A state Assembly panel was scheduled to vote at the lunch hour on Republican bills to legally define riots, and make it easier for police to control them. The Judiciary Committee was considering three measures from Marshfield Representative John Spiros and Racine Senator Van Wanggaard — bills that respond to Milwaukee’s Sherman Park riots 14 months ago. The measures would define a riot as involving three or more people who threaten or constitute a danger for injuries or property damage. It would be a felony to carry weapons during a riot and participate in violence, and blocking streets during a riot would be a misdemeanor. The lawmakers say it’s in the name of safety, but opponents accuse the G-O-P of possibly snuffing out peaceful dissent with language that’s too vague.
Assembly Panel To Vote On Riot Definition, Crackdowns
Oct 12, 2017 | 2:05 PM
State News