The Wisconsin Senate has approved a bail reform amendment to the state Constitution. Tuesday’s bipartisan 23-9 vote moves the proposed amendment closer to the April statewide ballot. The Assembly is scheduled to vote on the proposal on Thursday.
It allows judges to look at “the totality of the circumstances” when determining bail, according to authors Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Representative Cindi Duchow (R-Delafield). Currently, a judge can only consider flight risk when setting cash bail, and may only set other conditions of bail in light of potential serious bodily harm, meaning injury with a risk of death.