Gov. Tony Evers signed 33 bills into law Wednesday, some of which can be traced back to local districts. The bills cover a wide range of policy areas, including funding programs for housing homeless veterans and grants for commercial driver training, as well as allowing audiovisual recording on school buses for safety and heavier truck permits for transporting agricultural goods.

State Rep. Joel Kitchens celebrated the approval of Wisconsin Acts 170 and 171, which establish a battery stewardship program requiring battery manufacturers to join or create battery stewardship organizations (BSOs). These organizations are responsible for collecting and recycling certain batteries sold in Wisconsin.

The legislation stemmed from discussions with waste management operators, including Steve Estes of GFL Environmental, and fire department officials who regularly deal with the dangers of crushed lithium-ion batteries. Kitchens called the bill “the most important bill I’ve worked on that no one knows anything about.”

Kitchens also saw two other bills — addressing the Wisconsin GI Bill and a veterinary loan repayment program — signed into law.

State Sen. André Jacque also had several of his bills signed into law, including measures that protect adults with disabilities, provide PTSD coverage for volunteer firefighters, and make manure composting more economically viable for farmers.