The state Senate passed several bills Tuesday addressing heroin addiction, cell phone tracking, school accountability and drone use.
A legislative package known as “HOPE: Heroin Opiate Prevention and Education,” passed the Senate Tuesday. These four bills would require more identification to purchase prescription drugs and provide immunity for individuals who get emergency services for a person in danger.
The bills, introduced by state Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, would also permit emergency first-responders to administer naloxone, an overdose-countering drug, and change state drug disposal programs.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, applauded his colleagues for passing the legislation, saying this legislation “may be the difference between a close call and yet another fatality,” according to a statement.
The Legislature also approved a measure prohibiting law enforcement from tracking the location of cellular telephones without obtaining a warrant. State Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, and Rep. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, co-authored the bill.
“By providing parameters for the collection of this high personal data, we are providing clear guidelines, and less chance for data to be found inadmissible in court,” Sargent said in a statement.
The Senate also passed a bill that would create new guidelines for public and private school accountability. It would require the Department of Public Instruction to conduct a new school accountability system for public and private districts. The system would assess math, reading, college readiness and other standards.
Sponsored by state Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, the bill would also provide new guidelines for public, private and charter school improvement, including changes to curriculum, instruction techniques and evaluation methods.
“It is crucial that we also maintain transparency and ensure that any schools that receive taxpayer funding will be up to par,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “This bill is a strong first step in that process.”
Additionally, state Sen. Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon, saw passage of a bill he authored that would outlaw the use of drones equipped with audiovisual recording technology to assist in a criminal investigation.
The legislation concerning drug abuse and cell phone tracking await signatures from the governor, while the bills regulating school accountability and drone use move to the Assembly.
