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.
Ayes, 5 - Senators Cowles, Farrow, Panzer, Burke and Clausing.
Noes, 0 - None.
Passage as amended.
Ayes, 5 - Senators Cowles, Farrow, Panzer, Burke and Clausing.
Noes, 0 - None.
Robert Cowles
Chairperson
The committee on Insurance reports and recommends:
Senate Bill 621
Relating to: regulation of viatical settlement contracts, exempting from the income tax income that is received from the sale of a life insurance policy under a viatical settlement contract and granting rule-making authority.
Introduction and adoption of Senate amendment 1.
Ayes, 7 - Senators Schultz, Huelsman, Buettner, Cowles, C. Potter, Shibilski and Jauch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Introduction and adoption of Senate amendment 2.
Ayes, 7 - Senators Schultz, Huelsman, Buettner, Cowles, C. Potter, Shibilski and Jauch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Passage as amended.
Ayes, 7 - Senators Schultz, Huelsman, Buettner, Cowles, C. Potter, Shibilski and Jauch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Dale Schultz
Chairperson
The committee on Judiciary reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 841
Relating to: possession and distribution of certain photographs, motion pictures, videos or other visual representations showing nudity and providing a penalty.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators Huelsman, Welch, Darling, Risser and Adelman.
Noes, 0 - None.
Joanne Huelsman
Chairperson
The committee on Senate Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Joint Resolution 59
Relating to: expressing support for the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Adoption.
Ayes, 4 - Senators Ellis, Rude, Farrow and Chvala.
Noes, 0 - None.
Michael Ellis
Chairperson
The committee on State Government Operations and Corrections reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 775
Relating to: reporting of nontaxable income; extensions for filing corporate income tax and franchise tax returns; denying a tax deduction to certain corporations for wages paid to an entertainer or entertainment corporation if withholding requirements are not met; requiring certain persons who have liability for the use tax to register with the department of revenue; withholding for income taxes; the date on which a delinquency determination for withholding, sales taxes or use taxes becomes due; allowing the department of revenue to use sampling to determine the liability for certain taxes; depositing tax assessments with the department of revenue; information returns; and determining when late and extended tax returns are considered filed.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators Drzewiecki, A. Lasee, Fitzgerald, Moen and Breske.
Noes, 0 - None.