Republicans propose measures to recruit officers, preserve no-knock search warrants, teach children how to interact with police

MADISON - Republican lawmakers are starting a new session in an election year likely to focus on public safety issues with a package of bills aimed at recruiting police officers, prohibiting bans on no-knock search warrants, and teaching children how to interact with law enforcement. 

The lawmakers who control the state Legislature also are proposing to require Milwaukee officials use a portion of the city's allocation of federal pandemic aid to fund their police department.

The measures aimed at boosting police ranks that were released Tuesday coincide with Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul's proposal to provide $10 million in state funds for grant programs supporting law enforcement recruitment, retention and wellness. 

Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said Tuesday the GOP package would spend about $25 million in federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act. 

"We know that we want our communities to be safe and we know that law enforcement plays a key role in that and this package of bills today will help us retain recruit and train more folks to help us with that important mission in our communities," Born said at a press conference in the state Capitol on Tuesday.

Police issues are expected to be a focal point of races on 2022 ballots. In recent months, GOP candidates for governor and attorney general launched their campaigns against the Democratic incumbents with a heavy focus on how Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers responded to riots and protests following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the August 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer. 

The proposals would require Evers to spend federal pandemic aid to provide bonuses to new Wisconsin officers, pay for mandatory training and a statewide recruitment campaign, and require technical colleges to create part-time academy programs. 

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said Republicans could have helped address the same issues during the state budget-writing process last summer and in 2019 by adopting Evers' previous spending plans. 

Hintz said if Republicans had adopted the plans, local governments would have received an additional $50.2 million from the state that could have been used to boost departments and pay for the programs proposed now. 

"Unfortunately, the Republican-controlled legislature rejected these proposed increases, despite a significant state fund balance," Hintz said in a statement.

"Now, Legislative Republicans are proposing using one-time COVID funds to fund local law enforcement at roughly half the amount Governor Evers proposed since he was elected in 2018, and that Republicans voted against."

Born said using federal funding for the proposals is appropriate because departments are experiencing COVID-19-related workforce challenges. 

"We're confident that this is not only a proper use, but a smart use of these funds," he said. 

West Allis Police Chief Patrick Mitchell said departments across the state are experiencing shortages of officers, a trend that began about 10 years ago. 

"It's very complicated issue, but one of the things that has driven it in the past two years is clearly the events in Minneapolis," Mitchell said at the Capitol press conference, referring to Floyd's death.

"You have an event in Minneapolis — horrible event. The police officer has been held accountable. And what we witnessed in the profession is a condemnation of our entire profession for the actions of one."

A spokeswoman for Evers did not say whether he had a reaction the package of legislation.

The governor is unlikely to support one bill that would bar local elected officials, police chiefs and sheriffs, and fire and police commissioners, from banning no-knock search warrants either by ordinance or policy.

Evers last year called for a ban on such warrants. The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission earlier this year banned the practice. 

Another bill would require the state Department of Public Instruction to develop a model curriculum school boards could adopt that teach children in grades five through 12 how to interact with police officers with "mutual cooperation and respect."

The bill would require DPI officials to consult with law enforcement advocates. 

A spokesman for State Superintendent Jill Underly, who oversees the DPI, did not respond to a request for comment. 

In 2017, Texas lawmakers passed a similar bill requiring the Texas Education Agency to send school district officials materials to teach high school students how to interact with police officers during traffic stops. 

You can find out who your legislators are and how to contact them here.

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.