Wisconsin State Laws
✅ Law #1: 2025-27 Wisconsin Budget / Act 15 — Energy & Tax Changes
Statute / Bill: 2025 Act 15 (Biennial Budget) (Wisconsin Legislature Docs)
Effective: Signed July 3, 2025; many provisions take effect immediately or as otherwise specified; some parts (e.g. tax exemptions) begin October 1, 2025. (Wisconsin Legislature Docs)
📝 What it does
Eliminates the sales tax on electricity and natural gas for residential consumption. (Thomson Reuters Tax)
Exempts certain insurance-information products (reports, data, etc used by insurance companies) from sales/use tax. (Thomson Reuters Tax)
Restores film production tax credits. (Wisconsin Legislature Docs)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
State gives up some revenue from energy taxes, which may reduce funding available elsewhere.
Gains in film industry incentives might attract business, partially offsetting costs.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: Homeowners/tenants with energy bills; insurance companies; film industry workers/companies.
Affects: State budget allocations; low-income residents may benefit; businesses outside these industries may see fewer benefits.
⚙️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Enacted by Wisconsin Legislature; Gov. Tony Evers signed it. (Wisconsin Legislature Docs)
Support from residents/advocates concerned about energy costs; opposition possibly from those worried about budget deficits or giving up revenue.
✅ Pros:
Lowers costs for households on utilities.
Encourages film industry activity.
❌ Cons:
Less tax revenue for state, possibly affecting public services.
Exemptions tend to benefit higher usage/wealthier households more.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
Starting in late 2025, Wisconsin cuts sales tax on residential electricity/natural gas and gives tax breaks to insurers and film producers — easing utility bills and boosting some industries, but tightening state revenue streams.
✅ Law #2: Driver / Vehicle Fee Increases (Part of Act 15)
Statute / Bill: Also part of Act 15 (Biennial Budget) (wisconsindot.gov)
Effective: October 1, 2025 for vehicle & driver fees. (wisconsindot.gov)
📝 What it does
Raises the fee for issuing and renewing Class D driver’s license from $24 to $32.50 (excluding the card-issuance fee) (wisconsindot.gov).
Increases new registration plate issuance fee by $6 for non-replacement plates. (wisconsindot.gov)
Replacement plate fees go from $4 to $6. (wisconsindot.gov)
Many registration fees (for heavier weight vehicles, etc.) increase by about 10%. (wisconsindot.gov)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Motorists (vehicle owners, drivers) pay more.
State collects more revenue from fees.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: State budget / highway / DMV revenue; possibly infrastructure projects funded by these fees.
Affects: Vehicle owners, especially those renewing licenses or plates; heavy vehicle owners; possibly lower-income drivers more burdened by fee hikes.
⚙️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Passed as part of the budget process. (Wisconsin Legislature Docs)
Opposition likely from motorists, advocacy groups for people with lower income; support from those wanting better funding for infrastructure or DMV operations.
✅ Pros:
Provides needed revenue for transportation/DMV.
Scales up costs modestly.
❌ Cons:
Adds cost burden to vehicle owners.
Could impact people with many vehicles or heavy vehicles more.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
As of October 1, 2025, Wisconsin will raise many driver/vehicle fees — license, plates, registration — helping fund state services but making car ownership more expensive.
✅ Law #3: State Park Sticker Validity Change & EV Charging Tax (Jan 1, 2025 Laws)
Statute / Bill: Laws effective Jan 1, 2025 under various acts; part of “new laws taking effect” coverage. (Moen Sheehan Meyer)
Effective: January 1, 2025. (Moen Sheehan Meyer)
📝 What it does
State park vehicle stickers now valid for a full year starting when purchased. Previously, they expired at calendar-year end regardless of purchase date. (Moen Sheehan Meyer)
New tax applied to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations (except for private home chargers): a 3-cent per kilowatt-hour tax. (Moen Sheehan Meyer)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
EV users pay a new tax for charging (public).
State gets new revenue from EV charging tax; park revenue remains similar but smoother distribution.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: State parks (better funding predictability); state revenue from EV usage.
Affects: EV public chargers and users; people frequently visiting parks at different times of year.
⚙️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Passed via state legislature. (Moen Sheehan Meyer)
Likely support from those wanting fairness for EV users; opposition from EV advocates concerned about additional costs.
✅ Pros:
Makes park sticker pricing fairer.
EV charging tax helps offset loss of gas tax revenue long term.
❌ Cons:
Adds cost disincentive to public EV charging.
Users reliant on public charging might see increased expenses.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
From Jan. 1, 2025, Wisconsin extended state park stickers to last a full year from purchase and imposed a small tax on public EV charging — more fairness for parks, more cost for EV users.
✅ Law #4: Constitutional Amendment – Voter Photo ID Requirement (Question 1, April 2025)
📝 What it does
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Very minimal direct cost.
Some administrative / educational costs to ensure voter awareness and compliance.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: Those who want stricter voting ID rules; election officials who want stability in voter ID law.
Affects: Voters without ID; communities with lower ID access; those concerned about voting access.
⚙️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Backed by Republican legislators; passed by legislature and ratified by voters in spring 2025. (Wikipedia)
Opposition from those worried about voter suppression or hardship for people lacking valid ID.
✅ Pros:
Adds permanence to photo ID requirement for elections.
Provides consistency and reduces risk of future major changes or rollback.
❌ Cons:
Could make voting harder for individuals who have difficulty obtaining acceptable ID.
May raise concerns about equity and access.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
With Question 1 ratified on April 1, 2025, Wisconsin made photo ID for voting a permanent feature of its constitution — keeping ID requirements in place, likely reducing uncertainty but raising access concerns for some voters.