Mayor's Office

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a critical part of our nation’s transportation future. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests heavily in EV charging infrastructure, and has the potential to bring jobs, economic development and increased transportation choices to Wisconsin.

The landscape around EVs and EV charging is rapidly changing. This is a major area of innovation for all levels of government and an opportunity for public private partnerships. Done well, building out EV infrastructure can help us meet our climate change and equity goals.

Why, then, are some legislators advancing a bill that would stifle innovation and tie the hands of local government?

An amendment to AB 588/SB 573 being debated in the state legislature today would:

• Prevent local governments from taking the lead in expanding public EV infrastructure such as charging stations.
• Prevent local governments from offering charging stations for use by their employees with electric vehicles while at work, something that the City of Madison, like many other employers, currently provides.
• Significantly impact local governments’ ability to respond to EV needs in the future.
• Give private companies full control of the future of EV infrastructure for public use.

It comes as no surprise that the Koch Brother’s lobbying arm wants to preempt public progress in this arena, but it is unclear why public servants in the legislature would want to stifle this type of productive innovation.