MON AM News: Senate committee signs off on data center bills; Kenosha Hard Rock Casino proposal assessment now open for input

March 16, 2026

— Two bills regulating data centers passed out of a Senate committee Friday ahead of the final Senate floor period of the year.

AB 840, which promises ratepayers protections from data center development costs, passed the Assembly largely along party lines in January.

Democrats fought for legislation with a defined regulatory framework for the Public Service Commission to enforce rate controls and against a provision in the GOP-authored AB 840 restricting the development of new renewable energy resources tied to the data center.

The Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism’s two Democrats, Sen. Melissa Ratcliff of Cottage Grove and Sen. Jeff Smith of Brunswick, voted against the bill.

Ratcliff cited Dem concerns about the bill’s renewable energy language and efficacy at controlling rates in a statement to WisPolitics.

Senate co-sponsor Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Birchwood, criticized Democrats for holding out over the bill’s renewable energy provision, saying the opposing party was more interested in proliferating solar projects on Wisconsin farmland than passing data center regulation.

“I find it crazy they don’t want to have data center regulation at all because of that one provision,” Quinn said.

He said he was in ongoing discussions with his caucus so the bill would have enough votes to pass next week, but was “confident we’ll get there with Republican support.”

“At the end of the day, the public expects us to pass safeguards, and I don’t know why it wouldn’t pass without bipartisan support,” Quinn said.

Also passing the committee was SB 969, which would prohibit data center developers from using non-disclosure agreements to hide information about such a facility from the public.

“This legislation simply ensures that projects seeking local approval do so in the open so that we know what we are signing up for before we put pen to paper, not after,” bill co-sponsor Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken, said in a statement. “If a project is good for the community, it should be able to survive a little daylight.”

His Assembly co-sponsor, Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, wrote in a text message that it was “great to see” the bill pass committee, “but also expected.”

Since the Assembly adjourned without passing the NDA bill’s counterpart in that chamber, the path forward for that bill is unclear.

Ratcliff was the sole nay vote on SB 969. In a statement, she wrote the bill “hinders local officials from accessing information they need to negotiate benefits for their communities” and “punishes local units of government before a productive conversation can even begin.”

The committee also passed:

Along party lines AB 892, exempting crypto staking from Wisconsin’s definition of a security to allow for the purchase or sale of the service; and
Unanimously AB 975, regulating and placing transaction limits on virtual currency kiosks.

— Local and tribal officials are praising the release of a draft environmental assessment for a proposed Hard Rock Casino in Kenosha, saying it shows the project would comply with federal requirements and generate substantial economic benefits.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs assessment on the Menominee Indian Tribe proposal will now be open for public input.

“This is a long-awaited opportunity, and we are excited to have arrived at the next phase in this process,” Menominee Tribal Chairman Joey Awonohopay said. “The EA release marks an important step forward for our tribal members, the people of Kenosha County, and all of Wisconsin. This project will deliver significant, local economic impact, create more than 1,000 permanent jobs in the final phase of the project, and support families and businesses across the region.”

Kenosha County Exec Samantha Kerkman and Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala also released statements supporting the proposed project and next steps.

“This approval process is decades in the making, and the people of Kenosha have consistently supported the project. I’ve followed and supported the project for years. I encourage citizens to continue to make their voices heard throughout the comment period,” Kerkman said.

The proposed casino, which would be operated by the Menominee Indian Tribe, would be competing for some border traffic with a Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois, which opened in 2024.

A spokesperson for the tribe told WisPolitics that after the comment period and review of the environmental assessment, the Department of Interior can determine whether to approve the project. If it is approved, the decision will go to the governor for final consideration. The comment period will run until April 12.

— The median household income in Milwaukee is projected to exceed 4% growth this year, among the fastest growth nationally, according to a new Marcus & Millichap retail investment forecast report.

The report also notes the retail sector saw the largest year-over-year increase in transaction velocity across real estate properties in Milwaukee last year, with a more than 30% bump.

“Milwaukee’s retail sector is demonstrating notable resilience, supported by strong household income growth, limited new supply and vacancy levels that remain among the lowest in major U.S. markets,” Regional Manager Todd Lindblom said.

See more highlights here.

— In a recent Dem radio address, Gov. Tony Evers touts a new film office to bolster Wisconsin tourism.

“Investing in our tourism industry has been an important part of our work over the last seven years,” the Dem governor says. “We are thrilled to continue building on that work with our brand-new film office at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and our new film tax credit program.”

Evers announced the launch of the film office, Film Wisconsin, during the 2026 State of the State address. Film Wisconsin administers $5 million in tax credits annually to fund film production in the state.

“I’m excited to see more creative projects like this come to Wisconsin to help promote our local communities and economies and inspire folks to visit and see what Wisconsin is all about,” Evers says.

— Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from a WisBusiness column by manufacturing expert Buckley Brinkman.

Artificial intelligence will reshape how we work, learn, build companies, and live our daily lives. Yet many people still miss the bigger picture.

We tend to overestimate how complicated AI is while underestimating how powerful it will become. In reality, AI represents a fundamental shift in how innovation happens across education, business, consulting, and everyday problem-solving.

For decades, adopting new technology required deep technical expertise and significant financial investment. If you wanted to implement a meaningful digital solution, you needed a specialist—and a sizable budget. That reality slowed innovation and made experimentation risky.

AI changes that equation.

Today, anyone with curiosity and imagination can start using AI to solve problems. The expertise required is dramatically lower, and the financial barriers are almost nonexistent. Instead of months of planning and development, meaningful results can emerge in a single afternoon. The lack of friction in implementation means organizations and individuals can move faster than ever before.

Read the full column here.

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