A key piece of Wednesday’s legislation package would double the license renewal period from two years to four, something backed by an array of Wisconsin health providers. Nurses, therapists and other professionals reported waiting months for their paperwork to go through DSPS.Īlthough average wait times dropped last fall, Republicans still wanted to speed up the process. The bill package still requires Senate approval before being sent to the governor’s desk.Ĭalls for reform gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as critics lambasted Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services for taking too long to approve licenses for frontline health workers. Six of the seven bills in Wednesday’s legislation package passed along mostly party lines, though a bill requiring professionals renewing their license to submit their application and fees before their credentials expire passed with broad bipartisan support. Bill package to speed up licensing delays passesĪssembly lawmakers approved a bill package Wednesday that would speed up the licensing process for a wide range of professionals after years of delays. Lawmakers took up a number of other proposals Wednesday. “Sixty years, for most folks, is a life sentence.” “I want to make sure that somebody who is an addict does have a chance of some life,” she said. Lisa Subeck, D-Milwaukee, echoed the ACLU’s concerns during the debate Wednesday. The ACLU cited a 2018 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which found higher drug imprisonment rates don’t translate into lower drug use rates, arrests or overdose deaths. “But the way the legislation is written, as well as how similar policies have been enforced, this law could be used to lock up friends, family and romantic partners of people who die of an overdose.” “Lawmakers argue that the bill will target drug kingpins and mass distributors," the ACLU wrote in a blog post Tuesday. The ACLU warned increasing penalties would further criminalize addiction and cause more overdose deaths. Only one group, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, registered in opposition to the measure. The Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Milwaukee Police Association and Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association are registered in support of the bill. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, testified in March. “These drug dealers know that fentanyl can kill, but they would rather risk their client’s lives to make a quick buck,” Sen. ![]() The drug was identified in 78% of Milwaukee County overdose deaths from 2020 to 2022, according to data from the county medical examiner’s office. It’s often an added ingredient in a range of street drugs, but its presence isn’t always advertised to buyers. Why the focus on fentanyl?įentanyl is a synthetic opioid noted for its cheap cost, potency and addictiveness. Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback did not respond to a question about whether the governor would veto the bill. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, who owns a bar where drugs laced with fentanyl were sold, resulting in four overdoses and one death. ![]() “The soft on crime issue doesn’t work here,” said Rep. MADISON – The Wisconsin Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill that would increase penalties for drug dealers in overdose deaths amid rising reports of fentanyl-laced drug fatalities.Ĭurrent state law charges individuals responsible for distributing drugs leading to an overdose death with a Class C felony for first-degree reckless homicide, punishable by a maximum $100,000 fine or 40 years in prison.īut as reports of overdose deaths rise - especially from drugs containing fentanyl - lawmakers voted Wednesday to reclassify drug dealing-related overdose deaths as a Class B felony, adding an extra 20 years to the maximum prison sentence and eliminating the chance for a convicted person to get off without prison time.
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