Sen. Keyeski authors Wisconsin Senate bill to designate Tom Diehl Memorial Highway

Sarah Keyeski, Wisconsin State Senator for 14th District | Facebook

By C. I. Dougherty

Mar 28, 2025

A bill authored by State Sen. Sarah Keyeski in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to honor Tom Diehl by designating the portion of US Highway 12 in Lake Delton as the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "designating the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway. (FE)".

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

In essence, this bill mandates the Department of Transportation to designate and mark the entire portion of US Highway 12 located in the village of Lake Delton in Sauk County as the "Tom Diehl Memorial Highway." This action is intended to honor Tom Diehl, though the bill does not specify his contributions or the reason for the designation. The effective date or further implications of this designation are not delineated within the bill.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Tony Kurtz (Republican-41st District), Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), Senator Brad Pfaff (Democrat-32nd District), and Senator Mark Spreitzer (Democrat-15th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Alex A. Dallman (Republican-39th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Representative Russell Goodwin (Democrat-12th District), along with 10 other co-sponsors.

Sarah Keyeski has co-authored or authored another 19 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Keyeski graduated from Luther College in 1993 with a BA.

Keyeski, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2021 to represent the state's 14th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Joan Ballweg.

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.

Bills Introduced by Sarah Keyeski in Wisconsin Senate During 2025 Regular Session

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB160	03/27/2025	Designating the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway. (FE)
SB148	03/21/2025	The right to repair agricultural equipment, and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB133	03/14/2025	Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE)
SB67	02/21/2025	Providing state aid to reimburse public and private schools that provide free meals to all pupils for the costs of those meals and making an appropriation. (FE)