Wisconsin Senate Passes Castle Doctrine

Excellent! I honestly thought the Senate wasn’t going to get around to this. I’m glad they did.

Homeowners who shoot intruders would receive strong legal protection, under a bill approved by the state Senate Thursday.

The bill passed the Senate on a bipartisan 26-7 vote and now goes back to the state Assembly. All Republican senators voted for the bill along with nine Democrats, including three from Southeastern Wisconsin: Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee), Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), and Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie).

The Assembly also passed the proposal on a bipartisan vote on Tuesday but since the Senate tweaked the proposal Thursday it will need to have the other house approve it with that change - an action expected to come later Thursday . GOP Gov. Scott Walker has said that he supports the bill in principle but will still review it before deciding whether to sign it.

Under the bill, courts in most criminal and civil matters would presume that property owners using deadly force had acted reasonably against anyone unlawfully inside their residence, business or vehicle, whether the trespasser was armed or not. The proposal is sometimes known as the “castle doctrine,” a reference to the saying that one’s home is one’s castle.

I would expect it to clear the Assembly and be on its way to Walker’s desk soon.