A Republican lawmaker says it's time to give Milwaukee taxpayers a break. State Rep. Steve Nass says politics threaten to derail an effort, to cut off paychecks for Milwaukee police officers who've been fired from the job. "The Assembly version (of legislation dealing with the issue) is very watered down," says Nass. "That bill is not going to pass the Senate, and it's a way to dispose of the problem without dealing with it. It's politics."
An Assembly committee essentially gutted the bill from state Rep. Barbara Toles (co-sponsored by Nass) this week, so Nass is calling on Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch to schedule a vote on the Senate version, which passed that chamber with overwhelming support. Nass, whose father is a retired police officer, says he understands why the Milwaukee Police Association wants to maintain the status quo, but Milwaukee taxpayers can't afford to wait any longer.
