Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday and Other Bills We’re Watching

The Wisconsin Legislature will reconvene from summer recess in September, with floor action possible September 2 through 11. Now that the state budget is signed into law, public education advocates will turn our attention to a series of bills expected to see action at the statehouse.

Here are some of the proposals we’re watching:

Prohibiting Firearms on University Campuses. (LRB 470/1) Current law stipulates any person carrying a firearm in public or privately owned university buildings is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. However, individuals with licenses to carry a concealed weapon are exempt from this rule. Under this bill, university campuses will be afforded the same gun-free zones as our K12 campuses.

Teacher Preparation. Current law allows authorization of a teacher preparatory program only for student teaching that consists of full days for a full semester. This bill allows for teacher preparatory programs that are full day for a full summer session.

Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. (LRB 4235/2) This would create a sales tax holiday during the back-to-school season on school supplies.

Per-Pupil Adjustment for Revenue Limits. (SB 389)This would eliminate the $325 per pupil adjustment in school district revenue limit calculations afforded by Governor Evers’ partial veto in the 2023-25 state budget in the school district revenue limit formula beginning with the calculation of school district revenue limits for the 2027-28 school year.

See more education-related bills we’re watching at weac.org/bills.