Cracking down on child labor, protecting animals in rural areas and protecting librarians caught in the crossfire of a culture war are among the requests facing Madison County lawmakers heading into February’s legislative session.

A new legislative session began on Monday in Madison with the slimmest Republican majorities in more than a decade.

A shaken-up crop of northeastern Wisconsin legislators will enter the State Capitol on Monday, the first day of the 2025-2026 legislative session, to begin the agenda-setting, bill-sponsoring, and law-passing they've promised over months on the campaign trail.

Four new state senators and 30 new assembly members will participate in an inauguration ceremony Monday at the State Capitol.