William Penterman, Wisconsin State Representative for 37th District | Official website
William Penterman, Wisconsin State Representative for 37th District | Official website
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "theft crimes and providing a penalty. (FE)".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends statutes related to theft crimes by allowing the aggregation of the value of property or merchandise stolen during multiple violations committed by the same individual within a six-month period. This means if a person commits more than one theft or retail theft offense during this timeframe, the value of the stolen items can be combined, and the offenses may be prosecuted as one crime. Consequently, the penalty will be determined based on the total aggregated value of the items stolen. Additionally, the bill stipulates that any such combined violations can be prosecuted in any county where one of the offenses occurred, granting exclusive jurisdiction to the prosecutor in that location. These provisions aim to ensure that repeat offenders face appropriate charges based on the cumulative impact of their actions.
The bill was co-authored by Senator André Jacque (Republican-1st District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Bob G. Donovan (Republican-61st District), Representative Benjamin Franklin (Republican-88th District), Representative Joy L. Goeben (Republican-5th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), and Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), along 14 other co-sponsors.
William Penterman has co-authored or authored another 24 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Penterman graduated from Ripon College in 2018 with a BA.
Penterman, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 38th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Barbara Dittrich.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB89 | 02/28/2025 | Theft crimes and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB84 | 02/28/2025 | Prostitution crime surcharge and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| AB32 | 02/17/2025 | Access to public high schools for military recruiters |
| AB30 | 02/17/2025 | Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state |
| AB29 | 02/17/2025 | Impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses |
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