MADISON (WKOW) -- Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) will co-chair the new Speaker’s Task Force with Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna), Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) announced Tuesday.
The special committee will focus on racial disparities, educational opportunities, public safety, and police policies and standards, according to a news release from Vos's office.
“I want to thank Rep. Stubbs for accepting the invitation to co-chair the bipartisan task force,” Vos said. “It’s through listening and learning from one another that we can find a way forward together.”
Speaker Vos also announced a new e-mail address where community members can apply to be on the task force. Individuals can send their statement of interest and resume to SpeakersTaskForce@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Thestate Assembly and Senate opened a special session Aug. 31called by Gov. Tony Evers on police reform, then recessed until a later date.
The move allows lawmakers to come back to take up legislation, but Republicans are not giving any indications if they will or when.
Democrats introduced a package of bills in June that includes the creation of a statewide use of force standard. Another would require the Wisconsin Department of Justice to release an annual report on use of force in the state.
The only Republican to introduce bills related to law enforcement is Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine.
One of his proposals would require police departments to make their use of force policies publicly available for review. It would also ban departments from disciplining employees who report use of force policy violations.
Sen. Wanggard has also proposed a bill that would cut state funding from cities and villages that cut their police budgets. The bill would reduce municipal aid by the same amount that the local government shifted away from its police department.
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