Milwaukee City Wire

The new bill authored by State Sen. Tim Carpenter seeks to expand acceptable voter identification to include federally compliant IDs issued by various U.S. states and territories, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "forms of proof of identification for voting".

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

In essence, this bill expands the acceptable forms of identification for voting by including a valid operator's license or identification card that meets federal REAL ID requirements. Such identification must be issued by a state of the United States or territories including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. This change is intended to widen the scope of documents that can be used to verify the identity of voters, aligning state voting identification standards with federal guidelines as outlined in the federal REAL ID Act.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Karen Kirsch (Democrat-7th District), Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District), Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District), Senator Mark Spreitzer (Democrat-15th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), and Representative Ryan M. Clancy (Democrat-19th District), along 10 other co-sponsors.

Tim Carpenter has authored or co-authored another 66 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.

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
SB362	06/27/2025	Forms of proof of identification for voting
SB361	06/27/2025	Authorizing electors to vote in the primary of more than one political party. (FE)
SB360	06/27/2025	Limiting the release of certain balloons into the atmosphere, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty
SB355	06/27/2025	Establishing a civil cause of action for civil rights violations
SB352	06/27/2025	Grants to hire school mental health professionals who are members of a racial minority group, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB351	06/27/2025	Funding for University of Wisconsin System student health services and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB350	06/27/2025	School mental health and pupil wellness aid and making an appropriation
SB349	06/27/2025	Payment for school medical services. (FE)
SB348	06/27/2025	Training to address student mental health and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB347	06/27/2025	Aid for comprehensive school mental health services and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB343	06/27/2025	Requiring bicycle and pedestrian facilities in highway projects and granting rule-making authority. (FE)
SB336	06/19/2025	Sales and transfers of firearms and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB324	06/12/2025	Prohibiting conversion therapy
SB321	06/12/2025	Adopting gender-neutral terminology and incorporating gender-neutral marriage and parentage rights. (FE)
SB320	06/12/2025	Grants for LGBTQIA+ rights training for school counselors and school social workers and making an appropriation. (FE)
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)