Waukesha Times

The new bill authored by State Rep. Paul Melotik seeks to officially recognize the monarch butterfly as Wisconsin's state butterfly and update state symbols accordingly, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "designating the monarch butterfly as the state butterfly".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill designates the monarch butterfly as the official state butterfly of Wisconsin. It mandates that the Wisconsin Blue Book, which details the state's various symbols, be updated to include this new designation. The legislation amends existing statutes to incorporate the monarch butterfly among other recognized state symbols such as the state song, tree, and bird.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Brienne Brown (Democrat-43rd District), Representative Ryan M. Clancy (Democrat-19th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District), and Senator Jamie Wall (Democrat-30th District), along eight other co-sponsors.

Paul Melotik has authored or co-authored another 86 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.

Melotik graduated from Carroll University in 1979 with a BA.

Melotik, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 22nd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Janel Brandtjen.

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
AB322	07/08/2025	Designating the monarch butterfly as the state butterfly
AB235	05/02/2025	Workforce literacy grant program. (FE)
AB166	04/08/2025	Academic and career planning services provided to pupils and requiring the reporting of certain data on college student costs and outcomes. (FE)
AB140	03/17/2025	Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Port Washington. (FE)
AB28	02/17/2025	Special registration plates with white lettering on a black background. (FE)
AB3	02/03/2025	Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)