Terrorists raising money in Wisconsin would face a new obstacle if the state Legislature passes a bill that Rep. Scott Walker, R-Wauwatosa, plans to introduce this week.
\The bill gives the Department of Registration and Licensing the ability to check the records and revoke the licenses of non-profit charities and professional fund-raisers anywhere there is evidence of support of terrorist organizations,"" Walker said.
The bill also gives the state a way to prosecute people who are raising funds for terrorists.
""Right now in Wisconsin the funneling of money from charities to terrorist organizations is not a crime,"" Walker said. ""If someone were to be arrested they would have to be charged with something else. And so we provide a felony penalty for that.""
Assembly Minority Leader Spencer Black, D-Madison, called into question the validity of the bill because there have been no incidences of raising funds for terrorists in Wisconsin so far.
""I have heard of nothing of this kind of activity taking place in Wisconsin,"" Black said. ""The burden will be on Walker to prove that this is a necessary piece of legislation.""
Walker said he hopes the legislation will work in conjunction with already existing federal legislation to cut out all funding for the terrorist groups.
""Obviously the freezing of assets at the federal level will stop the larger scale organizations,"" Walker said. ""There is still the concern that smaller groups could be doing this throughout the country and even in Wisconsin.""
Despite the country's need to stop the support of terrorist organizations, privacy issues have to be addressed, Black said.
Walker said he believes the legislation is just aiding already existing measures.
""The Department of Registration and Licensing already has to license everyone who does fund-raising,"" Walker said. ""This merely allows the licensers to go in and check to see if they are funneling money to terrorist organizations. Also, licensers can ask individual fund-raisers who they are raising money for and what is is being used for, and if their answers are not clear, further steps can be taken.\
