Bill to Protect Wisconsinites from Out-of-State Abusers and Stalkers is Circulating. Ask your Legislators to Co-Sponsor.

Legislators are now considering whether to support a bill that would give Wisconsin courts the ability to hear restraining order petitions for cases in which the abuser is not in Wisconsin.  Please call your legislators [1]and ask them to support this critically important bill. 

Unfortunately, state lines do not protect victims of domestic violence or stalking.  With the increased use of technology, like social media, text messages and email, dangerous abusers can threaten Wisconsin from other states.  And sadly, our jurisdictional laws for restraining orders do not necessarily reflect this reality. Some judges currently feel the law requires them to deny restraining order petitions against abusers who are located in other states, even when the victim has clear evidence of threats or harassment.

LRB 2057/2 from Representative Amy Loudenbeck and Senator Van Wanggaard would correct this dangerous problem so that Wisconsin courts have explicit authority to consider the pleas of victims who are being stalked or harassed by individuals in other states or victims who have been forced to flee to Wisconsin because of abuse in other states. 

Call your legislators today [1] to help ensure this bill becomes law and that victims' requests for protection are not thrown out on technicalities. 

Talking points:

• "Please co-sponsor LRB 2057/2 from Representative Amy Loudenbeck and Senator Van Wanggaard.  LRB 2057/2 is a potentially life-saving measure that will give Wisconsinites access to restraining orders against out-of-state abusers."
• "Because of peculiarities in Wisconsin's jurisdictional statutes, courts now commonly deny restraining orders when someone in another state is directing threats to Wisconsin or when a victim flees to Wisconsin because of abuse that took place elsewhere. LRB 2057/2 gives these victims their day in court if they need a restraining order to make the abuse, harassment or stalking stop."
• The courts of other states, including Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota, already have authority to issue restraining orders over non-resident abusers.
• LRB 2057/2 will provide for a more efficient and cost-effective law enforcement response to inter-state abuse and stalking, because under federal law, a validly issued restraining order from one state is fully effective in every other state.

Please email tonyg@wcadv.org [2] if you have any questions.