Two Wisconsin state lawmakers proposed legislation that would require inmates in the state to spend their $1,400 stimulus checks on restitution orders relating to their offenses.
State Sen. Julian Bradley and state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, both Republicans, put forward the proposal following the passage of Democrats’ American Rescue Plan. President Biden signed the bill on March 11, which authorizes a third round of direct checks to be paid to individuals and families.
The checks, which are functionally rebates against one’s tax liability, have qualifications based on income, but one’s incarceration status is not disqualifying.
THIRD STIMULUS CHECKS TO HIT ACCOUNTS WITH LARGEST BANKS ON WEDNESDAY
“President Biden’s irresponsible stimulus package sends stimulus checks to imprisoned murderers, rapists, and child molesters,” Bradley said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “So, Rep. Sanfelippo and I are taking action to ensure the victims of these heinous crimes are paid restitution before criminals sitting in prison can profit. This bill is a commonsense proposal I hope legislators on both sides of the aisle can support.”
Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Ted Cruz of Texas offered an amendment to the Democrats’ package seeking to block payments to inmates.
“Prisoners have all their living and medical expenses paid for by the taxpayer, they don’t pay taxes, they don’t contribute to the tax base, they can’t be unemployed,” Cassidy said at the time. “Inmates are not economically impacted by COVID.”
Cassidy’s and Cruz’s amendment would “cause harm to the families of incarcerated individuals,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said.
“Given the stark racial disparities in our criminal justice system, this would cause the most harm to black and brown families and communities already harmed by mass incarceration. Children should not be forced to go hungry because a parent is incarcerated,” Durbin continued.
Bradley, who began his first term in the Wisconsin Senate in January, doesn’t like the Democrats’ bill, he said Tuesday.
“All we’re saying is if you are currently incarcerated and you have this stimulus money coming, you should have to use that money to pay a bill that you have that is court-ordered in the form of restitution to the victims who are also suffering,” he said.
In response to Bradley’s and Sanfelippo’s proposal, Democratic state Rep. Francesca Wong wrote on Twitter, “Bipartisanship is what the majority of people want us to fight for. But it does not include racists and their punitive and dehumanising agenda. There are fundamental differences in decency between the two parties right now. One is blatantly for white supremacy the other is not.”
Bipartisanship is what the majority of people want us to fight for. But it does not include racists and their punitive and dehumanising agenda. There are fundamental differences in decency between the two parties right now. One is blatantly for white supremacy the other is not. https://t.co/35aKn1b9Ac
— Francesca Hong (@FrancescaHongWI) March 15, 2021
“I didn’t expect to be called a white supremacist in my first two months on the job,” Bradley, who is black, said in the interview with O’Donnell.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the office of state Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, a Democrat, about her thoughts on the Republican proposal but did not immediately receive a response.
