State Rep. Dora Drake’s Statement on Ethan’s Law
Today, State Rep. Dora Drake (D-11th Assembly District Milwaukee) released the following statement regarding Governor Evers signing Senate Bill (SB) 24, also known as Ethan’s Law:
“As a first year elected, there’s a myriad of legislation that comes through the State Capitol. But this piece of legislation was far too important not to be signed into law.
This legislation is named in memory of 7-year old Ethan Hauschultz, who was fatally abused in 2018 after being placed in the home of a distant relative who had a history of child abuse. Ethan’s story reminded me of previous clients I knew who experienced abuse as children and too often failed to see justice.
I can’t imagine how many “Ethans” we do not know about who are no longer with us. No child should be placed into a home that is a knowingly unsafe environment and subject to abuse that could have been preventable. We cannot afford to lose any more children on our lack of action and it’s our obligation to create meaningful legislation that can help to prevent further harm.
Senate Bill (SB) 24 will protect children in foster care from being placed with a foster parent who has ever been convicted of child abuse. This bill makes several changes to the circumstances that generally prohibit a court from placing a child in an out-of-home placement with a person who has previously been convicted of child abuse.
At the end of the bill signing ceremony with Governor Evers, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ethan’s family. Despite the tragedy that produced this law, the mother expressed the relief she felt knowing that no other child will experience what Ethan did.
This was my first bill signed into law as Wisconsin Act 72 as State Representative I’m proud to be a co-author of this bi-partisan legislation.
