December 2024 Legislative Update

All Hands-on Deck for Stewardship
WPRA members need your help to defend the Stewardship Program and work for its reauthorization. Gathering Waters, the state’s land trust organization, has compiled a coalition website (https://knowlesnelson.org/) for the effort.

WPRA encourages all members to identify the KNSP projects in your community and educate your local government leaders about this effort. We need everyone working hard to advocate for KNSP and that starts now.

Stewardship in the News
Recently, Senate Majority Leader did a year-end interview and provided the following comments to WisPolitics:

the Supreme Court “pretty much killed the stewardship fund” after a 6-1 ruling this summer that nixed the Joint Finance Committee’s review process for Department of Natural Resources purchases using the fund. The 2019-21 state budget reauthorized the program through 2025-26 with expenditures of up to $33.25 million annually. LeMahieu said “we’re certainly not going to give a blank check to the DNR” and Republicans won’t sign off on an extension with the current system left by the court’s ruling.

This is why we need you to reach out to your local legislators and share the value of past Stewardship projects in your community!

Legislative Updates

New Members
Following the November 2024 election, the Wisconsin Legislature will welcome 34 new members, 27 Democrats and seven Republicans. These new members will assume office on January 6, 2025.

Senate

In the 33-member Senate, there will be 4 new members, all Democrats:

8^th Jodi Habush Sinykin (D)

14^th Sarah Keyeski (D)

18^th Kristin Alfheim (D)

30^th Jamie Wall (D)

In the 99-member Assembly, there will be 30 new members, seven Republicans and 23 Democrats:

Assembly

7^th Karen Kirsch (D)

9^th Priscilla Prado (D)

11^th Sequanna Taylor (D)

12^th Russell Goodwin (D)

14^th Angelito Tenorio (D)

18^th Margaret Arney (D)

26^th Joe Sheehan (D)

27^th Lindee Brill (R)

28^th Rob Kreibich (R)

40^th Karen DeSanto (D)

42^nd Maureen McCarville (D)

43^rd Brienne Brown (D)

44^th Ann Roe (D)

46^th Joan Fitzgerald (D)

47^th Randy Udell (D)

48^th Andrew Hysell (D)

53^rd Dean Kaufert (R)

62^nd Angelina Cruz (D)

65^th Ben DeSmidt (D)

71^st Vinnie Miresse (D)

73^rd Angela Stroud (D)

75^th Duke Tucker (R)

77^th Renuka Mayadev (D)

87^th Brent Jacobson (R)

88^th Benjamin Franklin (R)

89^th Ryan Spaude (D)

90^th Amaad Rivera Wagner (D)

93^rd Christian Phelps (D)

96^th Tara Johnson (D)

98^th Jim Piwowarczyk (R)

Caucus Leaders
After the election, the Assembly and Senate party caucuses met to select their leadership for the 2025-26 legislative session. New members of Senate Republican leadership include Sen. Mary Felzkowski as Senate President and Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara as Caucus Vice-Chair. In the Assembly, Republicans reelected Rep. Robin Vos as Speaker. New to Assembly leadership this session is Rep. Scott Krug, taking retired Rep. Jon Plumer’s position of Assistant Majority Leader.

Sen. Mark Spreitzer and Sen. Dora Drake are democratic newcomers to Senate leadership. Rep. Clinton Anderson, Rep. Mike Bare and Rep. Jodi Emerson are new to Assembly leadership in their caucus.

Senate Republicans