Upcoming Hearing

Hearing on the Wisconsin Gender Violence Act and Legislation to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Domestic Abusers

January 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. in the State Capitol

Please consider attending the hearing and speaking or registering in support of this important legislation.

Hearing Scheduled for Milwaukee Sick Pay Ordinance Appeal

Plaintiffs will argue to Court of Appeals that domestic and sexual violence are grave public health issues.

Come support the appeal Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 10 a.m. in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chamber (2^nd Floor State Capitol East).

Please join supporters of the Milwaukee Sick Pay Ordinance, victim advocates and survivors in the Supreme Court Chamber on January 20. The plaintiffs will be asking the Wisconsin Court of Appeals to overturn Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper's ruling that invalidated the ordinance. The ordinance would have allowed workers in Milwaukee paid time off of work to recover from illness, to care for a sick family member or to take preventative action for domestic violence and sexual assault, such as seeking a restraining order or relocating.

Judge Cooper struck down the ordinance because he held that the sections dealing with sexual assault and domestic violence were not sufficiently related to public health objectives. WCADV and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault have already submitted data to the court that document the true extent to which domestic and sexual violence adversely impact public health and safety. Please join us as the Court of Appeals hears this important case. Contact Tony Gibart, WCADV Policy Coordinator at tonyg@wcadv.org for more information.

Reminder: Restraining Order Legislation

Call your legislators now and ask them to co-sponsor LRB 2016. The bill will remove confusing technicalities and inconsistencies that prevent victims from getting legal protection.

Please call or email your legislators by Wednesday January 13th and urge them “to co-sponsor LRB 2016, offered by Rep. Ann Hraychuck and Senator Lena Taylor.”

Restraining Order Modernization Bill Introduced

Call your legislators now and ask them to co-sponsor LRB 2016. The bill will remove confusing technicalities and inconsistencies that prevent victims from getting legal protection.

Please call or email your legislators this week and urge them “to co-sponsor LRB 2016, offered by Rep. Ann Hraychuck and Senator Lena Taylor.” The bill provides for a number of improvements to Wisconsin’s restraining order laws that will make the legal system easier to navigate for victims.

Talking Points:

• Because of a lack of clarity in current law, some courts deny teen victims of dating violence the opportunity to get a harassment restraining order. LRB 2016 adds clarity so that all courts will hear requests for protection from minors.

• Current law contains unnecessary inconsistencies that confuse victims, advocates and court officials. LRB 2016 creates consistency between the procedures used to petition for harassment and domestic abuse injunctions.

• Some victims are encountering unnecessary delay in the restraining order process because of misinterpretations of current law or a lack of uniform standards. LRB 2016 provides reasonable standards that will ensure the legal process corresponds to the urgent needs of victims.

• LRB 2016 prevents abusers and savvy attorneys from circumventing victims’ rights to restraining orders. Under current practice, victims are sometimes asked to agree to reduced protection, while not being informed of their rights. In other cases, conflicting court orders eliminate the victim’s protection.
  
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Please call or email your legislators today. Although LRB 2016 deals with legal technicalities, its passage will make the restraining order process more effective for victims. Legislators depend on the opinions of advocates and survivors, especially when considering technical and specialized legislation such as this bill. Your call or email could make all the difference. Please contact Tony Gibart, WCADV Policy Coordinator, at tonyg@wcadv.org, if you have any questions.