Gov. Scott Walker signed 49 bills into law Wednesday, including measures that loosen concealed carry gun laws and one bill that makes upskirting a felony.
State Reps. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, and Jim Ott, R-Mequon, authored the upskirting legislation. Taking unauthorized photos under a woman's skirt had previously been a misdemeanor, but the bill stiffens the penalty against offenders.
“Due to advances in technology, upskirting has become a serious issue,” Sargent said in a statement. “This bill will not only shed light on this societal problem, it also allows for appropriate legal consequences for offenders.”
Perpetrators would be subject to a prison sentence of up to 3 1/2 years and fines of up to $10,000.
Walker also signed two bills authored by state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, that expand concealed carry laws.
Assembly Bill 75 allows military personnel stationed in Wisconsin for at least one year to apply for a concealed carry license for the duration of their stay. Assembly Bill 77 allows law enforcement officials who served in other states to apply for the same license, as long as they are a Wisconsin resident.
“Today Governor Walker renewed his commitment to our second amendment rights,” Kleefisch said in a statement. “These laws will improve, strengthen and streamline our existing concealed carry laws, by extending their reach to other individuals who call Wisconsin home.”
Kleefisch and state Rep. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, also authored a law that will impose stricter sentences on felons who are caught with firearms. The legislation will sentence criminals found with weapons to at least three years in prison, and has the support of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett as well as Milwaukee Chief of Police Edward Flynn.
“Getting violent felons off our city streets is the best way to address the significant increase ingun related violence we have seen over the past year,” Kleefisch said in the statement.
