MADISON, WI (WSAU) – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced on Monday that he’s signed a bill authored by Republicans that would allow local governments to impound the vehicles of repeat reckless drivers.
The bill is part of a Republican push to reduce reckless driving throughout the state, but especially in Milwaukee. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Bob Donovan, stated in written remarks submitted to the Assembly Public Safety Committee that the Milwaukee Police Department issued 497 citations for reckless driving in 2022. This is a 32% increase from 2021.
The bill authorizes counties and municipalities to enact ordinances that allow police to impound reckless drivers’ vehicles if the driver has a prior reckless driving citation and has not paid the forfeiture for that offense.
In a statement, Evers said that everyone deserves to feel safe, but that reckless driving and other dangerous behavior is putting people in danger across the state.
This is the only bill Evers has signed into law so far during the 2023-25 legislative session, which began in January.
