Senate Bill 290 aims to modify the rules governing local government proceedings in Wisconsin, specifically regarding the consideration of ordinances or resolutions that have previously failed to be enacted or adopted. The bill stipulates that governing bodies of political subdivisions, including village boards and town boards, cannot prohibit the consideration of an ordinance or resolution that is substantially similar or identical to one that was previously voted on but not adopted, provided that at least two years have passed since the earlier vote. This change is intended to allow for renewed discussions on issues that may have been previously rejected, potentially reflecting changing circumstances or public opinion.

The bill also includes several amendments and new provisions related to the rules of proceedings for local governing bodies. Notably, it renumbers and amends existing statutes, creates new sections, and repeals and recreates certain provisions to clarify the authority of local boards and councils in determining their own rules. For instance, the amendments to sections 59.11, 60.20, and 61.32 establish that these bodies can set their own procedural rules while ensuring that they cannot prevent the reconsideration of similar ordinances after the specified time frame. Additionally, the bill repeals and recreates section 62.11 (3) (e) to align with these new provisions, further standardizing the approach across different types of local governments.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 62.03(1), 62.03, 62.11(3)(e), 62.11