WISDOM Director: 'Tougher on Crime' Bills are Based on a Lie

By David Liners

In the past month, hundreds of us have made calls, and have testified against the "Tougher on Crime" bills that call for locking up more black, brown and poor people. We have demonstrated that the bills were unnecessary and would be costly and inhumane. 

Sadly, the majority party in the legislature has ignored our testimony and has sent the "Tougher on Crime" bills to the Governor for his signature. Now, it has been confirmed that the entire pretext for the bills was based on a lie.  Last week, the respected Politifact website ranked Rep. Joe Sanfellippo's statements to justify the bills as "Pants on Fire" false. Read the article.

Assembly Speaker Vos and Senate Majority Leader Fitzgerald did not push through Rep. Sanfellippo's bills because they would make us safe. It seems clear that the purpose of the bills was to divide people by creating fear, even if the fear is of an imaginary crime wave.  It is time for all of us, African-American, Latinx, Native American, Asian and Caucasian to stand together and say, enough is enough.  We will not stand by as our leaders lie to us in order to create fear and resentment, and cost us billions of dollars in the process.

Call Governor Evers at 608-266-1212 and tell him you expect him to veto the "Tougher on Crime" bills. We have seen in the past that when we stand together against fear and division, we can stop irresponsible laws from being passed.

Together we can build a state where we find real solutions to real problems together.

David Liners is the Executive Director for WISDOM, a Wisconsin network of faith-based organizations, part of the international Gamaliel Foundation. WISDOM is a multi-issue, grassroots organization. It is best known for its work to end mass incarceration. Over the past fifteen years, Liners has overseen the growth of the statewide network from three to eleven diverse, interfaith local organizations in Wisconsin. He holds a BA from Marquette University (Political Science and Theology), a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) from St. Mary of the Lake University.