February 12, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / September / Archives for 17th

Assembly approves OWI reforms

September 17, 2009 By

Increased penalties for drunk drivers have unanimously cleared the state Assembly.

On a 95-0 vote Thursday, the Assembly approved legislation that makes 4th offense OWI a felony, expands treatment programs, and requires repeat offenders to have ignition interlock devices installed in their vehicles.

State Representative Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), a sponsor of the measure, says it’s a comprehensive bill that tries to address a problem in Wisconsin. While he admits it may not go as far as some anti-drunk driving groups wants, he believes it will start the process of passing additional reforms in the Legislature.

During debate in the Assembly, several lawmakers reflected on loved ones killed by drunk drivers. State Representative Kim Hixson (D-Whitewater) remembered losing his girlfriend at the age of 18. He says it seems so unfair that she missed out on all the joys of life because someone acted irresponsibly and got behind the wheel after drinking.

State Representative Louis Molepske (D-Stevens Point) says the bill addresses an issue that touches every Wisconsin county, with thousands of OWI arrests in the state each year.

The bill now heads to the state Senate.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:01)

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: ,

Payday loan cap gets more discussion

September 17, 2009 By

If payday lenders are unscrupulous we all pay. That’s the message from a lawmaker that wants to cap interest rates for payday loans at 36-percent annually. State Representative Gordon Hintz’s (D-Oshkosh) held an informational hearing on the bill Wednesday. He says those who are patronizing these lenders don’t have much disposable income. He says rather than clients paying the high interest rates they could be paying for food, clothing and other items that contribute to the economy. The Oshkosh Democrat says when the debtor can no longer afford to pay their necessary bills, county emergency fund money is sometimes used, meaning taxpayers are picking up the tab.

Michael Trepanier, Executive Assistant at the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, believes protections enjoyed by the military should extends to all Wisconsinites.. In 2006 Congress set the Military Annual Percentage rate, a 36-percent rate cap, for active duty members. However he adds veterans do not enjoy those consumer rate protections.

Jennifer Johnson, Senior Legislative Counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending, testified that payday loan businesses have mechanisms that can snare clients into debt including spiking interest rates and direct access clients’ bank accounts.  She equated payday loans to “a defective product.” The so-called predatory lending can charge interest rates as high as 500-percent.

The payday loan industry has said they offer a service for people who need cash in an emergency, and want to avoid writing a bad check. Jamie Fulmer with Advance America, a payday lending company, says the rate cap proposal would make it impossible for them to stay open. He says it would only allow them to charge about $1.38 for every $100 borrowed on a two week loan. Currently, he says most lenders charge about $20 for that service, which helps them cover their overhead and remain profitable.

Filed Under: Business, Economy, Legislature

Taxing soda to fight obesity

September 17, 2009 By

A UW doctor likes a new plan to increase the tax on soda.

A group of nutrition and economic experts is pushing for a penny-an-ounce tax to fight obesity. The charge would not only be on soda, but other sweetened beverages.

Doctor Pat Remington, Associate Dean of the UW School of Medicine, applauds the move. He says there’s strong evidence that shows sugar-sweetened beverage has a major impact on obesity rates in the US. Remington says some of the sugary drinks, which often come in super sizes, can contain 500 to 600 calories.

Remington says the tax could help to fund anti-obesity programs and also help convince some soda drinkers that the product is just too expensive.

AUDIO: John Colbert reports (MP3 :32)

Filed Under: Taxes

DNA missing from criminal database

September 17, 2009 By

Law enforcement leaders around Wisconsin say it’s “disturbing” that 12,000 DNA samples from convicted felons are missing from a state database. Attorney General JB Van Hollen announced the missing samples yesterday, after it was learned that the state lost a sample submitted by alleged Milwaukee serial killer Walter Ellis when he was in prison for another offense in 2001.

Prosecutors said it allowed Ellis to go free, and kill at least one other woman before he was arrested two weeks ago. He’s charged with killing seven prostitutes in Milwaukee since 1986. Van Hollen said his agency learned that an imposter provided Ellis’s DNA sample at the Oshkosh prison and a Crime Lab analyst never told anyone after finding that something was amiss. Since 2000, all convicted felons have been required to leave DNA samples.

AUDIO: JB Van Hollen (MP3 :15)

The samples have provided evidence that not only solves crimes but frees those who were wrongly convicted.

State Justice official Gary Hamblen said many criminals got lost in the shuffle when the DNA sample law first took effect. Others never went to prison, and some authorities may not have thought it was important to get those samples. Hamblen is not sure how many felons are on the streets today who have not given their DNA but he’ll find out.

The omissions took place during the terms of three attorneys general; Van Hollen, Peg Lautenschlager, and now-Governor Jim Doyle. Van Hollen said he inherited the problem, and he did not suggest that anyone be held accountable.

But Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said heads must roll. He said, “Let’s go ask the victims of unsolved sexual assaults or other crimes if they feel anybody needs to be held accountable.”

At least two lawmakers, both from Milwaukee, have called for further action. State Representative Leon Young wants lawmakers to direct the Legislative Audit Bureau to probe the matter. State Senator Spencer Coggs wants a special DNA task force created to coordinate collection of the missing material.

Jason Fischer contributed to this report

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Unemployment declines third straight month

September 17, 2009 By

Wisconsin’s unemployment dropped for the third consecutive month in August. That’s according to numbers from the state Department of Workforce Development, which show an August unemployment rate of 8.4 percent, down .04 percentage points from July and .08 percentage points since June, when the state’s unemployment rate crested at 9.2 percent.

Still, Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman notes many Wisconsin residents remain without work, even as the overall economy continues to show signs of a turnaround.

Despite the decline in joblessness, the August rate was still almost four percentage points higher than one year ago, when Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent. Wisconsin has lost more than 129,000 jobs this year.

Filed Under: Economy
Next Page »