Wisconsin Attorney General wants new civil rights lawsuit power

(The Center Square) – Democratic lawmakers in Madison want their Republican counterparts to grant the state’s attorney general more power in civil rights lawsuits.

Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, on Thursday introduced legislation that would expand Attorney General Josh Kaul’s powers to include civil lawsuits regarding housing, education and healthcare discrimination.

“Racism and discrimination is alive and well in the United States, making it harder for underrepresented communities to secure adequate housing, employment, or education,” Johnson said. “All Wisconsinites deserve the opportunity to thrive, and this bill ensures that the constitutional rights of our state’s citizens are duly and justly enforced.”

Attorneys general in 11 other states and the District of Columbia have similar powers to pursue civil discrimination cases.

Kaul said adding Wisconsin to the list would send a clear message.

“We must ensure that, for every Wisconsinite, our civil rights are more than simply rights on paper,” Kaul said.

The legislation sets punishments for civil rights lawsuits at $50,000 for a first violation and up to $100,000 for each subsequent violation committed within a seven-year period. The legislation also includes a civil asset forfeiture provision that would allow the state to seize property in civil rights lawsuits.

It is all but certain the Republicans who control Wisconsin’s legislature will not approve the legislation.

The Republican legislature voted in late 2018 to limit Kaul’s ability to dismiss or join lawsuits without their permission. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld that law after several legal challenges.

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