4th Assembly District Update: April 21, 2023

Hello, welcome to my e-update! 

Thank you for being an informed constituent of Wisconsin’s 4th State Assembly District. In my newsletter you will find updates about your community, the state legislature, and everything in between.

Victims’ Rights Bill Passes Assembly

I’m very happy to say that my legislation to create a swift timeline for the processing of a sexual assault kit by the State Crime Lab passed out of the Assembly unanimously this week. I’m very grateful for the broad, bipartisan support this bill has received this session. The bill now moves on to the Senate!

To read my press release about the bill’s passage, click here.

Expungement Committee Hearing

On Tuesday, my expungement legislation received a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. This bill would open the pathway to employment for many individuals across the state. With an unemployment rate of 2.7% and labor force participation rate of 64.5% as of March 2023, Wisconsin is in need of policies that will address this growing issue and get people to work.

This legislation, which I am working on with my colleague Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara, would update Wisconsin’s outdated expungement law to do the following:

• Eliminates the requirement for judges to grant or deny expungement at the time of sentencing
• Provides employers and employees with clarity regarding criminal background disclosures on job applications
• Clarifies that only low-level offenders are eligible for expungement
• Defines what it means to successfully complete a sentence
• Removes the arbitrary age limit of 25 for an individual who wishes to petition for expungement

To read the full bill, click here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/related/proposals/ab37

Police Association “Legislator of the Year”

I was honored to be awarded as the Wisconsin Professional Police Association’s “Legislator of the Year” for last session. This was one of the greatest honors of my career, and I am very grateful for the recognition. The men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. It is our job as legislators to ensure they have the resources and support they need to do their jobs well. Thanks to Jim Palmer from WPPA for stopping by to present me with this special hat to commemorate the honor!