State Senate To Hold Special Legislation Session, Fitzgerald says

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI— Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) released a statement Friday calling for a special session of the Wisconsin Senate to discuss police reform.

"In light of the events that have transpired this week in Kenosha, the senate will convene a special session of the legislature on Monday, August 31.

In addition to the series of bills that Governor Evers has asked the legislature to consider, Senator Wanggaard of Racine has released a package of bills aimed at increasing transparency and community involvement into law enforcement.

Combined with the newly-created Speaker's Task Force on the topic, there will be dozens of proposals that the legislature will work through in the coming months. I would also like to see legislation developed that creates enhanced penalties for violence perpetrated against police, firefighters, and EMT's.

The riots in Kenosha and Madison this week further demonstrated that first responders are performing their public service duties at great risk to their personal safety.

We look forward to a productive dialogue on how to improve law enforcement standards while at the same time ensuring police officers have the resources they need to keep our communities safe."

Jacob Blake, 29, was shot several times by Kenosha police Sunday during the course of a domestic dispute on the city's north side.

A witness to the shooting recorded the incident on video. In that video, police are seen following Blake around his SUV, grabbing him by the shirt, and opening fire on him several times as he enters his car while his children were apparently seated inside.

Blake survived the shooting. The video of Blake's shooting has gone viral, and Kenosha has seen widespread protests ever since.

Public officials of all kinds have weighed in on the shooting, some calling for immediate punishment for the officer who pulled the trigger, others for police and social reforms, and others who are calling for a playing-out of the police investigation into the shooting.

Scott Anderson, Patch Staff contributed to this report.