Carjacking, reckless driving; Evers signs bills in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday, May 10 signed a pair of bills aimed at addressing reckless driving and carjacking.
Evers and other leaders gathered at Grace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee – the church where Pastor Aaron Strong served. Strong was killed in a reckless driving crash near 10th and Wells last year.
"My husband became a statistic," said Abbie Strong. "Over the past seven months, I have seen that my pain serves a bigger purpose, and this has motivated me to advocate for the families victims of reckless driving, so that they don’t have to endure this kind of pain."
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Evers was joined at the downtown church by Abbie, kids from the soccer team Aaron coached, and both Democrats and Republicans.
"Today is an historic day for all of us. Today we are gathered together as lives touched by the life of Aaron Strong. We are gathered today to honor the legacy of his life, and to witness some of God’s plans unfold amid our pain and sadness," Abbie said.
Aaron Strong
One new law doubles reckless driving fines; a first offense will now get up to a $400 fine. If a reckless driver causes "great bodily harm," they'd now face up to six years in prison; it used to be three-and-a-half years.
"Do I think this will immediately stop bad things from happening? No, but it sure is a great start," Evers said.
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The governor also signed a law to fight carjacking. It would toughen penalties, meaning a defendant could face up to 60 years in prison. For the first time, Wisconsin law would use the work "carjacking" to describe someone stealing a car with a weapon or the threat of force.
Milwaukee carjackings are up; there have been 141 so far this year compared to 114 at this time in 2022.
10th and Wells fatal crash
Evers also signed a bill in April that allows local governments to tow reckless drivers' cars.
Statement from Evers:
"Reckless driving and other dangerous behaviors are putting our kids, families, and communities at risk all across our state, and we must do more at the state level to address dangerous behavior on our roads. I’m proud the first enacted bill of my second term was a aimed at curbing reckless driving, and I am glad to be continuing that work today by signing these bills to address carjacking and ensure reckless driving is treated with the seriousness it requires.
"These bills are a good place to start, but our work cannot stop here. I am once again urging the Legislature to support my budget initiatives that build upon the legislation I’m signing today to combat reckless driving across our state. I look forward to further discussions to make our roads and communities safer by taking a statewide, multi-pronged approach on this critically important issue."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.