By State Rep. Brent Jacobson

On Friday, Aug. 8, Gov. Tony Evers vetoed five of the bills sent to his desk by the Wisconsin Legislature. One of these vetoed bills was AB 85, which would have ensured that criminals would go before a judge for revocation if they are charged with a new crime while serving community supervision. Another was AB 73, which would have statutorily recognized two specialized dockets in Wisconsin’s court system.

I am disappointed and frustrated that Governor Evers has once again chosen to stand in the way of meaningful reform to our justice system. These two bills offered real solutions to the growing backlog in our courts and the threat posed to our communities by rampant criminal recidivism. By vetoing AB 85 and AB 73, the Governor has demonstrated an unwillingness to address these major issues.

By the Department of Corrections’ own estimates, over 6,000 individuals are allowed to remain on our streets despite continuing their criminal activity while on probation, parole, or extended release. Meanwhile, our courts are clogged with complex commercial cases that can drag out for years, consuming resources that could go to other areas. Despite the Governor’s obstruction, I will continue to fight to protect Wisconsinites from being victimized and to improve efficiency in our courts.