WHEREAS, Wisconsinites have taken a stand, expressing justified and shared frustration and anger about systemic injustices in our criminal justice system, including calling for reforms to end the excessive use of force and immediate escalation when engaging with Black Wisconsinites;
WHEREAS, the United States leads the developed world in officer-involved deaths, with more than 1,000 Americans fatally shot by police in 2019;
WHEREAS, on June 19, 2020, I called upon the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass policing accountability and transparency reform measures, including LRB-6273, LRB-6274, LRB-6275, LRB-6276, LRB-6277, LRB-6281, LRB-6283, LRB-6289, and LRB-6292, indicating I would call the Legislature into special session to act if no legislative action was taken on these measures; and
WHEREAS, no legislative action has been taken to respond to the people of Wisconsin who are demanding action, accountability, transparency, equity, and justice for Black Wisconsinites in our state;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, TONY EVERS, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State, specifically Article IV, Section 11 and Article V, Section 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution, hereby require the convening of a special session of the Legislature at the Capitol in the City of Madison, to commence at 12,:00 pm on August 31, 2020, solely to consider and act upon the following:
11.
LRB-6273/1 and LRB-6424/1, relating to law enforcement agency policies on the use of force. 22.
LRB-6274/2 and LRB-6425/1, relating to law enforcement training on use of force options. 33.
LRB-6275/1 and LRB-6426/1, relating to a violence interruption grant program and making an appropriation. 44.
LRB-6276/1 and LRB-6427/1, relating to prohibiting use of choke holds by law enforcement officers in use of force policies. 55.
LRB-6277/1 and LRB-6428/1, relating to public access to policies regarding the use of force by law enforcement. 66.
LRB-6281/1 and LRB-6429/1, relating to unnecessarily summoning a police officer and creating a civil cause of action. 77.
LRB 6283/2 and 6430/1, relating to reporting of law enforcement use of force incidents. 88.
LRB-6289/1 and LRB-6431/1, relating to prohibiting no-knock search warrants. 99.
LRB-622/2 and LRB-6432/1, relating to the responsibilities of the Law Enforcement Standards Board and disclosure of employment files when recruiting former or current officers. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed. Done in the City of Madison this twenty-fourth day of August, in the year two thousand twenty.
TONY EVERS
Governor
By the Governor:
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State
_____________
Adjournment
Chief Clerk Renk, with unanimous consent, asked that the August 2020 Special Session of the Senate stand adjourned until Thursday, September 3, 2020.
Adjourned.
12:02 P.M.
