A controversial bill that gives homeowners strong legal protection if they attack an intruder on their property they deem threatening is headed to the governor to be signed into law.

The bill, also known as the “castle doctrine” and introduced in the Assembly by Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, was approved by the Senate Thursday at their last meeting until they reconvene in January.

Under current law, homeowners who injure or kill intruders must prove they acted reasonably. The castle doctrine would instead put pressure on the intruder to prove the use of force was unwarranted.

Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, offered an amendment that would give firefighters and EMTs the same protective rights for entering homes as police officers in these situations.

He said it was a matter of safety for public safety workers, as much as for individuals in their homes, to avoid workers being unnecessarily hurt or killed.

“In the heat of the moment, your definition of what is illegal [entry] and my definition of what is illegal [entry] may be totally different,” Erpenbach said.

The amendment was initially rejected, but after lengthy debate was reconsidered for adoption.

Another amendment offered by Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, was put in at the request of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The amendment provided that in cases qualifying as domestic violence restraining orders, the bill would not apply.

“The problem is, violence sometimes occurs in family situations, and sometimes gets to the point that one person kills the other,” Risser said.

The amendment was tabled, and the bill voted into concurrence with only the first amendment attached.

Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said it embodied a very progressive way of thinking.

“I am arguing for freedom of speech and assembly and religion, and today I am arguing for the right to carry and do what you need to do,” Taylor said.

Another bill passed at the meeting, introduced by Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, regards allowing voting ballots to be sent electronically to Wisconsin voters serving overseas in the military.

The bill would also move the date of the state’s fall primary back one month.  The primary, also renamed the ‘partisan primary’ by the bill, will now be held on Aug. 2 as opposed to Sept. 2.

One amendment, sponsored by Sen. Timothy Cullen, D-Janesville, was offered to the body and would allow ballots to be sent electronically to regular voters as well as military personnel.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, spoke against the amendment, saying it was harmful for security reasons.

“There is a uniqueness and difference between military ballots emailed and a ballot being emailed to any voter in the state,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said that a regular voter with an emailed ballot could print ballots an infinite number of times, thereby making the voting process unfair.

Erpenbach said the amendment would not be a threat to the security of the voting process, since voters have to verify their identity with photo ID in order to vote.

“If it’s good enough for the military, it should be good enough for the rest of Wisconsin,” Erpenbach said.

Lazich, author of the bill, said it is important for people overseas to obtain their ballots electronically, but it should not extend to the rest of Wisconsin voters.