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Quote of the Week: "This is not a healthy direction to go in and only tries to minimalize individuals being engaged." -Senator Lena C. Taylor, on purposed rioting bill. See bill Here. This is an official government communication from Sen. Lena C. Taylor. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, click here to send me an email to unsubscribe. |
Stay in touch: Email: Sen.Taylor@legis.wi.gov
Milwaukee Office: 414-342-7176
Madison Office: 608-266-5810
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On Thursday, I congratulated Barb 
This past Monday, Milwaukee Chief of
Police Edward Flynn stepped down, effective February 16, 2018. In recent
months, Chief Flynn received increasing scrutiny for his failures to keep
and implement promises. Some of these failures were documented in the
leaked U.S. Department of Justice draft report on the Milwaukee Police
Department. The report detailed Chief Flynn’s issues in implementing
community policing, creating a police force that reflects the racial, and
establishing sufficient training for internal affairs investigations. In
order to truly see community-police relations improve, we need a Chief of
Police who is willing to listen to the community in which they serve and
to enact positive change. While I appreciate the work Chief Flynn has
done over these past 10 years, the time has come for the city of
Milwaukee to move on.
This week, the Assembly Committee on
Criminal Justice and Public Safety heard a bill to raise the age for
juvenile court jurisdiction for first-time, non-violent juveniles from 17
to 18. During the public hearing, committee members and members of the
public testified to the benefits of diverting juveniles from the adult
criminal justice system. For instance, youth placed in a juvenile facility
are required to continue their education. In addition, they would receive
age-relevant treatment and therapeutic services. Wisconsin’s juvenile
system has serious issues, most notably the alleged misconduct and abuse
experienced by individuals in Lincoln Hills. However, it is important to
keep the adult and juvenile systems separate while working to reform
both. Juveniles have different needs and developmental capacities than
adults, and cannot be treated in the same way if we want to get the
results we need. I will continue to work legislatively and in the
community to reform corrections, create taxpayer savings, and improve
outcomes.
On Wednesday, two important court
cases with serious implications for voter’s rights around the country
were moved forward in Ohio and North Carolina. In Ohio, the Supreme Court
heard oral arguments for the case Husted v. A. Philip Randolph
Institute, in which civil rights groups are challenging an Ohio law
which allows for registered voters to be removed from the rolls if they
go two years without “voter activity,” along with not responding to a
letter from the Secretary of State. A decision should be passed down from
the Court sometime mid-2018. On the same day, a federal district
court found that the manner in which GOP lawmakers had drawn
congressional districts in North Carolina was “partisan
gerrymandering”—meaning GOP law makers stacked the odds in their favor by
intentionally drawing voting districts so they could dilute the
Democratic vote. To have district maps challenged in court is not new.
However, a judicial finding which explicitly states that district lines
were drawn to advantage one party is unprecedented. 
In early January, the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Wisconsin had the highest
black infant mortality rate in the nation, with 14.3 deaths per 1,000
African-American babies compared to the national average of 11.1 deaths
per 1,000 .png)
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