MADISON — The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy today issued a strong critique of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) following the release of the 2023 Annual Report from the DOJ’s Division of Forensic Sciences that shows processing times at the state crime lab increased last year.
MacIver CEO Annette Olson says the backlog and long wait times are proof of AG Kaul’s leadership and failure to prioritize public safety at the expense of politically-motivated lawfare against Republican attorney Jim Troupis and Wausau Mayor Doug Diny. In the coming months, The MacIver Institute will be highlighting the state government failures with a “It’s Not Working” campaign.
“While the DOJ apparently has the time and resources to investigate Josh Kaul’s political opponents, he pleads poor when it comes to what citizens actually care about: keeping Wisconsin safe,” Olson said. “This report is shocking, alarming, damning. Attorney General Kaul’s handling of the Wisconsin crime labs — after claiming it was a top priority when he ran for office — is yet another example of his office failing to protect Wisconsin residents. Our state’s crime lab is essential to a functioning justice system, and under Josh Kaul, it’s not working.”
Despite the state crime labs’ essential role in upholding public safety, AG Kaul’s crime labs are buckling under a backlog fueled by the fentanyl epidemic. The report shows that, in 2023 alone, cases involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogues reached 765 — a 42.5 times the number of cases just 10 years ago. This not only underscores the gravity of Wisconsin’s drug problem, but the failures of the open borders policies pushed by Kaul and fellow liberals like Vice President Kamala Harris.
The MacIver Institute calls on AG Kaul to prioritize substantive policy changes that address the true drivers of Wisconsin’s drug epidemic. Without this shift in approach, Wisconsin residents will continue to suffer the consequences of delayed justice and unaddressed crime, leaving communities across the state more vulnerable than ever.
