Fleeing from an officer in Wisconsin will be met with increased penalties under one of 29 bills signed into law Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
The new laws include measures to increase spending to support crime victims, increase state resources to prevent human trafficking, and ban the ownership and sale of lifelike sex dolls made to resemble children or infants.
“We’re working to address the cycle of violence, prevent crime, and keep our schools, streets, and communities safe across Wisconsin,” Evers said in a statement.
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Senate Bill 514 increases the penalty for fleeing an officer and creates a minimum sentencing requirement for instances in which someone attempting to elude police kills or seriously harms someone or their property.
The bill follows other laws the governor signed this legislative session that increase the penalty for reckless driving and carjacking and allow local officials to impound the vehicle of a person with repeat reckless driving offenses.
Human trafficking
Assembly Bill 973 requires Wisconsin employers to provide training on identifying and preventing human trafficking for employees likely to interact with the public and vulnerable individuals, like security officers, lodging establishment managers and people who own or operate adult entertainment establishments.
Assembly Bill 978 creates a 23-member Human Trafficking Council within the state Department of Justice tasked with compiling and maintaining data, developing training and creating a statewide strategic plan to prevent human trafficking. The task force is also charged with establishing county-level human trafficking task forces.
The new law calls for the council’s creation next July.
“Human trafficking is not some faraway concern — it’s an issue in neighborhoods and communities across Wisconsin and can have detrimental, lifelong effects on so many lives that deserves our urgent attention and action,” Evers said. “Expanding training for folks who regularly interact with the public to identify human trafficking when they see it will be a critical tool in our efforts to intervene and prevent human trafficking crimes.”
Another bill signed Wednesday, Assembly Bill 940, allocates $10 million in crime victim grants to be administered by the state DOJ. Under the measure; $6.4 million would go toward sexual assault victim services grants; $2.4 million would be spent on domestic abuse grants; and $1.2 million would go to child advocacy grants.
Evers said the bills will help support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, but added he’s concerned the measure may exclude some groups from receiving funding to provide services to those in the state.
The governor said his next two-year spending plan will “once again propose comprehensive efforts to support domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and crime victims.”
Child porn, sex dolls
Another bill signed Wednesday, Senate Bill 321, makes it a felony to possess, manufacture and sell child sex dolls. With the bill’s passage, Wisconsin joins a growing number of states to outlaw such dolls.
The law defines a child sex doll as an “anatomically correct doll, mannequin, or robot, with features that resemble a minor that is intended for use in sex acts, for sexual gratification, or for manipulating children into participating in sex acts, instructing children how to participate in sex acts, or normalizing sexual behavior with children.”
The level of felony penalty for possessing, manufacturing or selling a child sex doll would vary depending on whether the violation is a repeat offense, the number of dolls found in possession and other past convictions for crimes against children, according to an analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.
Evers also signed Senate Bill 314, which creates a new felony crime for possession of child pornography created using artificial intelligence technology. Violations include knowingly receiving, distributing, producing, possessing or accessing obscene material containing depictions of purported children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
“Protecting our kids is one of my highest priorities,” bill co-author Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona, said in a statement. “As technology increases access and availability to new forms of abuse for pedophiles, we have to adjust our laws. We will always take a stand against those looking to prey upon our children.”
Judges’ privacy
The governor also signed three bills aimed at creating new protections for Wisconsin judges.
Lawmakers advanced the proposals after the 2022 murder of retired Juneau County judge John Roemer, who was killed in his New Lisbon home by a man he previously sentenced.
“Unfortunately, this tragic situation is not an outlier,” Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler said in a statement. “Across the country, threats and acts of judicial violence and intimidation have been on the rise. That reality is unacceptable: It is a basic tenet of judicial independence that judges should not be intimidated, influenced, threatened, or killed for doing their job.”
Assembly Bill 965 creates a new misdemeanor crime for picketing, parading or demonstrating at or near a judge’s residence with the intent of impeding or obstructing the administration of justice or with the intent to influence a judge.
Assembly Bill 966 creates an exception for judicial officers allowing them to request that personal information, such as home addresses, not be made public on nomination papers filed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Assembly Bill 967 exempts judicial security profile forms, which are used to develop emergency response plans and include personal information, from the state’s public records law.