Lawmakers to vote on reckless driving bills, stiffer penalties for overdose deaths

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- This week, lawmakers will vote on proposals aimed at combating reckless driving and increasing penalties on drug-related deaths.

On Wednesday, the Assembly will consider a bipartisan bill that would double fines from $200 to $400 for a first reckless driving offense. That amount goes up to $1,000 for a second violation, under the bill. It also would let judges hand out harsher sentences for criminal reckless driving offenses.

Another proposal would let local governments pass an ordinance allowing police to impound vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. The measure would apply to the driver who's cited and has yet to pay fines associated with a prior reckless driving offense.

The effort comes as the Milwaukee Police Department said they issued 497 driving citations for reckless driving this year, a 36% increase since 2022. Statewide, about 2,900 Wisconsinites are injured in reckless driving crashes each year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

"Double the current penalties for all instances of reckless driving including fines and imprisonment, and I think that is the important message that needs to be sent to the individuals involved in this behavior, that we will no longer tolerate it," said Republican bill author Rep. Bob Donovan, who previously served as a Milwaukee alderman.

Both proposals have support from Democrats and Milwaukee officials, but some argue these bills alone will not stop reckless driving. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D-Madison) is one of them.

She says another solution would be giving more state aid to local governments to help them pay for police and other services, a revenue stream known as shared revenue. Both sides of the aisle have expressed a willingness to prioritize shared revenue this legislative session.

"Yes, we should be doing better, and we can be doing better, but that involves actually funding our local communities so that they can fund law enforcement," Agard said.

The Senate is only scheduled to vote on one reckless driving bill Wednesday that would authorize police to tow vehicles involved in dangerous driving incidents.

The proposals are competing with provisions in Gov. Tony Evers’ budget centered around reckless driving. His proposal includes allocating $60 million for traffic calming infrastructure grants, stiffer penalties for drunk driving offenses and allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license.

Rep. Mark Born, the Republican co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, suggested earlier this year they would reject aspects of Evers' plan, including issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

Evers can use his line-item veto to tweak spending proposals in the state budget to his liking, but he cannot use the same powers to the Republican-authored reckless driving bills.

A spokeswoman for Evers did not respond to a request whether the governor supports these bills.

Overdose Deaths, Stiffer Gun Possession Charges

Republicans will also vote on a proposal that would increase penalties for overdose deaths and require felons caught with a gun to serve five years in prison.

Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha) and Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) introduced the bill as law enforcement and communities have struggled with the ongoing fentanyl crisis.

Under current law, every crime categorized as first-degree reckless homicide carries the penalty of a Class B felony, except for causing death by a controlled substance. This bill would change that to "ensure that those who kill by dealing drugs will face imprisonment for up to 60 years," according to a press release.

The bill will receive a vote in the Senate.

In the Assembly, lawmakers will also vote on a proposal to require judges to sentence felons to five years in jail if charged with possession of a gun.