A state lawmaker wants to crackdown on litter bugs.
State Representative Andy Jorgensen (D-Fort Atkinson) says he's hearing a growing number of concerns about people dumping large amounts of trash by the side of the road. He says some people just leave a small bag of trash next to the road, while some clean out their entire garage and leave the mess behind for others to pick up.
Jorgensen is sponsoring a bill that would double the range of fines for littering from $500 to $1,000. The DNR actually determines how much a person will be fined, but Jorgensen says allowing a higher limit would help send a message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.
The Fort Atkinson Democrat says the proposal is aimed at people who dump large amounts of trash, not at those who just toss a candy wrapper out the window. He also admits that it may not discourage those habitual litter bugs who are just going to toss their trash where they want to.
The DNR does investigate large incidents of illegal dumping. In many cases, Jorgensen says they're able to use personal items in the trash to trace it back to the original owner.