Democrat Wisconsin Attorney General candidate Josh Kaul is running against Republican incumbent Brad Schimel. While lagging Schimel in polls leading up to Nov. 6 election, Kaul has run on a platform that would require stricter protocols towards rape kits and proper testing of evidence, a crackdown on businesses that do not follow Wisconsin’s environmental laws, and greater acknowledgement towards the methamphetamine crisis.

It’s because of this that Kaul deserves our votes.

When it came to testing rape kits, Wisconsin had a backlog of about 6,000 just a few years ago. In September 2015, the state justice department received a $4 million grant to begin testing. At this time, that backlog is largely cleared. But Democrats rightly criticized Schimel for how long it took the state to move through the thousands of untested kits.

Testing rape kits is undoubtedly important and crucial towards identifying unknown assailants and linking inexplicable crimes. According to USA Today Network Wisconsin, Kaul developed a written statement including what he hopes to achieve within his first 100 days as Wisconsin’s Attorney General. His statement reiterated what he has said in debates — that he would have rape kits sent immediately for proper testing of evidence and allow tracking information of them for the victims to insure the status.

Another priority for Kaul is to bring businesses in line with Wisconsin’s environmental laws. A plant in St. Francis, according to a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story, has been found routinely mixing chemicals that create hazardous reactions that result in heat-related burns, barrel explosions, difficulty breathing for employees, and other health problems.

In addition, a plant located in Oak Creek, denied the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency access for an investigation into complaints from neighboring residents of agonizing living conditions. These complaints included burning eyes and sore throats that they contended were caused by the fumes emitted from the plants.

“One of the places where I think our AG needs to play a bigger role is when it comes to enforcing the laws that protect our environment and enforcing the laws that protect consumers here in Wisconsin,” Kaul told Laurel White of Wisconsin Public Radio.

The methamphetamine crisis in Wisconsin also has Kaul’s attention.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services stated that northwestern Wisconsin first experienced a flood of meth, leading to increased addictions in the early 2000s. The use and addiction to meth has now spread to the eastern and southern parts of the state. In fact, meth use in Wisconsin has risen 462 percent between 2010 and 2017.

“We need to start responding to this epidemic like the crisis it is,” Kaul said in an article by Jenny Peak posted to Wisconsin Public Radio’s website. “First, I think we need to ensure that our enforcement efforts are targeting large-scale traffickers who are sending drugs like heroin and fentanyl and meth across county lines and state lines. We also need to expand access to treatment far more seriously than we have so far, so that people who fall into the trap of addiction are able to get the help they need to get back on their feet.”

Proper testing of rape kits, businesses following EPA standards and the environmental laws, as well as attacking Wisconsin’s meth crisis are just a sample of the changes Kaul plans to make for Wisconsin to become a more safe, secure and protected state.