A bill which would make sweeping changes to current tenant-landlord laws in the state was passed in a Senate session Wednesday despite protests from Democrats who said the bill opened the door for mistreatment of renters by some landlords.

The bill makes a variety of changes to landlord-tenant relations, including removing the ability of cities and states to prohibit landlords from pursuing eviction of a tenant. 

The Senate voted 17-16 in a party-line vote, with Republicans supporting the measure and Democrats in opposition.

Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said one of the bill’s main problems is it would change state law to prohibit local governments from enacting a moratorium on evictions.

Taylor said the bill would even allow people to be evicted on Christmas, and it would also allow landlords to discard a tenant’s private property immediately following eviction.

Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, also spoke against the bill and said it was not in the best interest of consumers. Larson criticized the Legislature’s failure to add an amendment disallowing evictions on holidays such as Christmas.

“Who is asking for this stuff? Who is saying, ‘Oh man, things would be OK if we could just evict people on Christmas?'” Larson said. “Who is asking to have people’s stuff thrown out because it’s a pain to hold people’s property for a couple of days, even if you can charge people for that now”?

Larson added if lawmakers insisted on moving the bill through quickly, they should make sure it is done in a responsible way.

None of the bill’s supporters spoke about the bill during the session Wednesday but did voice their support in a session late Tuesday night in which Democrats used a procedural move to block a vote on the bill.

When asked which parts of the bill provide protections for tenants from unreasonable contract provisions, Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, said the bill includes a provision disallowing such contract provisions.

He also said the contract would be void if the landlord violated the list of restrictions in the bill.

During Tuesday night’s session, Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said before becoming a legislator, he was a landlord who oversaw thousands of rental units in Dane County.

Miller said during his time as a landlord, there was always a particular set of individuals within the landlord community that took advantage of young people, often in college towns, because they did not have an extensive knowledge of the law like other tenants did.

“As any good business, you should be providing a service, not ripping off customers,” Miller said. “It opens the doors to business people who are tempted to rip of their tenants because they can get away with it.”

Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, also said the bill was not in the best interest of the public.

“This is a special interest bill supported by landlords,” Risser said. “It’s against the people who have to rent in order to live. It’s supported by landlords and for landlords.”