Mark Spreitzer, Illinois State Senator for 15th District | www.facebook.com
Mark Spreitzer, Illinois State Senator for 15th District | www.facebook.com
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "inducements to sign or refrain from signing nomination papers, recall petitions, and certain other 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 existing laws regarding election bribery by expanding the definition of prohibited inducements. It specifically prohibits offering or giving any amount of money or an object valued over $5 to persuade an elector to sign or refrain from signing petitions related to elections, referendums, nomination papers, or recall petitions. The bill clarifies that "anything of value" includes objects with utility independent of any political message they might contain, raising the threshold from $1 to $5 for certain petition-related activities. It also defines "election period" as specific time frames leading up to various types of elections, including spring, general, special, and recall elections. The new provisions aim to regulate actions intended to influence the signing of petitions and nomination papers during these designated periods.
The bill was co-authored by Representative Lee Snodgrass (Democrat-52nd District), Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), and Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), and Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), along with 11 other co-sponsors.
Mark Spreitzer has authored or co-authored another 60 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Spreitzer graduated from Beloit College in 2009 with a BA.
Spreitzer, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2023 to represent the state's 15th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Janis Ringhand.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SB233 | 04/29/2025 | Inducements to sign or refrain from signing nomination papers, recall petitions, and certain other petitions |
| SB223 | 04/25/2025 | Discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, insurance coverage, national guard, jury duty, and adoption and in the receipt of mental health or vocational rehabilitation services |
| SB217 | 04/16/2025 | Eliminating the publication requirement for a name change petition seeking to conform an individual’s name with the individual’s gender identity |
| SB185 | 04/14/2025 | Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (FE) |
| SB149 | 03/21/2025 | Requiring the legislature to convene an extraordinary session if an executive order of the president of the United States freezes federal aid to the state |
| SB60 | 02/21/2025 | Expanding the homestead income tax credit. (FE) |
| SB26 | 02/05/2025 | Technical colleges’ lease of their facilities to others. (FE) |
| SB20 | 02/05/2025 | Allowing certain married persons to claim the earned income tax credit when filing a separate return. (FE) |
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