Gov. Evers takes action on four bills

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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Thursday signed three bills, including Senate Bill 399, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 268, designating the “Eisenhower Bridge of Valor.”

The Eisenhower Bridge of Valor, which crosses the Mississippi River and connects Hager City, Wisconsin, and Red Wing, Minnesota, opened to traffic in 2019. The $63 million project was led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the city of Red Wing, Minnesota. In 2019, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law legislation naming the new USH 63 bridge the “Eisenhower Bridge of Valor,” and Act 268 will, consequently, make Wisconsin’s designation of the bridge consistent with Minnesota’s designation.

“Nobody knows service and sacrifice better than our own service members and emergency response professionals who, no matter what, show up every day in our communities bringing help, hope, and healing to their friends and neighbors,” said Evers.

“The Eisenhower Bridge of Valor will now reflect and honor our service members and first responders who put their own personal health and safety at risk to keep us safe,” Evers said.

Senate Bill 399, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 268:
• Designates the USH 63 bridge that crosses the Mississippi River in Pierce County as the “Eisenhower Bridge of Valor.”
Additionally, Gov. Evers also signed today Senate Bill 452, now Wisconsin Act 269, designating the “Deputy Kaitie Leising Memorial Highway.” Deputy Leising was a member of the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and tragically lost her life in the line of duty on May 6, 2023, at the age of 29.

Deputy Leising was a graduate of Chadron High School in Chadron, Nebraska, in 2012 and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. After graduating from the police academy, Deputy Leising served the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota. In 2022, Deputy Leising joined the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office in Hudson.

“Deputy Leising exemplified the very best of our law enforcement community here in Wisconsin, showing an unwavering commitment to the well-being and safety of those she served,” said Evers. “This memorial will serve as a testament to Deputy Leising’s life and legacy and honor those we’ve lost in the line of duty,” Evers said.

Senate Bill 452, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 269:
• Designates the State Trunk Highway 128 from State Trunk Highway 64 to Interstate Highway 94 as the “Deputy Kaitie Leising Memorial Highway.”

Senate Bill 668, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 267:
• Makes numerous changes to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institution’s (DFI) regulation of non-depository financial service providers;
• Authorizes DFI to require non-depository financial service providers to use the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry for the licensing, renewal, and other regulatory filings required by DFI;
• Repeals the entirety of Ch. 217, Wis. Stats., and replaces it with model legislation known as the Money Transmission Modernization Act for governing the licensing and regulation of money transmitters to create uniform nationwide standards for these entities;
• Revises certain licensing and regulatory provisions of collection agencies;
• Revises licensing and regulatory provisions of certain licensed consumer lenders, which generally are lenders other than banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, or credit unions; and
• Requires DFI to implement an ABLE savings account program either independently or through a collaborative agreement with another state or states, a measure Gov. Evers previously included in both his 2021-23 and 2023-25 biennial budgets but that was rejected by Republicans at the time.
In addition to signing the above bills, Gov. Evers vetoed Senate Bill 145. The governor’s veto message is available below.