a child”. This bill was signed along with three others that directly addressed internet crimes against children. 

As you will notice in the photo, a police dog was present for the signing as he is trained in detecting illegal substances and devices. Granger is trained to be able to sniff out electronic devices such as phones, computers, USB drives and SIM cards. His work is critical in criminal investigations.

Around the District

31st Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup

Get in the Earth Day Spirit this weekend! The Milwaukee Riverkeeper annual clean up has several sites in the 23rd district to choose from on Saturday, April 25th. Check out their website to volunteer!
 

Bayside Arbor Day Celebration

On Friday, April 24th, the Village of Bayside will be celebrating Arbor Day at Ellsworth Park at 9am. Participants will learn how to properly plant a tree, have an opportunity to participate, and hear from the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center about the importance of trees! Check out their website for more information.

Mequon Nature Preserve Earth Day Events

The Mequon Nature Preserve has multiple events for you to enjoy Earth Day this week! Check out their website to find an event for you!

Earth Day at the Whitefish Bay Public Library

The Whitefish Bay Public Library will be hosting a special program on Wednesday, April 22nd from 4-5 for kids of all ages. The program will take place in the upstairs program room at the library (5420 N Marlborough Drive, Whitefish Bay).

Contact Us

There are several convenient ways to share your thoughts, questions and concerns with us:

  • Call our office at (608) 237-9123
  • Email us: Rep.Andraca@legis.wisconsin.gov
  • Visit our website to learn more about constituent services, legislative priorities and to share your comments or concerns
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Our mailing address is:
State Representative Deb Andraca
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI  53708

Our physical address is:
Wisconsin State Capitol
2 East Main St.
Room 109 North
Madison, WI  53703

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