Assembly Ready To Push Marsy’s Law Amendment To Next Year

It doesn’t look like Wisconsin legislators will pass a constitutional amendment to bolster crime victims’ rights in time to get it on the spring ballot.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke told members Thursday that the chamber wouldn’t take up the amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, next week. If the state Senate and Assembly approved the amendment by Tuesday, they could put up for a statewide referendum in the April elections. If they don’t, it can’t go to voters until 2020.

Steineke said the amendment is significant and new Assembly members haven’t spent a lot of time on it.

Constitutional amendments must pass two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum before they can be added to the document.

Lawmakers passed the crime victim amendment in 2017.