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(The Center Square) – More than three-dozen Wisconsin lawmakers want Gov. Tony Evers to pause his plan to cut sentences short for some criminals in the state.
Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, R-Hubertus, released the letter to the governor, saying crimes victims in the state need more time and more of a voice in the process.
“Many Wisconsinites are stunned that convicted cop killers are even being considered for commutation. Cases like Ted Oswald's murder of Waukesha Police Captain James Lutz are exactly why so many families believed Wisconsin's truth-in-sentencing laws finally brought certainty and finality for victims and their loved ones," the lawmakers wrote.
Evers announced in April he is ending a pause in commutations in Wisconsin, and he is reviewing thousands of requests.
“It’s time for Wisconsin to join red and blue states across our country and finally move our justice system into the 21st Century by reforming our criminal justice and corrections systems to improve public safety, reduce the likelihood that individuals will reoffend when they enter our communities, and save taxpayer dollars in the long run,” the governor said in a statement.
Piwowarczyk said the governor's announcement not only caught families off-guard, but has created a problem for what he called "overwhelmed" state and local prosecutors who are required to abide by Marcy's Law that has protections for crime victims and their families.
“Victims and their loved ones deserve certainty, transparency, and respect from our justice system,” Piwowarczyk said. “Instead, families are being blindsided by commutation applications through social media posts and news reports. That is unacceptable. Wisconsin’s commutation process must put victims first, not reopen emotional wounds without proper notification or meaningful input.”
Piwowarczyk and the other lawmakers asked in their letter for a pause in commutations to allow lawmakers to:
● Create a robust public notification system and online tracking list for commutation applications;
● Extend victim notification periods to at least 90 days;
● Guarantee hearings that allow victims and families to be heard directly;
● Require full notification to district attorneys and sentencing judges;
● Remove all homicide offenders from eligibility for commutation consideration.
(The Center Square) – The University of Wisconsin-Madison would not release any documents related to its contract or payments to consultant Tripp Umbach weeks after the university released a document that made claims regarding the university’s statewide economic impact.
The university claimed that it does not hold the contract and that it was denying access to what it called “draft documents” related to Tripp Umbach and payments to the firm.
“The university does not hold the contract, therefore there are no responsive records,” a public records custodian wrote to The Center Square in response to a public records request. “After a thorough search, the university has determined no record exists at the University of Wisconsin Madison related to your request.”
The Center Square also requested the documents from the University of Wisconsin system administration following the public records denial.
In April, the university released a 58-page document making claims that the university makes a $38.9 billion total economic impact on the state.
Universities across the country contract with Tripp Umbach for the firm to produce similar reports, which are then used in requests for public funding or donations to the college or university.
Tripp Umbach produces reports for health care and economic development organizations along with colleges and says on its website that “our work enables leaders to make informed decisions, secure support, and implement strategies that deliver measurable results.”
Economists regularly criticize economic impact reports produced by contractors such as Tripp Umbach for not following economic principles and only including revenue figures, along with invented multipliers, in order to produce larger numbers than the real economic figures.
Sports teams also use economic impact reports when they are seeking public funding for stadiums or large events in order to convince the public and politicians that those projects are worth large public funding figures.
UW-Madison athletics leaders used a 2022 consultant report that made economic impact claims to support sending $15 million annually to the University of Wisconsin athletics departments as part of a name, image and likeness bill ultimately signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.
