Gov. Scott Walker signed 104 bills into law Monday and Tuesday, including bills that change landlord-tenant relationships, ban county executives from the Legislature and prevent blood alcohol content blood test opt-outs.
Walker took to Twitter to announce the changes.
Photo of my hand before signing 58 bills into law today: pic.twitter.com/crM19dwjNi
— Governor Walker (@GovWalker) March 1, 2016
Landlords can more easily evict tenants
One of the bills signed into law changes landlord-tenant relationships by allowing landlords to serve tenants with five-day eviction notices for engaging in “criminal activity.”
Under the new law, college renters could be served a one-strike five-day eviction notice for activities such as smoking marijuana and throwing parties.
Bill on Walker’s desk would allow landlords to evict tenants for ‘criminal activity’
Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, said the goal of the legislation is to give landlords the power to evict dangerous tenants and make apartment communities safer.
The bill passed the Senate on a 19-13 vote and the Assembly on a 60-31 vote.
County executives banned from Legislature
Another new law prevents county executives from serving simultaneously in the Legislature.
Opponents of the bill said it specifically targets Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris, who is currently running for the Senate.
Supporters of the bill said it was not to target Mark Harris, but to prevent “double-dipping” in different government positions.
The bill passed the Senate on a 19-13 vote and the Assembly with a 53-40 vote.
BAC blood tests can no longer be refused
A new law allows law enforcement to obtain search warrants to administer blood tests to determine BAC for the first OWI offense. Under past law, police could not use search warrants for the first OWI, and drivers could refuse the blood test.
Officer Deanna Reilly, Madison Police Department traffic specialist, said Dane County law enforcement uses breathalyzers when testing BAC for an alcohol-impaired driver and uses blood tests when testing for illegal drugs. But she said other counties tend to use blood tests more often than breath tests.
John Lee, University of Wisconsin industrial and systems engineering professor and expert in driver distraction, said one concern is the bill will infringe on personal freedoms, but he said deterring drunk driving is more important.
“I think it’s always disturbing when people intrude on your privacy or freedom in a sense, but I think with drunk driving it is such a tragic and avoidable outcome … that the small intrusion, say with a blood test, is minuscule,” Lee said.
