The new bill authored by State Sen. Howard L. Marklein seeks to tighten residency rules for individuals circulating nomination papers and recall petitions in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “residency requirements for persons circulating nomination papers or recall petitions”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends Wisconsin statutes to enforce stricter residency requirements for individuals circulating nomination papers and recall petitions. Under the bill, only those eligible to vote in Wisconsin can circulate such documents, except for nomination papers for U.S. presidential and vice-presidential candidates, which can still be circulated by any U.S. citizen aged 18 or older who would not be disqualified from voting if they were a Wisconsin resident. Additionally, for recall petitions, it specifies that circulators must be eligible Wisconsin voters for the signatures they collect to be valid. The bill modifies several sections to reflect these residency requirements, and it emphasizes the legal responsibility of circulators to accurately certify the authenticity and eligibility of the signatures they collect, with penalties for falsification.
The bill was co-authored by Representative Jim Piwowarczyk (Republican-98th District), Senator Romaine Robert Quinn (Republican-25th District), Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Representative Cindi Duchow (Republican-97th District), along 12 other co-sponsors.
Howard L. Marklein has authored or co-authored another 32 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Marklein graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater in 1976 with a BBA.
Marklein, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2015 to represent the state’s 17th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dale Schultz.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB220 | 04/25/2025 | Residency requirements for persons circulating nomination papers or recall petitions |
| SB203 | 04/16/2025 | Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE) |
| SB183 | 04/14/2025 | Reimbursement of emergency services under the Medical Assistance program when a patient is not transported, reporting on changes to the scope of practice of emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners, and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE) |
| SB182 | 04/14/2025 | Emergency medical services education, tuition and materials reimbursement for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners, and a live 911 pilot program. (FE) |
| SB181 | 04/14/2025 | A levy limit exemption for regional emergency medical systems and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE) |
| SB172 | 04/03/2025 | Prohibiting filing or recording contracts for services or materials that do not improve real estate and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| SB170 | 04/03/2025 | Rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE) |
| SB168 | 04/03/2025 | Changing the conditions of liability for worker’s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff. (FE) |
| SB160 | 03/27/2025 | Designating the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway. (FE) |
| SB126 | 03/14/2025 | The effective date of certain provisions contained in 2023 Wisconsin Act 126 |
| SB96 | 03/07/2025 | Exempting certain electric vehicle charging stations located at a residence from the electric vehicle charging tax. (FE) |
| SB84 | 02/26/2025 | Exempting certain conveyances between grandparents and grandchildren from the real estate transfer fee. (FE) |
| SB3 | 01/24/2025 | Requiring local approval for certain wind and solar projects before Public Service Commission approval |
