Assembly Bill 236 Receives Hearings in Both Chambers
The last two weeks both the Senate and the Assembly have held hearings on Assembly Bill 236, The Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights. AB 236 is a bill authored by Senator Andre Jacque and myself that was introduced in May. This is a follow up bill to the 2023 Wisconsin Act 58 which stated that sexual assault kits must be processed within six months, but unfortunately didn’t have a strong enough enforcement mechanism. According to a recent review by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, the average turnaround time for processing a sexual assault kit is 292 days. This is unacceptable; victims of these awful crimes deserve justice in a more timely fashion. These delays in justice also give the perpetrator almost ten more months to commit crimes, endangering the community even further. The Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights will grant victims additional rights including to have their kit tested in a timely manner, and be informed of the status of the test throughout the process. I am proud to have authored this important legislation with Senator Jacque. It will give victims a voice in the process and will protect the public by getting these dangerous criminals off the street.
Capitol Meeting
[see featured photo above] Last week Jennifer Bias, and Steve Knudson from the Public Defenders office stopped by to discuss a shortage of public defenders in Wisconsin. Recently it has come to light that in Brown County, felony cases are in danger of being thrown out because of a lack of public defenders, which could allow criminals to go free. Thank you to Jennifer and Steve for stopping by!
Fox Cities Irish Fest 2025
I am proud to serve on the board of the Fox Cities Irish Fest. This year’s event is this weekend at Jones Park in Appleton. I hope to see you there!
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State Capitol Tours
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The best way to experience the beauty and grandeur of Wisconsin’s Capitol building (located at 2 East Main Street, Madison, WI 53702) is to see it for yourself. It is open to the public weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free tours are offered daily, year round except on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Tours start at the information desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 p.m. A 4:00 p.m. tour is offered weekdays (Monday – Friday), excluding holidays, during Memorial Day through Labor Day. Plan on spending 45-55 minutes for a tour. The sixth floor museum and observation deck are open during the summer months. Groups of ten or more can make an on-line reservation for a tour of the State Capit
