The new bill authored by State Rep. Kalan Haywood in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to recognize Vel R. Phillips’s birthday as an official school observance day in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “special observance days in schools”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill adds February 18, Vel R. Phillips’s birthday, to the existing list of 22 special observance days for general school operations in Wisconsin. Under current law, a special observance day is to be appropriately recognized when school is in session on that day. If the observance day falls on a weekend, the observance should occur on the closest school day preceding or following it. The bill stipulates that it will first apply to the school year beginning immediately after its effective date.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), and Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin (Democrat-8th District), along 50 other co-sponsors.
Kalan Haywood has co-authored another six bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Haywood graduated from Cardinal Stritch University.
Haywood, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2019 to represent the state’s 16th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Leon Young.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AB125 | 03/11/2025 | Special observance days in schools |
