Madison – Representative Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) gave the following statement following the bill signings of three pieces of critical public safety legislation—Senate Bill 514, Senate Bill 573, and Assembly Bill 573. Rep. Donovan said:

“Criminals never take a vacation and this requires our elected leaders remain eternally vigilant. Today, huge strides forward were made to meet the needs of our community by working together with stakeholders, legislators, and our local community. I couldn’t be more proud of this collaborative effort over the past few months to pass legislation that will make legitimate and immediate changes. We will not stop here and must continue this forward thinking approach to protect our families and communities.”

Senate Bill 514 increases the penalties for fleeing an officer by one classification for every form of the offense. Mandatory minimum sentencing is also included so criminals must serve at least 10% of the maximum sentence for causing great bodily harm or death. Senate Bill 573 doubles the reimbursement rate to local law enforcement agencies from the Department of Justice for annual individual officer training. Currently, agencies receive a reimbursement of $160/year and will now be doubled to $320/year. Assembly Bill 573 creates a mental health crisis care pilot program for Wisconsin. This program would allow select law enforcement agencies to access 24/7 behavioral telehealth services, through a tablet, to provide immediate crisis care in the community.