Thursday, March 28, 1996
10:00 A.M.
The Senate met.
The Senate was called to order by Senator Brian Rude.
The roll was called and the following Senators answered to their names:
Senators Adelman, Andrea, Breske, Buettner, Burke, Chvala, Clausing, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Drzewiecki, Ellis, Farrow, Fitzgerald, George, Grobschmidt, Huelsman, Jauch, A. Lasee, Moen, Moore, Panzer, Petak, C. Potter, Risser, Rosenzweig, Rude, Schultz, Shibilski, Weeden, Welch, Wineke and Zien - 33.
Absent - None.
Absent with leave - None.
The Senate stood for the prayer which was offered by Rabbi Lee Buckman of Congregation Beth Israel in Glendale and was give as follows.
The Academy Award winning film "Shindler's List" concludes with the words: "whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved an entire world."
These words find their source in the ancient Jewish legal text called the Talmud---in a section dealing with capital punishment.
Witnesses who come forward to testify in a capital case are exhorted:
Know that capital cases are not like monetary cases, where one can make restitution. In a capital case, the witness is accountable for the blood of the man and his potential posterity. For with Cain, the Bible says: "the voice of your brothers bloods cries out"--that is, his blood and the blood of his potential descendents.
For this reason, but a single human being was created to teach us that if anyone destroys a single human life in this world, it is as if he has destroyed an entire world. And if a person saves one life, it is as if he had saved the whole world.
And we, the court, remind you--all human beings are fashioned after the first human being. Yet miraculously no two faces are exactly alike. Therefore, every person can say, "for my sake the world was created."
How different our world would look if we were to view others as if they possessed infinite value, irreplaceable distinctiveness, and inherently equal!
I pray that those who enter the debate on capital punishment will be guided by a vision of a society where each individual is seen as the potential parent of all humanity, each is infinitely unique, and--since we are all created in God's image--equal, and that with God's help we will never lose hold of that vision.
Amen.
The Senate remained standing and Senator A. Lasee led the Senate in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 668
Relating to: parole eligibility.
By
Senator
Adelman
.
To committee on Judiciary.
Senate Bill 669
Relating to: exposing genitals or pubic area and providing a penalty.
By
Senator
Burke
; cosponsored by Representative Bock
.
To committee on Judiciary.
Senate Bill 670
Relating to: looking into a building for sexual purposes and providing penalties.
By
Senator
Burke
; cosponsored by Representative Bock
.
To committee on Judiciary.
Senate Bill 671
Relating to: state financial assistance to the Wisconsin Lake Schooner Education Association and making an appropriation.
By
Senator
Burke
; cosponsored by Representative Bock
.
To committee on Education and Financial Institutions.
__________________
The committee on Business, Economic Development and Urban Affairs reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 1033
Relating to: the development zone program, development zones tax credits and making an appropriation.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators Fitzgerald, Buettner, Darling, Moore and Grobschmidt.
Noes, 0 - None.
Scott Fitzgerald
Chairperson
S743
The committee on
Environment and Energy reports and recommends:
Senate Bill 208
Relating to: the reorganization of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District commission.
Passage.
Ayes, 3 - Senators Cowles, Farrow and Panzer.
Noes, 0 - None.
Senate Bill 307
Relating to: mining for minerals on lands owned by the state and under the jurisdiction of the department of natural resources, sale of lands by the department of natural resources and providing a penalty.
Introduction and adoption of Senate amendment 1.
