Senator Cropsey's statement is as follows:
Before we vote on these two bills, I want to again publicly thank the Senators from the 13th District and the 17th District for introducing these bills and pushing the issue forward. As I mentioned yesterday, they have spent five tireless years attempting to get these policy changes implemented through the court rule process, only to see opposition from certain attorneys kill those rule changes.
Allow me to once again quote from two sources on these policy changes: first, from the Department of Justice based on the police reports, including rape, physical assault, and stalking, almost 25 percent of the white women in America have reported some type of domestic victimization; and this goes up to a staggering 37.5 percent of American Indian women.
Secondly, from a report entitled "The Motherhood Study" from the University of Minnesota and the University of Connecticut, findings that should be obvious, and I quote: "Presented with a list of possible changes to make life better for mothers and children, mothers most often indicated as high priorities: first, reducing all forms of family violence--94 percent; second, enabling mothers to spend more time with their children--86 percent; and third, promoting healthy marriages--86 percent." As the authors summarize this, they state, "Three issues identified in the key findings seem to have particular salience with mothers in this study, and appear to be ripe for immediate action. First, mothers place a high priority on reducing family violence and promoting healthy marriages." And then they go on.
Domestic violence has to end. The women we are elected to represent deserve this at the very least. It's time to put a stop to this madness. The time is, indeed, ripe for immediate action. It's time to pass these bills, and again, I want to thank Senators Johnson and Hammerstrom, and I urge your support for Senate Bill No.120 and Senate Bill No.263.