Bail bonding for profit was banned in Wisconsin 32 years ago through legislation signed by then-Governor Lee Dreyfus because of the inherent problems it creates. By including this major policy provision in the state's biennial budget, the Legislature has not addressed numerous procedural, policy, due process, fairness, licensing, regulation, and fiscal issues. This provision is clearly one of policy, not budget, and should be removed from the budget process and vetoed by the governor.
Why is this important?
The pending motion #999 in the Wisconsin budget bill includes a provision to reinstate bail bonding for profit. This legislation is written by a corporate bail bond company that sits on the board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Wisconsin didn't ask for this, Wisconsin doesn't need it, and Wisconsin doesn't want it. It's another example of how members of ALEC are selling Wisconsin out to corporate America. The people of Wisconsin want representation by elected officials who get educated, review data and research, and do informed legislative work - not elected officials who are buying canned versions of laws.
