Animal abuse bill inspired by horse molester delayed by Senate
by WBAY
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A bill that would make sexually abusing animals a felony in Wisconsin is not expected to be heard at Tuesday’s Senate floor session.
Assembly Bill 666 is in direct response to a Brown County man, Sterling Rachwal, who authorities say has been molesting horses for decades.
Horse owner Tania Wadzinski said she knows the name Rachwal all too well.
“He can have the appearance of being somewhat normal, but you aren’t around him very long and you know something is seriously wrong with this guy,” said Wadzinski.
Rachwal has been charged multiple times over the past two decades for molesting horses. Rachwal is currently on probation after pleading no contest to charges of sexually abusing a horse. Because the crime is a misdemeanor in Wisconsin, there isn’t much prosecutors can do
“That allows people who do this to get off with a fine and nothing happens,” said Wadzinski.
That is why Wadzinski is in full support of Assembly Bill 666, which would change sexual abuse of an animal from a misdemeanor to a felony with prison time.
Prosecutors asked for tougher laws, so Representative Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) crafted a bill.
“There’s a variety of different charging options available to prosecutors, but when you have a repeat offender like Rachwal who continues to prey on communities, it would allow access to that higher penalty to be used,” said Jacque.
But AB 666 isn’t scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor Tuesday, even though Jacque said it’s received bipartisan support every step of the way, which includes unanimous approval by the Assembly.
Passing the Senate would have been the final step for this bill before heading to Governor Scott Walker’s desk for a signature.
“I think within the Senate Majority Caucus it doesn’t have a strong champion saying, ‘This is my bill and I want it to be considered’,” said Jacque. “It’s not something at the top of the priority list.”
Wadzinski said it should be a priority because public safety is involved.
“I, as a very senior lady, don’t want to have to carry a gun when I go down to the barn and that is what many of us have to do. We don’t know if he is in there,” said Wadzinski. “You don’t know what he is doing or where he is going.”
“As studies have borne out, there’s an extremely high correlation to those who have abused animals who go on to abuse humans as well,” said Jacque.
Both Jacque and Wadzinski hope the bill gets added to the Senate’s agenda Tuesday morning. If it’s not, Jacque said he will have to reintroduce the bill at the next legislative session, which begins January 2019