Making our streets safer must be a priority, and the time to act is now

Earlier this year, in a pair of bipartisan votes, the State Assembly and the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety advanced AB 078 / SB 65, which are related to the impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses regardless of who owns the vehicle and regardless if it is a repeat offender or not. A real common sense, zero tolerance policy!

At the time, I was elated that this measure (that I led the way on from the beginning and the Common Council supported nearly two years ago) was approaching the finish line. Now, months later, I am increasingly frustrated that we are stalled and no closer to passing this legislation while we continue to see upticks in reckless driving.

Time is of the essence, and we need remedies like the ones this legislation allows right now. Each passing day is a wasted opportunity to ensure safer streets. “Street takeovers” remain on the rise, and complaints of reckless driving continue to flow into our office. You can’t spend time in any part of Milwaukee without experiencing reckless driving. These perpetrators are endangering lives and deteriorating the livelihood and quality of life of our neighborhoods. The chaos needs to be controlled.

All parties involved have expressed their support for this legislation, and as such, I am calling on the Senate to stop the delay and pass this legislation immediately so we can take further action against reckless drivers. Our residents deserve as much, and these perpetrators deserve to be held accountable for their actions.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.