Madison – Southeastern Wisconsin Representative Nik Rettinger (R-Mukwonago) proudly watched his first bill, which updates the definition of “sexual contact” for crimes against children and sexual assault, get signed into law by Governor Tony Evers yesterday. Rettinger was joined by Wisconsin State Senator Patrick Testin, Adams County District Attorney Rebecca Maki-Wallender, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, and Adams County Deputy Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Barnett. Following the signing, Rep. Rettinger said:
“This commonsense legislation carries out the spirit of the law intended by previous Legislatures to protect the most innocent of our society. We do the best we can to look forward to prevent future criminal activity, but as loopholes are found and exploited it’s our job to act to close them. I’m glad that my colleagues in both chambers overwhelmingly agreed with me and Senator Testin. Holding criminals accountable is always important, but in particular we need to ensure people who commit heinous acts against children be prosecuted to the fullest possible extent. I am proud of the work we did on this bill, and I thank the folks of the Adams County District Attorney’s Office for bringing this to our attention to ensure this loophole cannot be exploited again.”
Assembly Bill 166 enjoyed bipartisan co-sponsorship and passed out of the Assembly and Senate Committees with a unanimous vote. The bill also received support from the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Outagamie County Board of Supervisors, and the Wisconsin District Attorneys’ Association as well as Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper.
“One of the most important components of this bill was the broad support it had amongst District Attorneys, Law Enforcement, and the State Bar of Wisconsin, among others. I’d also like to express my thanks to Waukesha County DA Sue Opper, who submitted testimony in support of the legislation. Public safety is my top priority in Madison and I will continue to pursue policies that will ensure victims of crime are not forgotten and that prosecutors have the tools necessary to keep our communities safe.”
