Is the Legislature trying to ram through a pro wakesports industry bill by limiting public input?
Indications are a bill could be introduced Monday, August 25 and a public hearing held Tuesday, August 26!
By Wisconsin Lakes staff
Wisconsin Lakes has learned that a wakesports industry supported bill may be introduced into at least the Assembly as early as this Monday, Aug 25, 2025 and a public hearing could be scheduled for the following day at the Capitol in Madison. A hearing on other legislation is already scheduled for the Assembly Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Committee for noon on Tuesday, a committee in which it is likely any wakesports legislation would land.
Holding a public hearing twenty-four hours after a bill’s introduction is a sure sign its authors know it faces massive public opposition.
You can prove them right on that count by letting them know you object to such a poor process and demand a full public accounting in order to arrive at a bill that Wisconsinites believe will protect their public resources, not one that satisfies the whims of out-of-state corporations out to sell $100,000 boats.
While we cannot know with certainty what, if anything will happen next week, now is the time to prepare and to let your legislators know what you are looking for in a bill related to wakesports.
Who are my legislators? Click here to find out
Here’s the full scoop on what we know, don’t know, and what you can do right now.
The Potential Bill
We do not know specifics of what the bill will actually say, but standards of allowing wakesports as close as 200’ from shore and in just 10’ or more of water have been suggested. Wisconsin Lakes firmly believes these standards fall far short of limiting the negative impacts to lake and shoreline environments caused by enhanced wakes.(See below for the standards we do support)
We also are waiting to see how the bill deals with the authority of local governments to pass ordinances with standards stricter than those set by the state (“local control”) and whether the over-sixty existing local ordinances would be grandfathered into the bill or invalidated.
The Potential Hearing
By law, public hearings require 24 hours notice, meaning if the bill will be heard at Tuesday’s Forestry committee meeting, the bill would need to be introduced and the hearing announced by noon on Monday. Wisconsin Lakes will let you know all the details just as soon as we get them so you can be prepared to take action.
What can I do?
RIGHT NOW: Contact your legislators and let them know you support meaningful standards to reduce the impacts of wakesports on lakes and shorelines while maintaining local authority to enact and enforce ordinances stricter than those standards. If a bill doesn’t support those standards, encourage them not to support it and not to sign onto it as a cosponsor. And, let them know that whatever bill is introduced, you demand a good process that provides plenty of time for public input.
IF A BILL DROPS ON MONDAY: Contact your legislators, the legislators whose district your lake is located in, and members of the committee the bill is assigned to (like Forestry in the Assembly) and tell them not only that you oppose the bill (assuming it is not adequate) but also tell them what you would support. Wisconsin Lakes’ position on the issue is provided below.
IF YOU CAN MAKE THE PUBLIC HEARING: If a hearing is scheduled and you can make it to the Capitol, either plan on testifying or at least registering your position without speaking at the hearing. If something is scheduled, we’ll have more on that on Monday.
IF YOU CAN”T MAKE THE PUBLIC HEARING: It is important that we have as big of a turnout as possible at the hearing for a show of solidarity, but of course travelling to Madison at the drop of a hat is out of the question for some (that’s why they schedule it this way, to be frank). Even if you can’t make it, contacting the members of the committee with your thoughts before the hearing is helpful.
As soon as possible on Monday, one way or another, we will let you know whether there is a hearing scheduled and/or a bill introduced. Watch this blog, our Facebook page, and your email for more information.
Wisconsin Lakes position on wakesports management
Wisconsin Lakes supports the platform of the coalition representing over eighty organizations and businesses calling for management of wakesports’ impacts. Specifically, we are calling for:
- Preserving Local Control – Local municipalities’ existing right to enact or maintain local ordinances that are more restrictive than these state minimums shall be preserved
- 700 Feet From Shore – Wake-enhanced boating activities should occur at least 700’ from the shoreline.
- 30-Foot Depth – Wake-enhanced boating activities must be done in depths of no less than 30 feet.
- Prevent Spread of Invasive Species from Ballast Tanks – Boats moving from lake to lake must have proof of decontaminated ballast tanks before entering lakes
Some notes on contacting legislators:
- If you need to find who your legislators are, go to https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/;
- If you need to find out who is on a specific committee, go to legis.wisconsin.gov, click on “committees” and find the page for the committee you are looking for;
- Every legislator likes to communicate differently. Some prefer emails. Some react more strongly to postcards or letters. If possible, try to use different ways to communicate – e.g. start with an email, but the next time call their office directly;
- Don’t be afraid to speak with the legislator’s staff. Staff often knows more detail about a bill and how constituents feel about it than the legislator, and can be an important entry point to the office to get your opinion heard;
- Regardless of how you are communicating, do so politely, concisely, and be willing to listen to them if they come back with their own thoughts on the issue. You may not agree with what they are saying, but just like anyone, legislators and staff are more likely to react well to you if they feel listened to and understood.