Armstrong Votes for Police Reforms 

MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin State Assembly met on June 16 to pass a major bipartisan police-reform package based on recommendations from the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities and its Subcommittee on Law Enforcement Policies and Standards.

“I am proud to have joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation,” said State Rep. Dave Armstrong (R-Rice Lake).  “Our law enforcement agencies exist to serve and protect all of us, regardless of race.  The Speaker’s task force took a deep dive into police practices and identified many paths to improvement.  The package the Assembly passed today is an important first step in this process. 

“Racial disparities aren’t always a Milwaukee problem or a Madison problem, but a problem that can affect communities across the state, big and small, and I want to thank Rice Lake Police Chief Steve Roux for his work as a member of the task force and subcommittee.”

Proposals in the package include:

• Senate Bill 121 prohibits chokeholds except self-defense or life-threatening situations
• Assembly Bill 329 requires the Department of Justice to prepare annual reports about the use of no-knock warrants
• Assembly Bill 331 requires applicants for full-time police positions to undergo psychological examinations
• Assembly Bill 332 requires law enforcement officers to complete crisis management training as part of their recertification
• Assembly Bill 334 requires state and local law enforcement agencies to adopt written policies that mandate drug testing for officers who discharge their firearms at individuals or whose actions cause death or great bodily harm
• Assembly Bill 335 creates a grant program for local and tribal law enforcement agencies to purchase body cameras

Among the other proposals the Assembly passed during the June 16 session with Representative Armstrong’s support were Assembly Bill 299, which prohibits businesses and government agencies from requiring proof of COVID vaccination as a condition for services, and Assembly Bills 195 and 196, which preserve fair competition in women’s sports at the college and high school levels.

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