Northwoods Reporter

The new bill authored by State Rep. Duke Tucker in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to prevent state and local governments from restricting motor vehicle use or sales based on energy source, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device".

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

In essence, this bill prohibits state agencies and local governmental units in Wisconsin from imposing restrictions on the use or sale of motor vehicles or other devices based on the energy source used for their operation. Specifically, it disallows any constraints relating to the energy source used for propelling or powering any function of the motor vehicle or device. The legislation clarifies that these restrictions do not apply to policies regarding the purchase of vehicles for government use. The measure aims to ensure that energy source considerations do not hinder the sale or operation of vehicles or devices, promoting energy source neutrality.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District), Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District), Representative Alex A. Dallman (Republican-39th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), and Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), along 19 other co-sponsors.

Duke Tucker has co-authored or authored another six bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Tucker, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 75th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative David Armstrong.

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
AB83	02/28/2025	Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device