Wisconsin Assembly legislators passed a bill that would mandate third-party investigations into civilian deaths involving a police officer.
State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, said she never imagined working on law enforcement legislation until Paul Heenan was killed in a struggle by a Madison police officer in November 2012.
For the last two years, state Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, and Taylor put aside their political differences to create a bill that could benefit both the families and police stations.
Taylor thanked the bill's author, Bies, and numerous law enforcement organizations for their bipartisan cooperation. The bill makes a difference to families and gives credibility to law enforcement, Taylor said.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, expressed his admiration for all the parties working through the “difficult issue,” calling the bill a “giant step forward.”
“We are put on this earth to accomplish certain things, and I think this is one of those things I was brought here for,” Bies said.
