Wisconsin lawmakers vote on affirmative action ban, other bills
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Legislature voted on a number of proposals Tuesday, including one resolution that would put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. Here's a look at some of what was discussed in Madison.
Pay for suspended judges
The backstory:
The Wisconsin Assembly approved a bill, inspired by the Hannah Dugan case, that would withhold pay for judges suspended for misconduct. If the judge was later found innocent, they would then be entitled to backpay.
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Dugan was paid for eight months after she was federally charged and the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended her from serving as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge.
After a federal trial in December, a jury convicted Dugan of obstructing federal agents who were at the courthouse to conduct an immigration enforcement arrest. She resigned earlier this month, then lost her pay.
Bill addresses pay for suspended judges
The Wisconsin Assembly approved a bill, inspired by the Hannah Dugan case, that would withhold pay for judges suspended for misconduct.
What they're saying:
"Not only is it an extended vacation, which is what Judge Dugan ended up enjoying while she was not doing her job, but in addition to that, we had other judges fill the role and get the job done," said State Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers).
"I still think, constitutionally and from a legal standpoint, I think they're going to run into issues with that, as far as the letter of the law on it, because, again, you're innocent until proven guilty. It's like they still should be compensated until they are proven innocent or guilty," said State Rep. Russell Goodwin (D-Milwaukee).
Affirmative action amendment
The backstory:
The Wisconsin Assembly advanced a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that would ban what is known as affirmative action in Wisconsin.
The proposal would stop the state from discriminating or giving preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin for employment, contracts and public education. That means it would apply to Wisconsin's public universities and technical colleges.
It's part of the national debate over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Wisconsin Republicans want to add it to the state constitution. The final say, though, will be up to you.
Lawmakers vote on affirmative action ban
The Wisconsin Assembly approved a proposal on Tuesday that would ban the state from giving preferential treatment based on race. The final say, though, will be up to you.
To change the Wisconsin Constitution first requires approval from two consecutive legislative sessions. That happened in the 2023-2024 session, and now it comes before the 2025-2026 session.
The Assembly voted to approve the amendment 54-45 on party lines Tuesday, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. It next goes to the Wisconsin Senate. If passed, it doesn't go to the governor; instead, voters in Wisconsin have the final approval or rejection on the November ballot.
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What they're saying:
"I call this constitutional amendment the equality amendment, because what it does is it restores merit, fairness and equality to government practices in Wisconsin all the way from the state capital all the way down to our school boards and everything in between," said bill author State Rep. David Murphy (R-Hortonville).
"It's going to be unfortunate, where they would have had an opportunity to get ahead," Goodwin, who voted no, said. "This is one more not: to knock people down, whereas this was to benefit certain people, to help them in situations where they wouldn't get this opportunity in some instances."
Felony grooming
The backstory:
The Wisconsin Assembly also on Tuesday passed a bill that would make "grooming" a criminal offense. It passed 93-6.
State Rep. Amanda Nedewski (R-Pleasant Prairie) authored the bill. She said her motivation came out of a case involving a Kenosha teacher convicted of disorderly conduct. In court filings, prosecutors described the teacher's behavior as "grooming," that included sending hundreds of Snapchat messages to a student.
Wisconsin bill would make 'grooming' a felony
The Wisconsin Assembly also on Tuesday passed a bill that would make "grooming" a criminal offense. Here's what it does.
The bill would make grooming a felony and describe what it is: a pattern with the intention to condition, seduce, lure or entice a child for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact or to produce child pornography. Grooming could include comments, suggestions or conversations of a sexual nature.
Now, the bill heads to the Wisconsin Senate, where it would still need a hearing and a vote. It has bipartisan support, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is also on board.
What they're saying:
"Wisconsin does not have a criminal definition of grooming," Nedewski said. "The lack of criminal definition of grooming in Wisconsin allows predators to exploit loopholes, avoid accountability and evade meaningful justice under the law."
The Source: FOX6 News was in Madison and spoke to lawmakers about the proposed legislation.