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Senator Van H. Wanggaard

Majority Caucus Chair

Senate District 21

(R - Racine)
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District map based on 2023 Wisconsin Act 94
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Historical information
Madison Office:
 Room 122 South
State Capitol
PO Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707 Telephone:
 (608) 266-1832
(866) 615-7510 Fax:
 (608) 282-3561
Staff:
 Scott Kelly Scott.Kelly@legis.wisconsin.gov
Eric Barbour Eric.Barbour@legis.wisconsin.gov
Michelle Osdene Michelle.Osdene@legis.wisconsin.gov

Biography

  • Born Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, April 1952; married; 2 children, 3 grandchildren.
  • Graduate Racine Lutheran High School, 1970; Racine Police Academy; Wisconsin State Patrol Academy Accident Investigation; Northwestern University Traffic Institute-Reconstruction; U.S. Coast Guard National SAR School; attended John F. Kennedy University, California; University of Wisconsin-Extension; University of Wisconsin-Parkside; Green Bay Technical College; Milwaukee Area Technical College; Fox Valley Technical College.
  • Full-time legislator. Retired traffic investigator, Racine Police Department; adjunct instructor, Gateway Technical College and Northwestern Traffic Institute; police liaison and security, Racine Unified School District.
  • Member: National Rifle Association (life member); Racine County Line Rifle Club (board of directors); Racine Police Credit Union (former president, vice president); Major, Wisconsin Wing, Civil Air Patrol Legislative Squadron (official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force).
  • Former member: Racine Zoological Society (board of directors); Racine Jaycees; Racine Police Explorers (advisor); Traffic Accident Consultants, Inc. (board of directors); Association of SWAT Personnel; Racine Innovative Youth Service (board); Hostage Negotiation Team, RAPD; Racine Junior Deputy Sheriffs Association; Racine Alateen (advisor); National Association for Search and Rescue (PSAR chair).
  • Racine Police and Fire Commission, 2003—13 (chair, vice chair, secretary). Racine County Board, 2002—11.
  • Elected to Senate 2010. Reelected since 2014. Leadership positions: Majority Caucus Vice Chair 2015—2017; Majority Caucus Chair 2017, 2019.

Member of State Capitol and Executive Residence Board

2025 Authored Proposals

(first or second author, first sponsor)

  • 2/21/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 64
    Relating to: injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty.

  • 2/21/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 65
    Relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE)

  • 2/21/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 66
    Relating to: registration plate concealment devices and providing a penalty.

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 35
    Relating to: withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE)

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 26
    Relating to: battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty.

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 30
    Relating to: required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE)

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 34
    Relating to: withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE)

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 39
    Relating to: establishment of a Palliative Care Council. (FE)

  • 2/6/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 10
    Relating to: a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of gun safes. (FE)

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 4
    Relating to: required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE)

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 12
    Relating to: a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of gun safes. (FE)

  • 1/24/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 6
    Relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses.

  • 1/24/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 5
    Relating to: battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty.

  • 1/6/2025: 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 1
    Relating to: requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration).

  • 1/6/2025: 2025 Senate Joint Resolution 2
    Relating to: requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration).

2025 Co-authored Proposals

  • 2/21/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 51
    Relating to: flags flown at state and local government buildings and eliminating a related administrative rule.

  • 2/21/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 57
    Relating to: county sheriff assistance with certain federal immigration functions. (FE)

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Senate Joint Resolution 9
    Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr.

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 28
    Relating to: an incumbent transmission facility owner’s right to construct, own, and maintain certain transmission facilities and Public Service Commission procedures if the transmission facility is a regionally cost-shared transmission line.

  • 2/7/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 27
    Relating to: requiring state employees to perform their work at the offices of their employer. (FE)

  • 2/5/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 22
    Relating to: requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.

  • 2/5/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 25
    Relating to: court-issued criminal complaints in officer-involved deaths.

  • 2/5/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 18
    Relating to: changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE)

  • 2/5/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 23
    Relating to: extension of eligibility under the Medical Assistance program for postpartum women. (FE)

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 11
    Relating to: allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property.

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 13
    Relating to: incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Senate Joint Resolution 3
    Relating to: proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin.

  • 1/24/2025: 2025 Senate Bill 2
    Relating to: expanding veterans benefits to individuals who served in Laos in support of the United States during the Vietnam War.

2025 Cosponsored Proposals

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 39
    Relating to: requiring state employees to perform their work at the offices of their employer.

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 46
    Relating to: flags flown at state and local government buildings and eliminating a related administrative rule.

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 29
    Relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses.

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 27
    Relating to: expanding veterans benefits to individuals who served in Laos in support of the United States during the Vietnam War.

  • 2/17/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 34
    Relating to: court-issued criminal complaints in officer-involved deaths.

  • 2/13/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 25
    Relating to: an incumbent transmission facility owner’s right to construct, own, and maintain certain transmission facilities and Public Service Commission procedures if the transmission facility is a regionally cost-shared transmission line.

  • 2/12/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 24
    Relating to: county sheriff assistance with certain federal immigration functions. (FE)

  • 2/10/2025: 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 4
    Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr.

  • 2/7/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 23
    Relating to: establishment of a Palliative Care Council. (FE)

  • 2/6/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 9
    Relating to: allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property.

  • 2/6/2025: 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 3
    Relating to: proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin.

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 5
    Relating to: requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.

  • 2/3/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 3
    Relating to: incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)

  • 1/31/2025: 2025 Assembly Bill 1
    Relating to: changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE)

2025 Votes