Madison – Representative Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) gave the following statement after the Assembly passed three public safety bills authored by Rep. Donovan—Assembly Bill 91, 78, and 75. These bills prioritize student protection, roadway safety, and judicial transparency.
Assembly Bill 91 addresses the disregard for state law by the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public School District (MPS) regarding the lack of student resource officers (SROs) in schools. 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 included a provision that required MPS to maintain at least 25 SROs in their school system.
“Unfortunately, the debate surrounding this bill missed the key point of this legislation. The opposition to this bill notably omitted that state law has been ignored for 438 days,” said Rep. Donovan. “We simply cannot allow that to continue—no one is above the law.”
In September of 2023, the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the State Legislature to eliminate requirements to tow reckless drivers. Assembly Bill 78 responds directly to Milwaukee’s call by eliminating the requirements that a vehicle’s driver own it or have unpaid fines, thus allowing towing on a first offense.
“I believe this legislation is the result of thousands of constituent pleas for more action to protect our streets,” said Rep. Donovan. “The Milwaukee Common Council told us what they need and the Legislature is directly responding by giving them the tools.”
Assembly Bill 75 requires the director of state courts to gather 13 data points on criminal cases and share them with the Department of Justice. The data would be reported annually to the Legislature and published on an accessible, interactive website for the public.
“All branches of government must be equally accountable, starting with an open judiciary,” said Rep. Donovan. “Our courts currently lack the same level of direct public access, and this bill ensures they meet the same standards set in our legislative and executive branches.”
These bills now go to the state Senate for deliberation before being sent to the Governor for his signature.
