The Weekly Update

Wisconsin Civics Games

Last week, nearly 200 students from 33 schools across Wisconsin competed in the 2026 Wisconsin Civics Games showcasing their knowledge of government, history, and civic engagement. Sixteen teams advanced to the championship round taking place on May 1 at the State Capitol. The state finals will be open to the public and are scheduled to be broadcast on WisconsinEye.

You can access our press release and can learn more here.

Governor’s Bill Actions

Last week, the Governor took action on multiple bills. Below is one bill of note impacting the Universities of Wisconsin:

Assembly Bill 1034, now 2025 WI Act 203, relating to the rights and obligations concerning the use of name, image, and likeness for UW System student athletes and athletic programs, was partially vetoed by the Governor.

You can view the Governor’s Veto Message here, and full press release here.

Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges

Last week, the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges held a public hearing. At the hearing, members of the Board of Regents were invited to testify and answer any questions from committee members. An executive session was also noticed to take place after the public hearing but did not occur.

Please check back for updates.

Hearings on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request

This week the House Budget Committee and the Senate Budget Committee will hold hearings on the President’s FY27 Budget Request. If interested in watching live, details follow below.

House Budget Committee Hearing

• Date: April 15, 2026
• Time: 9:15AM Central Time
• Witnesses: The Honorable Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget
• How to Watch: Hearings and markups are available on the Committee’s website or YouTube pages.

Senate Budget Committee Hearing

• Date: April 16, 2026
• Time: 9:00AM Central Time
• Witnesses: The Honorable Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget
• How to Watch: Hearings are available on the Committee’s website.

In the background of these hearings, both the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Appropriations have begun to notice hearings on the agency budgets. For more, you can review the House Appropriations Committee Schedule and the Senate Appropriations Committee Schedule.  

Negotiated Rulemaking Update

The Department of Education has released the dates the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee will meet this week.

If interested in reading more, you can review the following materials, which as noted, were distributed by the Department prior to the session meeting:

• Committee Member List*  
• Committee Protocols*
• Initial Draft Regulations for Discussion*
• Summary and Discussion of Initial Draft Regulations*

Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule

If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of the committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.  

House and Senate Floor Schedules

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are scheduled to be in DC and voting this week. The anticipated schedule for the House of Representatives and the Senate can be found on the preceding websites.