Legislation giving repeat criminals higher penalties for retail theft is one of four bills heading to Governor Tony Evers’ desk.
All four bills are authored by State Senator Andre Jacque of New Franken.
First, Assembly Bill 89 is in response to “the rise in retail theft and loss by small businesses,” and gives prosecutors the ability to aggregate the value of stolen items and increase penalties for repeat offenders, allowing for stronger criminal charges.
The New Franken Republican explains that when the value of stolen items is under $500, the penalty is only a misdemeanor.
The bill allows prosecutors to aggregate the value of stolen items to achieve a more appropriate penalty.
Senate Bill 259/Assembly Bill 252 is a bipartisan measure introduced by Rep. Robert Brooks of Saukville to protect victims of domestic abuse or neglect among military family members by making sure human and social service agencies bring cases of alleged domestic abuse to the attention of the Department of Defense.
The third bill, called the Protecting Adults at Risk, would extend protections for at-risk adults under 60 and allow courts to freeze their assets if the victim is threatened with financial exploitation.
The fourth bill is a resolution Condemning the Abduction of Ukrainian Children. Jacque says of the resolution, “With this vote, the Wisconsin Legislature 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.”
