Senate posts long first‑reading calendar, records attendance and adjourns until Feb. 5

The Senate listed dozens of bills for first reading and referral to standing committees during its Feb. 4 session, announced committee meeting times and rooms for Feb. 5, recorded attendance and approved the Feb. 3 journal before adjourning until Feb. 5.

The action matters because the first‑reading calendar determines which bills will be sent to committee for hearings and amendment. Senate leaders recited the bill numbers and short descriptions on the floor, placing items ranging from attorney discipline and campaign contribution rules to appropriations for behavioral health and regional medical centers on the calendar.

President Pro Tem opened the session and presided as the clerk read a list of Senate and companion bills placed on the calendar for referral to committees. Items called included S P 14 35 (attorney discipline investigations/costs), S P 14 36 (campaign contributions/gift cards prohibition), S P 14 37 (mandatory reporting for school employees), SC 14 43 (parental rights compensatory damages), SC 14 58 (appropriation regional medical center Yuma) and dozens more announced on the floor as first readings or committee referrals. The clerk also noted messages from the House and that those messages would be entered in the journal rather than read aloud.

Senator Sundarash rose for a point of personal privilege to introduce Diane Hesselbein, identified on the Senate floor as the minority leader in the Wisconsin State Senate. Hesselbein was acknowledged in the gallery; she responded, "Welcome to the senate."

Several committee chairs announced schedules for Wednesday, Feb. 5: Senator Hoffman said the Government Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1; Senator Warner announced Health and Human Services at 9 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 2; Senator Carroll said Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency will meet at 9 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 109; Senator Farnsworth announced Education will meet at 2 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1; and the Judiciary and Elections and Public Safety committees provided meeting times and rooms as well.

The clerk recorded attendance as "28 present, 0 absent, 2 excused." Without objection, the Senate "dispensed with and approved as recorded by the secretary" the reading of the journal for Monday, 02/03/2025. Later in the session, the majority leader moved that the Senate stand adjourn until Wednesday, 02/05/2025 at 13:15. The presiding officer put the question and declared the motion adopted.

The calendar call included a broad range of subject matter; many bills were placed on committee calendars without debate on the floor. No floor votes on individual bills were recorded in the transcript of this session.

The Senate reconvenes Feb. 5 as announced by committee chairs and by the motion adopted at adjournment.