Several Initiatives Authored by Northeast Wisconsin Legislator Advance Tuesday
MADISON, WI…Legislation authored by Sen. André Jacque (New Franken) to give law enforcement additional tools to combat retail theft passed the State Senate Tuesday.
Assembly Bill 89 responds to the rise in retail theft and losses by small businesses by allowing prosecutors to aggregate the value of items stolen and increase penalties for repeat offenses to allow for stronger criminal charges. Under current law, retail theft is prosecuted based on the dollar amount stolen. When the value of stolen items is under $500, the penalty is only a misdemeanor. Criminals will steal property under that threshold at multiple businesses to avoid stronger penalties. This bill allows prosecutors to combine the value of stolen items to allow for a more appropriate penalty.
“Modern thieves have often chosen to strategically move from store to store in an attempt to evade and limit punishment,” said Jacque. “By combining multiple crimes into a larger charge, we can close this loophole in Wisconsin law and hold accountable thieves that are terrorizing businesses and communities.”
AB 89 has already passed the State Assembly, but an additional technical amendment approved by the Senate must also be concurred in by the Assembly before the legislation moves to the governor’s desk for a signature. The bill passed the Senate on a 27-6 vote with broad bipartisan support.
Rep. William Penterman (Hustisford) is the lead Assembly author of AB 89, which is supported by an extensive coalition of 20 retailers, business organizations and law enforcement groups, including the Wisconsin Grocers Association, Badger State Sheriffs Association, the Alliance of Wisconsin Retailers, Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, Milwaukee Police Association, National Federation of Independent Business and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.
Other legislation authored by Sen. Jacque passing the Senate Tuesday includes:
Preserve Our Wisconsin Legacy Act (Senate Bill 394) – Since the riots of 2020, a number of historical Wisconsin monuments have experienced vandalism and graffiti by violent protesters. Two such instances occurred in 2020, when the Hans Christian Heg statue and the Forward statue outside the State Capitol were destroyed. The Heg statue honors a Norwegian immigrant and anti-slavery champion who formed an entire Norwegian regiment during the Civil War. The Forward statue recognizes the women’s suffrage movement, and Wisconsin’s role as the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment.
Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial was damaged and defaced outside the State Capitol as part of a “No Kings” protest. This memorial, honoring the 294 Wisconsin police officers who died in the line of duty, has been vandalized at least a half dozen times, including a 2020 sledgehammer attack which required significant repair and replacement. Along with Assembly author Rep. Penterman, the “Preserve Our Wisconsin Legacy Act” was introduced to make it a Class I felony to damage or graffiti historical monuments in Wisconsin.
“Over the past decade, we have too often witnessed the vandalism of so many of our state’s most revered monuments,” said Jacque. “Those who disrespect our shared history and use destruction as a form of political expression must know that there will be consequences for their violent behavior.”
SB 394 now moves to the State Assembly for consideration. This bill has the strong support of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Board of Directors, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, and the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police.
SB 394 passed the Senate on a 18-15 vote.
Veteran Status on Driver Licenses (Senate Bill 387) – Bipartisan legislation authored in partnership with Rep. Ben Franklin (De Pere) expands the eligibility for being granted the “Veteran” designation on a driver’s license or state issued identification card. Currently all 50 states offer a military veteran identifier to be printed on state issued drivers licenses or identification cards, including Wisconsin starting in 2013. The identifier on an ID card is an easy way someone can prove their veteran status after providing the proper verification to the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs. Unfortunately, questions have arisen regarding the precise definition and qualifications for obtaining veteran status.
“Over the years, I have spoken with many veterans who have expressed frustration with the lack of clarity on what the qualifications are for obtaining a veteran status designation on a driver’s license, and why their honorable service did not meet current criteria,” said Jacque. “SB 387 will clear up the existing confusion many of our veterans now experience.”
As amended, SB 387 will define veteran as “a former member of the U.S. armed forces who receives a discharge under honorable conditions, or a former member of a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces or the national guard who met the requirements for satisfactory completion of his or her initial term of obligated service and received a discharge of either honorable or under honorable conditions.” SB 387 passed the Senate on a voice vote, and now will go to the Assembly for consideration.
Extending the Statute of Limitations for 2nd Degree Sexual Assault to 20 Years (Senate Bill 413) – regarding sexual assault victim protections, co-sponsored by Sen. Jacque, includes an important provision originally authored by Jacque that previously passed the State Senate to extend Wisconsin’s statute of limitations for bringing forward 2nd Degree Sexual Assault charges to 20 years rather than the current 10.
“The current statute of limitations for second-degree sexual assault is just 10 years—one of the shortest time frames for this type of offense in the nation. Advances in forensic science, including DNA analysis and digital evidence like cell phone data, now give investigators far greater ability to identify offenders even many years after a crime occurs. Additionally, many survivors of sexual assault wait years before reporting due to factors such as trauma, fear of retaliation, or reliance on the perpetrator. Extending the statute of limitations will give victims more time to come forward and pursue justice,” said Jacque.
Declaring November as Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month (Senate Joint Resolution 101) – According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, since 2001 over 6,000 veterans die of suicide in our country each year. In 2023, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 134 veterans lost their lives through suicide. SJR 101 acknowledges the mental health struggles faced by many veterans.
“Designating November as Veterans Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month is a small but meaningful step that we can take to show our support and commitment to the well-being of those who have served in uniform,” said Jacque. “This resolution acknowledges the challenges many of our veterans face upon returning from deployment, and reinforces our responsibility to advocating for access to high quality mental health care and suicide prevention resources for those who have served.”
Condemning the Abduction of Ukrainian Children (Senate Joint Resolution 103) – Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation embarked upon the forcible abduction of Ukrainian children in occupied areas and relocating them into Russia. This has involved nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, with U.S. Intelligence estimates suggesting the number could be over 200,000. The Genocide Convention, of which Russia is a party, considers abducting and relocating persons from one group an act of genocide, since it attempts to erase a people’s culture. On Tuesday, the Senate passed SJR 103 to formally condemn this act of genocide being carried out by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“With this vote, the Wisconsin Senate expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and with their families who every day live in fear that they will never see their children again,” said Jacque. “We call on our colleagues at every level of government to keep pressure on the Russian Federation to put an end to this genocidal program and ensure that every Ukrainian child is reunited with their family.”
Senator André Jacque represents Northeast Wisconsin’s First Senate District, consisting of Door, Kewaunee and Calumet Counties and portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties.
