After it was previously not included in the biennial budget proposal, Gov. Scott Walker’s office said he is open to funding five new positions that would address officer-involved deaths at the request of the Department of Justice.

Walker’s reconsideration comes following the death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson in an officer-involved shooting, sparking protests across Madison. If the request is fulfilled, the positions would be added to the Division of Criminal Justice.

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, said it was a “shame” that Walker did not originally fulfill the funding request in the biennial budget proposal. Taylor said additional staff would have no bearing on the Robinson case since the budget has not been finalized, but she had a positive outlook on its effect on future investigations.

“[The DOJ] will have more staff to cover these investigations in the future, which would be beneficial,” Taylor said.

Law for independent investigations of officer-involved shootings put to test in Tony Robinson case

Taylor authored the bill that made Wisconsin the first state in the country to require independent investigations of officer-involved deaths. This bill was signed last April.

Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a testimony to the Joint Finance Committee earlier this month that having five additional positions would make implementation of the law both more efficient and precise.

“Officer-involved death cases are very time-consuming,” Schimel said. “It is critical to public confidence in law enforcement that the investigations be conducted expeditiously and capably.”

Laurel Patrick, Walker’s spokesperson, said in an email to The Badger Herald after Taylor’s bill passed that the DOJ did not anticipate a fiscal impact. She said Walker’s office is willing to reevaluate the budget to address the DOJ’s request.

“If DOJ feels as though additional funding is necessary to address these cases, we are willing to work with them and the State Legislature to ensure adequate funding,” Patrick said.

Schimel said to the Joint Finance Committee the new legislation has made the DOJ the “go-to investigative resource” for officer-involved shootings that result in death or serious injury.

Taylor said she authored the bill because she believed the investigation process for officer-involved shootings needed to improve. She said the law aims to make investigations as unbiased as possible and to increase law enforcement accountability to the public.

“I think that in any profession it is difficult to investigate your own colleagues,” Taylor said. “So for police departments to be expected to investigate members of their own departments while having relationships with those members could not be the best way of carrying out an investigation.”

The state budget will be enacted July 1.