Riders of all-terrain vehicles in Wisconsin have some new requirements after new rules took effect at the start of this month.
Changed rules include include prohibitions against towing objects with people onboard, restrictions on window tinting — and a seat belt requirement.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said under the new law “ALL occupants of a UTV including the driver and passengers have to wear a seat belt.”
These regulations were approved by a unanimous vote of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, which updated the administrative codes.
Wisconsin has seen a surge in ATV and UTV activity in the past few years and an accompanying increase in fatal crashes.
As of January, the DNR reported more than 528,000 registrations for the trail-ready vehicles. The Wisconsin ATV/UTV Association says it has more than 40,000 members and about 130 local chapters across the state.
Randy Harden, the group’s president, said the association was included in talks with lawmakers about the regulation updates. The old ATV/UTV regulations were inconsistent, and behavior seen on trails was also part of the reason for the updated regulations.
A previous version of the law required seat belts, and Harden says its intention was always for it to apply to everyone in a vehicle. But when a rider in southwest Wisconsin challenged a ticket in court, it revealed an inconsistency in the way the policy was worded.
“The judge looked at the wording that was drafted, and it said all passengers must wear a seat belt, (but) didn’t say the driver,” Harden said. “This (new rule) corrects that and says all passengers and the driver must wear a seat belt.”
Last year, there were at least 300 ATV or UTV crashes reported to the DNR, resulting in 277 reported injuries.
“The majority of our serious injury and fatal crashes occur because of occupants choosing to not wear a seat belt or helmet,” said Lt. Jacob Holsclaw, DNR off-highway vehicle administrator.
In 2025 alone, the DNR reported a total of 41 deaths. In 32 of those fatal crashes, the people involved were not wearing seat belts. Only four of those deaths were in vehicles other than a UTV, DNR data shows.
It was the second-deadliest year for Wisconsin UTVs and ATVs on record.
With changes on June 1, 2026, UTV/ATV riders have new requirements on eye protection, towing and window tints. (Courtesy of DNR)
While the new seat belt requirement is clear, advocates are realistic about its use.
“Will everybody do it? Absolutely not,” Harden said. “Does everybody wear their seat belts in the car? No, but that doesn’t mean you stop trying, and that’s really what this effort is.”
The DNR says enforcement will be handled through normal patrols by conservation wardens, sheriff’s offices and police in some areas.
“Officers will often use education and even citations if operators are found in violation of the new laws,” the DNR said in an email with WPR.
DNR data for 2024 shows 115 citations for operators not wearing seat belts.
Towing, tinting rules among other requirements
Under the new restrictions, it is now illegal for a UTV/ATV to tow people on a roadway or trail. The restriction has exceptions for private lands and on ice while going under 10 miles per hour, the DNR says.
“It excludes if your machine breaks down,” Harden said. “That’s a common sense exclusion,” he said.
Other changes include making it mandatory for riders younger than 18 to have a DOT-approved helmet and requiring eye protection if the machine does not have a windshield. The new law also limits window tinting.
The DNR says there are now fines for causing intentional damage to an ATV/UTV, which could be up to three times as much as the cost to repair it.
In 2018, Griselda Solis de Drucker was dealing with the end of her 30-year marriage and decided to get away from her native Argentina to visit an uncle living in the Madison area.
She had planned on saving up some money and returning to Argentina. But something unexpected happened: she fell in love.
“We were both broken,” Solis de Drucker said through a translator. “We found each other and we were then the perfect pair.”
The two were married in 2020 and began to settle into their new life together, intermingling their families. Solis de Drucker found work as a school custodian in Middleton. But there was just one problem — Solis de Drucker wasn’t an American citizen, living with the uncertainty of where to call home.
So in 2023, she began the process of becoming a United States citizen.
Years of hard study and patience paid off in March, when Solis de Drucker joined 40 other people to become some of the country’s newest citizens in a ceremony in Madison. They came from 20 different countries, including Algeria, Canada, China, Ecuador, India, Iraq, Russia and Thailand.
Griselda Solis de Drucker< fourth from right, holding flag, poses with friends and family after becoming a citizen in March 2026. (Joe Tarr / WPR)
Under President Donald Trump, delays and denials for citizenship applications are growing, according to NPR and the American Immigration Council.
Naturalization ceremonies are held in Milwaukee and, more recently, Madison, a few times a year. Despite the gloomy weather, the Madison ceremony in March was a joyous occasion, as friends and family packed the courthouse to watch their loved ones take the next step.
For Solis de Drucker, citizenship is an answer to a prayer.
“I’ve always been Christian, going to Christian church, and I like to help the young people,” she said. “And so I asked God, if it was safe, I would stay, and if not, I’d go away.”
‘Tremulous time’
U.S. District Judge William Conley, who administered the oath for the new citizens, acknowledged in opening remarks from the bench that it’s a precarious time for immigrants living in the U.S. as the federal government works to deport people living here illegally.
“This is a tremulous time in our history when some seem to be forgetting that immigrants are the very lifeblood of our country, far away benefiting,” he said, prompting a round of applause.
He joked he doesn’t usually allow applause in his courtroom, before adding: “Immigrants, far and away, benefit our country more than any cost some may impose. The economics of this is really beyond dispute.”
After Conley’s remarks, the new citizens swore an oath of allegiance to the United States, promising to defend the Constitution and the country’s laws, serve in the military if required and “perform work of national importance” when required.
The ceremony lasted a little over 20 minutes. Afterwards, the new citizens took photos with their families in front of the judge’s bench and next to a flag.
Among them is Jeanne d’Arc Wydeven, who immigrated to the United States in 2013 from Rwanda. She said the process of becoming a citizen was difficult because of all the paperwork.
“You have to make sure there are no mistakes. If there is a mistake, it may cause delays,” she said. “You have to be really careful not to miss anything, because your application may be rejected.”
Until this day in March, there was always an uncertainty hanging over her life, she said.
Stephen Drucker and Griselda Solis de Drucker, center, left and right, celebrating with friends and family at Toro Y Pampa in Middleton, Wis. after her citizenship ceremony. (Joe Tarr / WPR)
“It can be stressful not knowing where you stand,” she said. “You cannot travel. There is some work you cannot do because you are not a citizen. So it means to me, like freedom to do what I want to do and focus on achieving the dream.”
With her citizenship secured, she is especially looking forward to one new power: voting.
“That is exciting,” d’Arc Wydeven said. “And also being able to serve as a citizen if I’m needed. That is also exciting, because sometimes, you want to help, but you can’t, because you are not a citizen.”
Responsibility and freedom
Solis de Drucker has her own definition of what it means to be a good American.
“Be a respectful person, helping in any way you can,” she said through a translator with the Literacy Network, where she took English classes. “The first thing that will help everyone is God. This is the direction and the way to become a good citizen.”
She said she feels both a sense of relief and responsibility that comes with her new status. She’s looking forward to voting and doing more work with her church, perhaps traveling to other countries on missionary trips.
Her citizenship could also make it easier for her children to obtain a visa to come visit — and potentially pave the way for them to become legal citizens.
She talks to her adult children every day on the phone, and she said the hardest part of living in America for her is that separation.
“It’s hard not to see your kids grow,” she said.
With the blending of her American and Argentine families, she feels deep ties to both countries and could see herself living in either place. After becoming a citizen, she celebrated with her family and friends at Toro Y Pampa, an Argentine restaurant in Middleton.
But when asked if she will call her children later in the day, she says the celebratory call will have to wait. Another American custom comes first.
As of this week, animal welfare organizations say they’ve completed the process of getting 1,500 beagles out of a Wisconsin-based facility that bred them for scientific research.
That process has involved a nationwide network of volunteers and veterinary professionals, said Amy Good, the director of marketing and development for the Dane County Humane Society.
“It has been a tremendous couple days so far, going into Ridglan every single day, bringing the beagles back,” Good said. “Then seeing so many staff and volunteers welcoming them with open arms, giving them those first snuggles, taking them out.”
Even after that deal, Center for a Humane Economy CEO Wayne Pacelle estimates there could be about 500 dogs still in Ridglan’s custody, though he said advocates don’t know the exact number. He said the Big Dog Ranch Rescue and The Center for a Humane Economy still hope to buy any remaining dogs in the coming months.
A beagle is carried by a volunteer for the Milwaukee campus of the Wisconsin Humane Society on May 12, 2026. (Trevor Hook / WPR)
Hundreds of the Ridglan Farms dogs are expected to be adopted in Wisconsin, while the rest will go to homes out of state, advocates said.
The Dane County Humane Society is among the groups caring for some of the dogs. In all, that organization will stage a total of 500 Ridglan Farms beagles before they’re ready to be adopted out.
So far, the level of interest in adoptions has been explosive.
Fifty of the beagles will be adopted out through the Dane County Humane Society. But, as of Friday, roughly 1,300 people had filled out interest forms asking to take in one of the dogs, Good said.
“The reality is, there’s more people willing to adopt and foster these dogs than we have dogs,” Good said. “We’re really grateful for people’s willingness to open their arms.”
Ridglan Farms was the second-largest beagle breeder in the country, and activists have alleged that the facility has been guilty of animal abuse dating back nearly a decade. Ridglan Farms has denied those allegations.
A settlement between Ridglan Farms and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will have the facility give up its state-level breeder license by July to avoid criminal charges.
In March, a group of animal rights activists broke onto Ridglan Farms property and took 22 beagles out.
In April, activists attempted another raid at Ridglan, but were met with tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray after law enforcement officials said some of the protestors acted violently. That confrontation resulted in more than two dozen arrests, according to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office.
The fate of the Ridglan Farms beagles has made international news and attracted intense interest on social media.
During a news conference at the Dane County Humane Society in Madison on Tuesday, pop star Debbie Gibson and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler each snuggled Ridglan Farms beagles and joined advocates in calling for an end to scientific testing on animals.
Pop star Debbie Gibson and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler each snuggle a beagle during a news conference on May 12, 2026, at the Dane County Humane Society in Madison, Wis. Animal welfare advocates purchased the dogs from Ridglan Farms, which bred the animals for scientific research. (Sarah Lehr / WPR)
Veterinary technian Danielle Fendrich was among the volunteers who traveled from out of state to care for the dogs.
She was part of a team that helped with medical exams on Tuesday afternoon from an area set up in a barn at the Dane County Humane Society.
As Fendrich worked with a wriggly puppy, she gave the dog occasional squirts of spray cheese to make the exam more pleasant.
“I think a lot of these dogs have very little handling,” said Fendrich, who lives in northern California. “So we want to make it as positive as possible for their first experiences around humans. Sadly, a lot of them lived pretty much their entire life in a kennel.”
A beagle is being administered de-worming medication by a staffer with the Milwaukee chapter of the Wisconsin Humane Society prior to meeting its foster family on May 11, 2026. (Trevor Hook / WPR)
Earlier this week, the Wisconsin Humane Society held events in Milwaukee and Green Bay, where about 20 dogs each will be rehomed.
Angela Speed is with the Wisconsin Humane Society and was in Milwaukee for the first transport of dogs. She told WPR dogs rehomed from research facilities require patient, quiet households to thrive.
“Some dogs may be very fearful, some may be curious,” Speed said. “But it can take dogs days, weeks, months or even years — depending on their individual personalities — to really learn what it’s like to be a beloved family member.”
Speed said of the roughly 130 dogs the Humane Society plans to transport this week, 90 will be immediately placed in foster homes. The other 40 will stay at Wisconsin humane societies or other shelters. But they’ve had hundreds of inquiries from people interested in adoptions.
“We’re talking about dogs who have lived in cages their entire life,” Speed said. “Everything is new. A toy, a treat, a collar, a leash, walking on grass or exploring with their nose. It’s a beautiful transformation to be part of.”
After months of negotiation, Gov. Tony Evers and Republican leaders in the Legislature said Monday they’ve reached a deal that would spend down the state’s budget surplus on tax relief and education.
The roughly $1.9 billion deal, which is expected to go before lawmakers for a vote this week, includes $850 million in direct payments to taxpayers and the elimination of state income tax for overtime pay and tipped earnings. It would also boost spending on K-12 education by $600 million.
That school funding figure is split between general school aid and increasing the state’s special education reimbursement rate, which has been a point of contention from Evers’ team since the passage last summer of the two-year state budget. Since that time, higher-than-expected costs of special education lowered the total amount received by school districts from the state.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Evers touted the deal as a win for schools, with compromises for Republican tax priorities.
“Money for schools is obviously the most important thing for me,” Evers said. “We’re in a position to actually compromise and have Republicans and Democrats — at least at the leadership level — getting something done.”
That comment alludes to some fracturing within the parties themselves, with several lawmakers putting out immediate statements condemning the deal. But Evers expressed confidence that a majority of lawmakers would vote to approve the plan.
In separate statements, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said the deal would put the state’s surplus toward tax relief.
“We’re sending (the surplus) back to help families with the pressure of increasing costs, reward hard work, and to continue investing in schools to help stabilize rising property taxes,” said Vos.
Evers’ office said that the direct payment checks, which would total $600 per married couple or $300 per individual, would be mailed out by November. Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback called that provision a central priority for Senate Republicans during negotiations. The governor’s office says 3 million people are expected to receive those checks, for a total cost to the state of about $850 million.
“This deal will provide immediate relief with $600 in surplus refund payments and provide permanent property and income tax relief for Wisconsin families,” said LeMahieu in his statement.
While the state Legislature has adjourned for the year, both the Senate and Assembly would need to pass this deal for it to become law. That means that a special session of the Legislature will be called. According to the governor’s office, that path will be expedited, with the Legislature’s budget committee expected to move it forward on Tuesday, and the full Legislature set to debate it as early as Wednesday.
A northeast Wisconsin anti-poverty nonprofit plans to close later this year amid serious financial challenges and the loss of a government contract.
For more than 50 years, Newcap has operated in 10 counties. It serves low-income residents and is funded primarily through state and federal grants.
The agency served more than 25,000 people in 2022. Its programs range from employment and job training to educational support, financial coaching, health and food assistance, housing services, home repair and case management, according to an annual report.
Housing advocates say Newcap’s closure could lead to northeast Wisconsin losing more than $2.7 million in federal funding and leave more than 100 households at risk of losing housing.
In a statement, Newcap interim Executive Director Deb Barlament said the organization has faced “significant financial challenges” in recent months and has implemented staffing reductions and other cost-saving measures in response.
“At this time, the organization anticipates closing its doors sometime this year,” Barlament stated. “A more specific timeline will be determined as we work through existing grant obligations and funder requirements.”
Barlament’s statement says the organization hopes to “responsibly wind down operations” and is “actively collaborating with other organizations and funders to help ensure that services continue to be available to the communities we serve.”
It comes after a 2025 financial audit by accounting firm Baker Tilly found the organization had a more than $2 million deficit in 2024. The audit raised “substantial doubt about the Organization’s ability to continue operating,” citing recurring deficits, negative cash flow and reduced liquidity.
The state is conducting “enhanced financial monitoring” of the nonprofit, which includes comprehensive financial and program reviews, as well as reviews of financial documentation.
In a statement, the Wisconsin Department of Administration said the state has been working with Newcap to address its use and repayment of Weatherization Assistance Program funds for the 2025-26 program year. The program provides home weatherization assistance to low-income individuals.
The audit shows that in 2024 Newcap spent about $5.1 million for weatherization programs.
“Approximately 28% and 26% of the Organization’s grants revenue and grants receivable, respectively, were generated by weatherization and emergency furnace programs funded by the Wisconsin Department of Administration,” the audit states.
On March 13, the DOA informed Newcap that it “could not in good faith” renew the nonprofit’s weatherization contract for the next program year “given the current financial situation at Newcap and outstanding funds the agency must repay,” according to the statement.
The statement does not specify why the agency needs to repay the funds, or the specific dollar amount of that repayment.
“Working with our federal partners to administer grant programs requires DOA to assess potential risks of grantees,” the statement read. “Though Newcap has recently taken steps to address overhead costs and operating cash flow, Newcap’s financial viability remains uncertain.”
The Department of Administration says it is working with Wiscap, a statewide network of anti-poverty nonprofits, and other agencies to ensure services continue to be provided in northeast Wisconsin.
Wiscap did not respond to requests for comment about what happens when a Community Action Program, or CAP, agency — like Newcap — closes.
Millions in funding at risk if federal contracts can’t be transferred
Carrie Poser is executive director of the Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care, a nonprofit that coordinates housing and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across 69 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
She said Newcap administers four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants, which provide support services to 134 households across its 10-county service area, with 84 of those in Brown County.
Poser said local service groups want to take over those federal housing grants. But she said HUD officials in Milwaukee and Washington, D.C., have told her they are not processing grant transfers.
That puts the 134 households currently using those programs at risk of losing their housing and becoming homeless, she said.
“We have humans that, for no fault of their own, look at returning to homelessness that we can prevent,” she said. “It’s not because we don’t have agencies. It’s not because we don’t have the ability to do the work.”
If those grants aren’t transferred, she said more than $2.7 million — including more than $1.6 million in federal funding to Brown County — could be permanently lost from the 10 counties Newcap serves.
“It will be harder for those communities to ever get new money in this way again,” Poser said. “It’s just harder to get a grant once you’ve lost one by HUD.”
She said Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care plans to move forward with filing paperwork with the federal government necessary to transfer the grants, but she isn’t sure if the effort will be successful.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development did not respond to questions about the potential loss of federal funding to northeast Wisconsin.
Laurie Styron is executive director of CharityWatch, a Chicago-based independent charity watchdog. She said Newcap serves a large geographic area, so its closure is likely to put more strain on other area nonprofits and agencies that provide similar services.
“Help that someone in need may have received from Newcap could become fragmented and require people who are already struggling to seek out services from different agencies, rather than just one,” she said. “The remaining providers in the area could see longer wait lists and reduced quality of care.”
Newcap is also closing three year-round homeless shelters, two in Green Bay and one in Shawano, by March 31, Barlament said via email.
Tara Prahl is chair of the Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition and director of social services for the nonprofit Ecumenical Partnership for Housing. She said Newcap’s closure, including the loss of two homeless shelters in Green Bay, could have “a significant impact to our community,” especially if the government funding Newcap was receiving doesn’t remain in the area.
“All of our homeless service providers are at capacity,” she said. “This is only going to hit a little bit harder for those that are already feeling this.”
Prahl also said Newcap’s closure makes it more important for the Brown County community to take steps to address homelessness and its housing shortage.
In Shawano, Newcap provided one of only two homeless shelters in the community. Shawano Area Matthew 25, or Sam25, provided the other.
Kendra Brusewitz, executive director of Sam25, said her shelter is only open from mid-October to mid-May as an overnight emergency shelter. She also said Sam25 has often partnered with Newcap.
“They help service the homeless families in our community year-round, so if we were full we could connect with them and get (people) services over there, or vice versa,” Brusewitz said. “Not having that partnership is a concern.”
CEO placed on leave no longer employed by Newcap
Newcap’s announced closure also comes after the organization placed its former CEO Cheryl Detrick on administrative leave in February.
Detrick was placed on leave amid reports from WLUK-TV alleging the organization misused taxpayer dollars.
Two Democratic Green Bay-area state lawmakers issued statements last month calling for an investigation into the organization’s use of taxpayer funds.
In Barlament’s statement, she said Newcap is aware of “questions regarding accountability for what has occurred” at the nonprofit. She said the organization is “committed to doing everything we can to address the situation and move forward responsibly.”
U.S. Reps. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, and Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, sent a letter on March 12 to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calling for a federal investigation into Newcap.
“Money that should have gone towards helping Wisconsinites find safe and stable housing may have instead padded executive salaries and funded staff outings,” the federal lawmakers wrote.
Poser said she’s contacted Wied and Steil’s offices for help getting HUD funding transferred from Newcap to different nonprofits but has not received a response.
She said she’s reached out to the rest of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation for assistance in persuading HUD to allow for the transfers.
“We absolutely need a nonpartisan show of support around this issue,” she said. “Folks in need are in need regardless of what political party they belong to.”
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