Wednesday, December 31, 2025
New bill would pave the way for autonomous vehicles on Wisconsin roads
Laura Schulte
MADISON - State legislators are hoping to allow driverless cars on Wisconsin roadways, with proper permitting.
A group of Republican lawmakers circulated a bill for co-sponsorship in December that would allow autonomous cars to hit the roads, and create an oversight body to license the vehicles and ensure safety for other drivers and pedestrians.
According to the co-sponsorship memo, Wisconsin does not allow driverless cars on roadways, though there are pilot programs being run at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in Racine.
The bill, authored by Reps. Dave Maxey, R-New Berlin, and Nate Gustafson, R-Omro, as well as Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Fox Crossing, would create an Autonomous Driving Safety Board and a permitting process for the vehicles, which would also allow the state to hold public hearings and get the thoughts of other drivers.
The legislation would also establish safeguards for financial responsibility in the case of accidents, and require low alcohol thresholds for any human operators, along with the ability of the board to suspend permits if safety concerns arise.
The state already has an Automated Vehicle External Advisory Committee within the Department of Transportation, which has discovered that driverless cars could be helpful, particularly during inclement weather.
"Economically, the bill seeks to position Wisconsin as a competitive player in the growing autonomous vehicle industry, which could attract investments, create jobs in manufacturing, software development, and logistics, and boost related sectors like supply chain automation," the memo says.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a Dec. 30 interview that he's open to self-driving cars hitting the roads. He's never tested one, he said, but has heard from friends that "it's fantastic."
"I would rather have a regulated system in Wisconsin, so we know exactly what we're getting," he said. "So if there's a bill that does that, I'm certainly open to it."
Other states have permitted driverless cars on roadways, such as Texas, which allows driverless trucking operations, and California and Nevada, which have been testing Waymo cars, the memo says.
But those states have experienced issues, too.
On Dec. 21, a widespread power outage in San Francisco led Waymo cars to shut down, blocking traffic and angering other drivers, according to the New York Times.
Driverless cars have been spotted making illegal U-turns, while others have struck and killed pets.
But researchers have noted that the driverless cars are involved in fewer car crashes, potentially making roadways safer the more they are deployed.
Researchers with the nonpartisan Badger Institute encouraged lawmakers to take a look at the autonomous car laws in Wisconsin in July, saying that self-driving cars or shuttles could help bridge gaps in infrastructure, especially in rural areas where rideshares or taxis are expensive and hard to access.
"The time is now for officials and lawmakers to consider what self-driving vehicles can do for mobility," the July 2025 report said.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
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UW-Parkside partners with AI company to help students and businesses
Ryan Patterson
SOMERS — The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has formed a partnership with an artificial intelligence company to give students hands-on experience and help businesses.busine
The college recently announced that it is collaborating with Ordify AI to prepare students for AI careers and work with businesses on AI solutions.
The initiative is set to start in the spring semester, which begins Jan. 28.
Work with local businesses is scheduled to start in summer 2026, according to a news release.
Guided by UW-Parkside faculty, students, including those in the college’s App Factory, will create custom AI agents to address business problems and create AI solutions.
Steve Donovan, UW-Parkside executive director for Parkside Works, said in the release that the partnership “represents the future of applied learning.”
“Students involved in the program will gain invaluable practical skills, including client-facing AI development, solution architecture and proposal writing, equipping them with the essential soft skills needed to thrive in this new AI age,” he said.
Local businesses can then use Ordify's no-code AI platform.
Roger Lam, Ordify AI CEO/founder, said in the release that the company is excited about the partnership.
"Our no-code platform, combined with the fresh perspectives and technical expertise of UW-Parkside students, will deliver powerful, cost-effective AI solutions that can truly transform businesses by automating complex processes and enhancing operational efficiency,” he said.
The alliance was brought together by the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, a regional innovation hub.
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Kelly Armstrong, Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood president, said in the release that the partnership “represents exactly the kind of innovative result KIN was created to foster.”
“By connecting UW-Parkside students with Ordify AI, we’re building a pipeline of AI-enabled talent while helping businesses solve real problems,” she said.
Businesses interested in participating can contact Donovan at parksideworks@uwp.edu.
Friday, December 26, 2025
Trump reclassifies marijuana as less dangerous drug. What does it mean for Wisconsin?
Maia Pandey
In a major change to federal marijuana policy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December to classify marijuana as a less dangerous substance.
On Dec. 18, the president ordered the government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. Since the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I Drug, or drugs for which there are no accepted medical use and which have a high potential for abuse.
Other Schedule I Drugs include heroin, ecstasy and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Though the order shifts a decades-long precedent in marijuana policy, it will not immediately impact marijuana laws in Wisconsin, where the drug remains illegal for recreational and medicinal use.
Here's what to know about the federal reclassification of marijuana and the latest on cannabis policy in Wisconsin:
What does Trump's executive order do?
Trump's order does not automatically reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, but rather directs the Department to Justice to "take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process" for the reclassification.
In other words, Trump is ordering the government to expedite reclassifying the drug. The efforts to change marijuana's Schedule I designation began in 2022 under President Joe Biden's administration.
Trump's order also announced the administration would work with Congress to update the statutory definition of hemp-derived cannabinoid products in an effort to increase access to CBD products.
Is marijuana still illegal on a federal level?
Yes, marijuana is still illegal on a federal level.
However, the reclassification could lower tax burdens for marijuana firms, accelerate research on the drug and standardize drug development, USA TODAY reported. Companies making Schedule III drugs get a business-tax break that companies making Schedule I drugs do not.
Is marijuana legal in Wisconsin?
Recreational and medicinal marijuana use remain illegal in Wisconsin for all ages.
Efforts to legalize medicinal marijuana in Wisconsin have repeatedly failed. Meanwhile, 40 other states have legalized medicinal marijuana, and 24 states have also legalized marijuana for adult recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Are hemp-derived THC products legal in Wisconsin?
Hemp-derived THC products are currently legal in Wisconsin, but that may change soon under new federal restrictions.
In 2018, a loophole in the federal Farm Bill legalized the sale of intoxicating hemp products nationwide, including in Wisconsin. Hemp-derived THC is technically different from marijuana-derived THC, but both are derived from the cannabis plant and have similar intoxicating effects.
However, in November 2025, Trump signed a federal funding bill with a provision that closes the Farm Bill loophole. The new restrictions are due to take effect one year after the bill's signing.
What is a Schedule 3 drug?
Schedule III drugs have a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence," and are essentially less dangerous than Schedule I and II drugs, per the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Other Schedule III drugs include ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone and products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, such as Tylenol with codeine.
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