Bill to hire 54 prosecutors stalls in state Senate

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Senate declined on Tuesday to pass a bill that approved borrowing $350 million to pay for a new prison and hire 54 prosecutors.

The Assembly passed the bill but the Senate did not concur on Tuesday before adjourning for the year.

In addition to approving borrowing for a new prison, the proposal would have allocated nearly $4 million to hire about 54 new prosecutors throughout the state. It also would have made it easier to revoke parole for anyone charged with a felony or violent misdemeanor.

The state is studying the need for a new prison and supporters of the bill said it made sense to approve the borrowing now.

But the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and WISDOM, a group that advocates for prison reform, heralded the bill’s demise on Wednesday. They are part of a larger coalition that opposed the bill.