Living in Wisconsin comes with many benefits - great people, a hardworking and resolute workforce, and abundant natural resources and recreation. We also take pride in our tight-knit neighborhoods. A key effort of the past legislative session was action to ensure our communities stay safe.
There was a great deal of public safety and criminal justice measures approved in the bipartisan state budget. Perhaps most importantly we provided the necessary funding and positions needed to implement the groundbreaking Project KidSafe program. More specifically, this provision requires mandatory lifetime GPS tracking of the worst of the worst sex predators, including up-to-the minute GPS monitoring, and funding for polygraph testing and treatment options. Through the budget, we have put in place the toughest sex offender monitoring system in the nation. These dangerous predators will now be tracked so as to prevent them from claiming new victims.
Currently, the state's DNA crime lab has a backlog of cases that has built up over past years to more than 1,000 cases. In an effort to speed up the justice system the state budget included $7.7 million in new funding for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hire new DNA analysts. The 31 new analyst-related positions will reduce this important backlog. Just this week, it was reported that two dozen analysts have finished training and have started work in the crime labs.
With the growing popularity of websites like MySpace, the use of the internet by our children has increased dramatically. Therefore, we took action and increased funding to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. DOJ received two additional special agents and three computer forensic analysts. The bipartisan state budget also included a provision that will require sex offenders to pay an annual fee to support enhanced sex offender management costs. We felt it was important to have these criminals pay a portion of the costs, rather than putting all the costs onto the backs of taxpayers.
The State Assembly also passed various bills aimed at increasing safety and strengthening our criminal justice system. Assembly Bill (AB) 424 requires the courts inform DOJ about histories of mental illness and drug dependence when background checks for handguns are conducted. AB 424 passed on a unanimous vote in the Assembly.
We also passed AB 737, which would establish a crime alert network in Wisconsin. The network would disseminate information regarding crime to participating businesses and members of the community. The network is modeled after a similar network in Minnesota and would operate much like the successful Amber Alert system. Although both AB 424 and 737 passed the State Assembly, the State Senate did not take action before session was adjourned.
Finally, I believe action needs to be taken to crack down on drunk driving. Over the summer I've been working with Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, to craft stricter penalties for drunk driving. I am supportive of these measures to keep our roadways safe. I look forward to continuing to work with both sides of aisle to find ways to keep our communities safe so future generations can enjoy the same safe communities that we enjoy today.
I want to hear from you so please feel welcome to express your thoughts or let me know if I can be helpful to you in any way by calling (888) 534-0080, e-mailing me at Rep.Davis@legis.wi.gov or by writing or stopping by 308 North, State Capitol, Madison, WI 53708.
It is an honor serving the residents of the 80th District in the State Assembly!
- Wisconsin State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, serves the 80th Assembly District, which includes all of Green County and portions of Rock, Dane and Lafayette
counties.
There was a great deal of public safety and criminal justice measures approved in the bipartisan state budget. Perhaps most importantly we provided the necessary funding and positions needed to implement the groundbreaking Project KidSafe program. More specifically, this provision requires mandatory lifetime GPS tracking of the worst of the worst sex predators, including up-to-the minute GPS monitoring, and funding for polygraph testing and treatment options. Through the budget, we have put in place the toughest sex offender monitoring system in the nation. These dangerous predators will now be tracked so as to prevent them from claiming new victims.
Currently, the state's DNA crime lab has a backlog of cases that has built up over past years to more than 1,000 cases. In an effort to speed up the justice system the state budget included $7.7 million in new funding for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hire new DNA analysts. The 31 new analyst-related positions will reduce this important backlog. Just this week, it was reported that two dozen analysts have finished training and have started work in the crime labs.
With the growing popularity of websites like MySpace, the use of the internet by our children has increased dramatically. Therefore, we took action and increased funding to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. DOJ received two additional special agents and three computer forensic analysts. The bipartisan state budget also included a provision that will require sex offenders to pay an annual fee to support enhanced sex offender management costs. We felt it was important to have these criminals pay a portion of the costs, rather than putting all the costs onto the backs of taxpayers.
The State Assembly also passed various bills aimed at increasing safety and strengthening our criminal justice system. Assembly Bill (AB) 424 requires the courts inform DOJ about histories of mental illness and drug dependence when background checks for handguns are conducted. AB 424 passed on a unanimous vote in the Assembly.
We also passed AB 737, which would establish a crime alert network in Wisconsin. The network would disseminate information regarding crime to participating businesses and members of the community. The network is modeled after a similar network in Minnesota and would operate much like the successful Amber Alert system. Although both AB 424 and 737 passed the State Assembly, the State Senate did not take action before session was adjourned.
Finally, I believe action needs to be taken to crack down on drunk driving. Over the summer I've been working with Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, to craft stricter penalties for drunk driving. I am supportive of these measures to keep our roadways safe. I look forward to continuing to work with both sides of aisle to find ways to keep our communities safe so future generations can enjoy the same safe communities that we enjoy today.
I want to hear from you so please feel welcome to express your thoughts or let me know if I can be helpful to you in any way by calling (888) 534-0080, e-mailing me at Rep.Davis@legis.wi.gov or by writing or stopping by 308 North, State Capitol, Madison, WI 53708.
It is an honor serving the residents of the 80th District in the State Assembly!
- Wisconsin State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, serves the 80th Assembly District, which includes all of Green County and portions of Rock, Dane and Lafayette
counties.
