A bill that critics say would further skew the relationship between landlords and tenants passed through the state Assembly Tuesday despite adamant Democratic opposition.
The state Senate bill is a rewritten version of a bill that was first introduced in the state Assembly and would attempt to make a uniform landlord tenant law in Wisconsin. The bill comes in opposition to Madison representatives who support a local government’s, such as Madison’s, rights to control rental laws.
If the bill were to pass, landlords would no longer need to provide renters, including student renters, with an itemized list of the reasons for security deposit deductions. Tenants could also face eviction if a crime were to be committed on the rental property, or could have their personal things taken without warning if they are evicted.
Democratic state representatives took turns speaking on the state Assembly floor Tuesday, condemning the bill as a “bad idea” and a piece of legislation that “punishes individuals for being renters.”
State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, who represents a large number of University of Wisconsin-Madison students said the bill is “patently unfair to tenants” and has previously said the bill could hurt student renters, many of whom are renting for the first time.
“This bill stacks the deck against most people in the state of Wisconsin,” Taylor said while speaking on the floor.
State Republicans did not discuss the bill before it passed 57-37, except for a brief answer by the bill’s author Rep. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, to a pointed Democratic question about the crime provision.
The bill was sent back to the state Senate.
