This week, the Assembly Committee on Environment met for a public hearing on Assembly Bill 446 and Assembly Bill 579.
Assembly Bill 446 (AB 446) relates to designating the monarch butterfly as the state butterfly. This bill would designate that the Wisconsin state butterfly is the monarch and requires the Wisconsin State Blue Book to include that information.
Assembly Bill 579 (AB 579) relates to the use of fill-in commercial waterways and Great Lakes waters. The bill provides that a city or village (municipality) may create a waterfront development plan with respect to parcels that may have been part of the submerged bed of a Great Lakes water at the time of statehood. Ab 579 would allow for the development of lands along commercial waterways and Great Lake Waters while maintaining a vital review process by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Thank you to the stakeholders and bill authors for testifying on these bills. We had great dialogue and conversation on the bills.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
The Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety also met for a public hearing on multiple bills.
Assembly Bill 637 (AB 637) relates to removing a catalytic converter without consent and providing a penalty. This bill adds catalytic converters to the list of parts that are a major part of the vehicle. This bill also makes it a Class I felony to remove the catalytic converter from a vehicle without the owner’s consent. A Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years and six months, or both.
Assembly Bill 634 (AB 634) relates to immunity for certain controlled substances offenses for aiders and aided persons. AB 634 permanently reinstates the expanded immunities from the 2017 Wisconsin Act 33. This law grants immunity from prosecution for possessing a controlled substance to a person who provides emergency medical assistance to someone suffering from an overdose or adverse reaction to a controlled substance. The immunity also extends to prevent the revocation of parole, probation, or extended supervision for both the aider and the aided person, provided the aided person completes a treatment program. The law also mandates that a prosecutor must offer a deferred prosecution agreement to an aided person facing prosecution for possessing a controlled substance if they complete a treatment program.
Assembly Bill 620 (AB 620) relates to training expenses for officers, which I am a co-sponsor of. This bill requires the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) to pay the law enforcement agency for the approved preparatory expenses. Under current law, the approved expenses for annual recertification training must include at least $160 per law enforcement officer. This bill increases the minimum amount per officer to $320 and specifies that the law enforcement agency that employs the officer be paid for the approved expenses of the officer’s annual recertification training.
Assembly Bill 542 (AB 542) relates to grants to schools to acquire proactive firearm detection software and making an appropriation. This bill requires DOJ to award grants of up to $325,000 to schools to acquire proactive firearm detection software and provides $4,000,000 in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium for the grants. Under the bill, schools must apply for the grants jointly with the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the school.
Thank you to the bill authors and all those who came to testify during the committee’s public hearing.
Shullsburg High School
I was able to welcome students from Shullsburg High School to the Capitol. I was able to show the class the Assembly Chambers and answer their questions on state government!
Thanks to Mr. Tim Strang and his high school history and government class for taking the time to visit the capitol building!
Capitol Meeting
This week, I met with members of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA), Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA), and Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (WIFOIC). We had a productive conversation on ways to protect public notices for meetings and open records in the State of Wisconsin. As a former newspaper editor, I know how important it is to have access to open and honest government and why it is essential to protect and uphold the principles of public meeting notices and open records.
Thank you to Michelle Vetterkind (WBA), Beth Bennett (WNA), Bill Lueders (WIFOIC), Kyle Geissler (WBA), and Christa Westerberg (WNA) for taking the time to meet with me.
— Rep. Todd Novak represents Wisconsin’s 51st Assembly District. He can be reached at 608-237-9151 or email rep.novak@legis.wisconsin.gov.
