In This Edition

  • School Crime Data Bill Passes Senate

  • Additional Bills Passed
  • I-94 Construction
  • Evers Vetoes Reading Bill

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Legislation Tracker

Monitor bills and topics in the legislature at the Wisconsin Bill Tracker website.

School Crime Data Bill Passes Senate

 

Yesterday, the State Senate passed a bill author by State Senator John Jagler (R-Watertown) that requires high schools to collect and report crime data. The bill instructs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to place the information on the school’s annual accountability report card.

 

“Parents deserve to know exactly what kind of environment their kids are facing when they get to school,” Jagler said. “Now, more than ever, parents are taking an active role in their children’s education. Much like previous bills we passed such as making curriculum and school district spending more transparent, this bill helps parents stay informed on what happens within the walls of their child’s school. Many are going to be happy to know how safe their schools are, others are going to be disturbed by how frequently the learning process is being interrupted by crime and police calls.”

 

This bill was originally considered by the Legislature in the 2015 session. While a bill identical to SB 585 was passed by voice vote in the Assembly, a compromise was reached to create a pilot program at DPI to collect this data at three schools. While following up on the results of the program, it was discovered that the Tony Evers run DPI never collected any data and failed to conduct the pilot program.  

 

“We’ve waited long enough to tell parents what is really happening at their schools,” Jagler said. “I’m calling on the Assembly to take this bill up as soon as possible and for the Governor to sign it.”

 

A similar law is in place at the federal level to report crime data on college and university campuses. The federal law is known as the Cleary Act and SB 585 was modeled after it.

 

“It’s surprising that crime data in our schools isn’t already being collected,” Jagler said. “This bill will not only start tracking it, it will place it in the hands of parents.” 

 

The bill passed on a 20-12 vote. SB 585 now awaits for the Assembly to take action.

 

 

Additional Bills Passed

In addition to my bill being passed, the Senate also approved a number of bills yesterday.

SB 261-This bill requires a hospital, clinic, or other facility in which an induced abortion is performed to report the sex of the aborted unborn child if the sex can be determined by visual inspection. The reporting also must include whether the aborted unborn child had a fetal anomaly, and the nature of the fetal anomaly if the aborted child had one.

SB 570-At the federal level certain liability protection has existed for gun manufacturers since 2005. This bill would provide similar protections at the state level in Wisconsin.

SB 309-Provides clarity and uniformity to statutory definitions of Free and Charitable Clinics (FCCs) by correcting an ambiguity created by language contained in 2019 Act 9.

SB 399-Allows the Department of Corrections to use billboards to recruit employees.

SB 588-Contains a multitude of provisions and technical changes that OCI has requested.

SB 607-Under current statutes, the ‘direct sale limit’ allows state, county and community forest land managers to sell smaller amounts of timber directly to a contractor without advertising- enabling the process to move quickly and efficiently. The direct sale limit currently rests at $3,000. This bill would raise the direct sale limit to $10,000 or 500 cords equivalents, whichever is lesser.

SB 655-Clarifies and amends state statutes to conform with current marketplace practices for the treatment of motor vehicle service contracts.

AB 99-Requires the Department of Natural Resources to issue individual permits for the removal of certain sediment from the bed of Lake Michigan or Lake Superior.

AB 314-Creates a joint agricultural and agribusiness export initiative between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the DATCP International Agribusiness Center.

AB 377-Extends the life and periods during which tax increments may be allocated and expenditures for project costs may be made for TID #1 in the Village of Marathon City.

Repair work scheduled for Jefferson County E bridge over I-94 near Concord

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in coordination with the Jefferson County Highway Department, is planning repairs to the Jefferson County E bridge over I-94 near Concord. Repairs to the steel girders are anticipated to start on Monday, November 15 and should be completed by early December (weather-permitting). I-94 eastbound will be reduced to one lane between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. weeknights. Drivers are urged to plan ahead for slowdowns and watch for crews and equipment near the travel lanes.

The County E bridge was hit by a dump truck on I-94 eastbound in mid-September 2021. Upon inspection by WisDOT bridge engineers, the structure was closed over I-94 to ensure safety of the traveling public.

The repairs cost $147,500 and will be funded via an insurance claim. The prime contractor for the project is Flame On, Inc. based out of Monroe, Washington.

Additional work on the County E bridge will occur next year, which includes a polymer overlay, painting of the steel girders and bridge deck patching.

Travel information on Wisconsin highways can be found at 511wi.gov.

Governor Vetoes Bipartisan Bill

Governor Evers vetoed SB 454, a bill that many experts believed would have helped improve the literacy of young students who are struggling with reading. The bill would've tripled literacy tests and require educators to create a personalized reading plan for students identified as "at-risk." I'm disheartened the governor wouldn't sign legislation that could help lift up so many students, especially those who come from low-income households.

It is vital literacy problems are caught early and addressed. Statistics show students who have a difficult time becoming proficient readers often face greater economic challenges after they graduate. WI fourth graders on average are not considered proficient at reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress latest report. It’s clear action needs to be taken before more children go through our educational system without learning the basic tools needed to succeed in life

This bill may not have solved this crisis entirely, but it would have helped set up many students for future success. These children now run the risk of falling through the cracks thanks to this veto. Unfortunately the governor feels doing nothing is better than taking action seeing he didn't offer an alternative and work with the Legislature to tackle such an important issue.

Governor Evers likes to call himself "a real education governor," yet his veto pen says otherwise.