Milwaukee City Wire

A bill authored by State Sen. Tim Carpenter in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to extend funding for community policing programs by delaying the grant program's sunset date from 2025 to 2027, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "sunset of the community-oriented policing-house grant program".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill extends the community-oriented policing-house grant program in Wisconsin by amending 2023 Wisconsin Act 19 to delay its sunset date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027. Under current law, the Department of Justice is responsible for awarding these grants to cities with populations of at least 30,000. The extension allows these programs, aimed at fostering community policing initiatives, to continue receiving funding for an additional two years beyond the originally scheduled termination.

The bill was co-authored by Representative John Spiros (Republican-86th District). It was sponsored by Representative Paul Melotik (Republican-22nd District), Representative Shelia Stubbs (Democrat-78th District), and Representative Jerry L. O'Connor (Republican-60th District).

Tim Carpenter has authored or co-authored another 38 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Carpenter graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1982 with a BA.

Carpenter, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2003 to represent the state's 3rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Brian Burke.

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
SB278	05/22/2025	Sunset of the community-oriented policing-house grant program
SB272	05/21/2025	Eligibility for Family Care for individuals who are deaf-blind. (FE)
SB99	03/07/2025	Spinal cord injury research grants and symposia and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB71	02/26/2025	Ratification of the Dietitian Licensure Compact. (FE)
SB64	02/21/2025	Injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty
SB54	02/21/2025	Requirements concerning assistance in the detention of individuals who are or are alleged to be not lawfully present in the United States
SB38	02/12/2025	Personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates. (FE)