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Contact: Myranda Tanck
Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin clears final legislative hurdle, on to statewide ballot in April 2020 MADISON – Legislation to update the state Constitution to ensure equal rights for crime victims is moving on to a statewide ballot initiative after passing the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support. After clearing the Legislature for the first time in 2017, today’s votes represented the final legislative hurdle required to send the measure before Wisconsin voters for approval through a statewide ballot. Introduced for second consideration as Assembly Joint Resolution 1/Senate Joint Resolution 2 the bipartisan victims’ rights legislation known as Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin was authored by State Senators Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and State Representatives Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) and David Crowley (D-Milwaukee). The legislation was approved in the State Senate with a vote of 27 to 5 and in the Assembly with a vote of 82 to 15. “Today was a huge victory for victims of crime all over Wisconsin” said Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin State Chair Teri Jendusa-Nicolai, who became one of the state’s most prominent victims’ rights advocates after surviving a brutal attack by her ex-husband. “I’m thrilled that our lawmakers have once again overwhelmingly demonstrated their support for survivors like myself by advancing Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin through this final hurdle in the State Legislature. My story, and those of so many other victims,clearly demonstrated the need to level the playing field between victims of crime and the accused, and I’m so grateful to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for moving Wisconsin one step closer to making Marsy’s Law a reality in our state.” Having cleared second consideration in the Legislature, the measure will now be put before Wisconsin voters for final ratification through statewide ballot in April of 2020. |
