Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol continue to move through their to-do list. The latest was a slate of bills focusing on public safety.
The Assembly on recently approved:
● K9 Riggs Act – Increases penalties for causing injury to law enforcement animals. The bill is named after Kenosha County Sheriff Department K9 Riggs, who was shot by a criminal. Riggs survived and is now in retirement.
● Prosecution Reform – Requires approval from the court before prosecutors can dismiss serious charges.
● Parental Notification – Ensures parents are promptly notified of sexual misconduct in school.
● Criminal Case Database – Creates a new database of crimes in Wisconsin.
● Reckless Driving Crackdown – Allows for the impoundment of vehicles used in reckless driving offenses.
● Parole Revocation – Revokes extended supervision, parole, or probation if a person is charged with a new crime.
● Child Trafficking Penalties – Imposes life imprisonment for the crime of trafficking multiple children and requires restitution be paid to the victims.
● Theft Crimes – Increases the penalties for certain retail theft crimes.
● School Resource Officers – Ensures officers are put back into Milwaukee Schools.
“Cracking down on crime shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but in Madison, it has increasingly become so,” Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August said after Thursday’s votes.
Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, authored the K9 Riggs Act, which was named after a Kenoha police dog who was shot and wounded by a suspect back in 2021.
“Riggs’s heroism united the community, galvanizing support for local law enforcement just a year after rioters in Kenosha protested against them,” Nedweski added. “These dogs are not only invaluable members of the department; they are also family to their partners.”
But not every lawmaker was on board with the Republicans’ public safety slate.
The slate of legislation will head to the Senate.
