Protecting Crime Victims

Wanggaard Unveils "Marsy's Law" to Protect Victims

This week is National Crime Victims' Rights Week, and I am proud to unveil Marsy's Law which would ensure crime victims' rights are protected in Wisconsin. I have been working on this constitutional amendment with Rep. Todd Novak and Attorney General Brad Schimel to put victim's rights on the same legal level of protection as those of the accused.

Wisconsin has long been a leader in providing rights and protections for victims of crime. We were the first state in the country to pass a Crime Victim's Bill of Rights, and in 1993, Wisconsin became one of the earliest states to adopt a constitutional amendment protecting victims of crime. In 2011, I authored a law that provided statutory rights to crime victims. This is a great legacy for our state, but a lot has happened in the nearly 25 years since that amendment was first written.

Marsy's Law takes what we have learned over the last 25 years and incorporates it into our constitution. The bill strengthens statutory protections including the right to legal standing, the right for a victim to be heard during the legal process, and allowing a victim to assert any of his or her rights in court, among many others.

As a former law enforcement officer, sadly I know first-hand the effects of crime on our communities and the impacted victims. Our focus needs to be on caring for and protecting those victims in our state, not on coddling criminals. I’m proud of Wisconsin’s history on victims’ rights, and even prouder to stand up to make sure those rights are truly equal. Many of my colleagues have already joined me in support of this important bill, and I am hopeful we can pass it quickly this legislative session.

IRS Tax Scams

Tax Day is Tuesday, April 18, and unfortunately fake IRS phone calls are back. This nationwide scam appeared to take a temporary break after the crackdown on a foreign call center list last year, but the Consumer Protection Hotline at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has recently received a number of reports of these types of scam attempts.

To help keep residents safe, DATCP is reminding taxpayers that the IRS will never call and threaten you. If you receive a call demanding payment or threatening legal action for unpaid taxes the best thing to do is to hang up. If you ever question the authenticity of a letter, phone call or email you receive that claims to be from a government agency, contact that agency directly to inquire.

For additional information, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.

Senate Scholar Visit

It was nice to meet with Senate Scholar participant, Seap, last week when she spent the week in Madison learning about the legislature. As part of the week-long Senate Scholar program, Seap got to sit in on meetings, attend hearings, meet with key members of Senate agencies, practice drafting legislation and participate in mock hearings.

Seap attends St. Joseph Catholic Academy High School in Kenosha, and is a very bright young woman. Thank you for visiting and keep up the good work, Seap!