THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIII, Issue 57
Monday, November 28, 2011
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NEWS | RECALLS
OPINION | JOBS
ARTS
Rewards for tips on recall crime
Wisconsin came in last for job creation in October. If the Legislature doesn’t get back to work, neither will Wisconsinites. | 4
Become insane with Infected Mushroom
One group mobilizing the recall effort is offering $10,000 for information on citizens destroying petitions. | 2
WISCONSIN
45
| PREVIEW
Israeli psytrance band to send electronic fans on trippy, trancey, dancey ride . | 6
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PENN STATE
Stay tuned: more to come
SEE SPORTS, page 8 Megan McCormick The Badger Herald
Although there’s plenty more football to come, quarterback Russell Wilson (far left), running back Montee Ball (far right) and the rest of the Wisconsin football team had plenty to celebrate after defeating Penn State Saturday for a chance to play in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game.
8 UW schools get new IDs
Proposal would extend personhood to embryos Amendment to constitution would define unborn as legally human Mike Kujak
Four-year campuses across UW System plan to issue second card for voting law
State Reporter
Selby Rodriguez Campus Editor The Government Accountability Board’s recent approval of another University of Wisconsin System campus’ design for student identification cards that comply with the Voter ID law marks the eighth campus to adopt a plan addressing students affected by the new voting laws. According to UW System spokesperson David Giroux, UW-Stevens Point will be the eighth fouryear UW System campus to provide secondary identification cards to
Matt Hintz The Badger Herald File Photo
Students took part in a recent mock election with the City of Madison as a trial run to practice new voting procedures. Mass deputizations have also been held to register students to vote. students who need them to vote under the law’s provisions. The other UW System campuses that plan to provide ID cards include UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay, UW-Eau Claire, UWLa Crosse, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Whitewater and UWSuperior, Giroux said. “Stevens Point just got their card approved the other day, bringing the
grand total up to eight of the four-year campuses,” Giroux said. “Five of the (remaining) four-year campuses are still in the works.” These cards will include a student’s signature and will expire within two years. Not every student will require an additional ID for voting, as the bill
STUDENT IDs, page 2
In a move that would make all forms of abortion illegal, including in cases of rape and incest, Wisconsin Republicans recently proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would extend the definition of personhood to include embryos. According to the Legislative Reference Bureau’s analysis of the bill, this amendment would change the constitution’s language from “all people are born equally free and independent” to “all people are equally free and independent.” The bill would also change the definition of “person” to include every human being at any stage of development.
The constitutional amendment will require approval by both houses of the Legislature and ratification by the state’s citizens before it could become effective. Mississippi recently attempted to pass a similar amendment in early November, but the proposal was defeated in a vote by its citizens. Ohio, Nevada and California have also filed petitions to include personhood amendments on 2012 ballots. The bill’s author, Rep. Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, said he and supporters had enlisted attorneys to draft a bill that would serve to protect the unborn, the same purpose as the legislation in Mississippi. “This is really about getting the issue out there and having a discussion,” Jacque said. “Right now there is some division within the pro-life ranks as far as what the best strategy is to proceed with and ensuring protection for the unborn.”
Jacque said he and the other authors of the bill were working on the amendment long before Mississippi’s bill went to a vote. According to Jacque, he did not look at Mississippi’s language while drafting the amendment. Jacque added he hoped to start a dialogue within Wisconsin similar to those introduced in Mississippi. “If you look at Mississippi, it had the support of both the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates on the ballot at the same time,” Jacque said. “So it’s something that can cut across party lines. It’s not something I’m looking at for this current legislative session as much as starting that discussion and building toward the future.” University of Wisconsin political science professor Barry Burden said it is unusual that the legislation would be up for consideration in the state after recently
AMENDMENT, page 3
Legislators reintroduce bill for child sexual abuse victims Legislation would remove age limit for citizens to report assaults Adrianna Viswanatha State Reporter Weeks after sexual abuse allegations embroiled the Penn State campus, Wisconsin legislators are seeking to reintroduce legislation providing broader opportunities for
childhood victims to prosecute their perpetrators in court. At a press conference held Tuesday, Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, and Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay, proposed reintroducing the Child Victims Act, which has previously been proposed twice. Lassa said the recent incidents at Penn State University demonstrated the need to act now more than ever. “The Child Victims Act gives us a tool to
help reveal more of these criminals and keep offenders from preying on other innocent children,” Lassa said. Current legislation dictates a victim cannot file for sexual abuse after the age of 35. Lassa said the Child Victims Act would eliminate the age limit and hence allow more victims to have their day in court. John Pilmaier, director of the Wisconsin branch of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, was also present
at the press conference. Pilmaier said childhood sexual abuse is an epidemic in Wisconsin, just as it is elsewhere in the country. He said the Penn State scandal provided insight on the national scope of the crime. “Statistics show that before their 18th birthday, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of sexual assault,” he said. Pilmaier said it is clear that existing childhood sexual assault prevention laws are not doing
© 2011 BADGER HERALD
enough to help keep children safe. The Child Victims Act legislation failed both times it was previously introduced. Pilmaier said the Catholic Church lobbied against the bill’s approval in the past. He said their main argument is the legislation would threaten smaller religious organizations, including local parishes. “They acknowledge that they were guilty, but the expense of bringing restitution to the victims
would be too much for them,” Pilmaier said. Pasch also characterized childhood sexual abuse in Wisconsin as an epidemic, saying the bill would be important for preventing future sexual abuse cases. “This bill would remove arbitrary barriers that prevent victims of these unconscionable acts from receiving the justice they deserve, while helping prevent more children from being
ABUSE, page 2