(The Center Square) – New wedding barn regulations set to go in place Jan. 1 were the subject of lawsuit that was thrown out in Trempealeau County court last month and is now the subject of a bill that would change the restrictions.
The new regulations limit many wedding barns to being rented out just six times per year and once a month for events where alcohol is consumed.
But the new bill would raise that total to 36 events per year.
The bill is sponsored by three Democrats – Sen. Mark Spreitzer, Reps. Clinton Anderson and Jenna Jacobson along with Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franklin.
“I just got married, and I know firsthand how quickly wedding costs are rising,” Anderson said in a statement. “Family-run farm venues allow couples to celebrate without breaking the bank while providing Wisconsin farmers with a critical source of income. This bill is a common-sense fix that keeps weddings affordable and helps farms stay afloat, while undoing the damage 2023 Act 73 did to this industry.”
The previous lawsuit aiming to overturn the law was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on behalf of the Farmview Event Barn in Berlin and Monarch Valley Weddings and Events in Blair.
“Hosting low-cost weddings in our barn allows us to pay for maintenance and updates of our home and farm equipment to keep our farm up and running,” Farmview Event Barn owner Jean Bahn said in a statement.
Many farm owners said the new law would force them to cut their total number of events each year by as much as 75%.
