Madison – Late last week, Governor Evers quietly vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) 326 in its entirety. This legislation, authored by Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc), would have provided smaller communities funding to obtain grant writing services.

Navigating the process of, and staying compliant with state and federal grants can be cumbersome and complex. Providing overlooked local governments with a more equal opportunity to access these grants would have been extremely helpful to support and revitalize the smaller and rural communities in Wisconsin. AB 326 received bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature and was strongly supported by the Wisconsin Towns Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

“Many of the communities I represent lack the full-time staff necessary to compete with big cities around the state for grant opportunities. The farmer who serves on the town board does not have time to write a grant application at night after milking cows,” Sen. Marklein said. “This bill would have helped level the playing field for access to important financial assistance.”

“The majority of the district that I represent is rural,” said Rep. Kurtz. “Many of my constituents serving in local government in smaller municipalities face unique challenges unlike the larger cities. During my time in the Legislature, we’ve made great strides in helping local governments. By ensuring that our constituents in smaller communities have a seat at the table for these funds, we could’ve helped attract new homeowners and businesses. This was a much-needed boost for several of our communities that have experienced population decline in recent years. I’m very disappointed that Governor Evers chose to veto this bill.”

The pilot program was set to begin in 2026 and end in 2029. It would have provided $3 million annually to help a city, town or village with a population below 7,500 obtain up to $5,000 for grant writing and compliance assistance to access funding for public works, transportation infrastructure, public safety, utility costs, or cybersecurity. Funding for the program was set aside in the 2025-2027 biennial budget, 2025 Wisconsin Act 15.