Three pieces of legislation written by a De Pere state senator regarding crime have cleared the Wisconsin Senate.
The first bill introduced by Sen. Andre Jacque involved problem-solving courts that are specialized for drug treatment, OWI offenses, and commercial disputes.
One of the two bills in the problem-solving court legislation would reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and relieve pressure on the court system by focusing on criminal justice resources on violent offenders while also providing statutory establishments of commercial courts, established in a 2017 Wisconsin Supreme Court pilot project dedicating circuit court judicial dockets for large-claim commercial cases.
The second bill would expand the TAD or Treatment Alternative and Diversion Grant program.
The third Senate bill would allow public safety officials to bring more appropriate charges against violent criminals.
Jacque says the legislation provides a reasonable fix to remove the disproportionate treatment of something like a property crime over crimes against bodily security by raising the penalty for entering with intent to commit a crime like battery.
All the bills need to pass the Wisconsin Assembly before Governor Tony Evers could consider them.
