Racine’s Wanggaard: Gov. Evers sides with ‘looney Left’ on crime
(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will not not be sending more money to communities that spend more on their police departments.
Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed the plan (SB 119), which would have rewarded cities and towns that do not defund the police.
“I object to the onerous restrictions it imposes on the ability of Wisconsin local governments to set their own budgets,” the governor said in his veto message.
The legislation would have cut state aid to cities equal to any local cuts to “hiring, training, and retaining law enforcement officers.” It would then redistribute that money to communities that invest more in their police departments.
Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, wrote the plan as a counter to Milwaukee and other communities that have moved to take money away from their police departments.
“There’s no other way to spin this. At a time when crime is running rampant in our state, Governor Evers wants to defund the police. Otherwise, he would have signed the bill,” Wanggaard said Friday.
“There are cities where it takes over 36 minutes to respond to a 911 call. And Evers is okay with cities cutting these vital services more? Does he want a 45-minute response time?” Wanggaard asked. “There are areas of the state with virtually no EMS service. All across the country, cities that cut their police departments are seeing skyrocketing crime.”
The legislation passed on mostly party lines votes this spring, though a few Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the proposal.
Wanggaard said the governor is listening to the “looney Left.”
Evers did sign one of Wanggaard’s other pieces of legislation.
The governor signed SB 120 into law. It creates new rules for police use of force, and for the reporting of use of force across the state.
“This is another step forward in creating a more equitable, just, and safer Wisconsin for every community and to ensure accountability and transparency in our law enforcement systems. That said, our work is far from done and we must continue to strive towards meaningful change to address the systemic injustice that plagues our state and country,” the governor said.
Wanggaard did not comment on SB 120’s signature into law.
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