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Legislative committees to take comments on compensation bill

By: Associated Press//December 16, 2015//

Legislative committees to take comments on compensation bill

By: Associated Press//December 16, 2015//

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two legislative committees are set to hold public hearings on a bill that would increase state compensation limits for wrongful convictions.

Wisconsin currently offers the wrongly convicted $5,000 for each year of incarceration up to $25,000. Under the bill, exonerees could collect $50,000 for every year behind bars with the total payout capped at $1 million. That limit would be adjusted for inflation every five years.

The Senate judiciary committee and the Assembly government operations committee have both scheduled public hearings on the proposal Wednesday in the state Capitol.

According to the state Department of Employee Trust Funds, 55 people have applied to the state Claims Board for compensation for a wrongful conviction. Of those 19 have received money.

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