Local family waits to see if hit-and-run loophole bill will be signed into law
Hit-and-run loophole bill heads to Governor Walker's desk
By Cole Higgins | cole.higgins@wearegreenbay.com Published 03/16 2016 10:46PM Updated 03/16 2016 10:50PM
A local family is waiting to see if Governor Walker signs the hit-and-run loophole bill into law.
The state Senate passed the bill Tuesday night but even getting the senate to pass the bill has been a struggle.
Assembly Bill 201, also known as the John Michael 'Mingo' Kennedy Act, was initially left off of the Senate's agenda .
But, family and friends of the young man who the bill is named after did not accept that and are now just waiting for the bill to become law.
"It's been too hard of a fight. It should have been much, much simpler than it was," says Jeff Kennedy.
It's been five years since their son, John was killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver and Jeff and Colleen Kennedy have been working for nearly three years on legislation to prevent other families from going through what the Kennedys experienced.
"If something good can come out of John's passing, that's what we're working so hard for," explains Jeff.
The bill that closes a loophole in state law and requires drivers to stop and identify what they hit was passed by the Assembly last month.
"It's common sense, it's accountability and it's human decency is what this, this legislation's about," says Jeff.
Even with bi-partisan support the bill was left off of the Senate's agenda for their final meeting of the year.
"Shocked, disappointed, betrayed," says Jeff about how he felt when he found out about the bill being left off of the Senate agenda.
Representative André Jacque, R-De Pere, has worked on the bill with the Kennedys, and along with him pushing the Senate, and friends and family of the Kennedys making endless phone calls to lawmakers, the bill is now heading to Governor Walker's desk.
"I just couldn't be happier for the Kennedy family. This really is a tribute to their son and something that they have poured their heart and soul into. I would have been just heartbroken if we had gotten this far and for it not to pass," says Rep. Jacque.
"I really feel that Governor Walker is going to do the right thing and sign it in. We're very cautiously optimistic," says Colleen Kennedy.
One of the ways you can help ensure that Governor Walker signs the John Michael 'Mingo' Kennedy Act into law is by reaching out to his office, HERE.