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• Assembly soon to debate allowing 8 year-olds to hunt
• Pierce County Board addresses adult establishments
• Brown behind proposal that would restrict protests at military funerals
• School Board Reinstates Football Coaches

By Chuck Quirmbach, Wisconsin Public Radio

A final vote will soon be taken in the Legislature on a bill (AB 586) to let kids as young as 8 years-old carry a gun while hunting in Wisconsin.

Parents who are both eager for and aghast at the idea are already casting their ballots.

Several other states let young children go hunting. Dane County resident William TorHorst says he recently took his 8-year old son duck hunting in Minnesota and he says they thoroughly enjoyed the day.

"He was shooting a single shot 20-gauage, it was a youth gun and he was handling the gun very well," said TorHorst.

Currently, Wisconsin kids cannot hunt until they're 12 and have passed a hunter safety course, but TorHorst says he doesn't want his son to have to wait that long.

"To be hones by the time they get to be 12 years-old there are a lot of distractions and if they don't have the opportunity given to them earlier , some of my friends kids who are 12 are not as interested in hunting," TorHorst added.

TorHorst says the bill that has passed the state Assembly and is awaiting action in the full Senate would require several precautions.

Kids between 8 and 11 would have to have an adult mentor within arm's length the whole time and there could only be one gun between them.

But the uncle of a 14 year-old boy who was killed by a 12-year-old during the last deer season says the precautions aren't enough.

Retired surgeon Dr. Jim Slattery says on average, eight year-olds aren't developmentally ready to hunt.

"They don't have the coordination and skill levels to even use handbrakes on a bicycle and the recommendation is that kids stay on bikes with coaster breaks until they are at least 10. So I think that kind of gives you the developmental level," Slattery said.

Slattery worries the bill in the Legislature would not force kids to take hunter safety training until they're twelve and the young kids could hunt with people in their mid-30s and up who have not had the safety education.

Slattey says children under 17 already have a disproportionate risk of causing a hunting injury. He says if hunting groups want more young hunters they should do more to fight urban sprawl and protect hunting lands.

A group of Wisconsin pediatricians also opposes the bill.

Gov. Jim Doyle's office says Wisconsin has a long tradition of hunting and the governor can support bills that don't increase the safety risk to hunters.

Though it hasn't been an issue in the past, River Falls Township has amended its code of ordinances to include adult establishments.

The Pierce County Board approved the change at its Tuesday meeting. Adult establishments, according to the amendment, can only be built in general commercial and industrial districts.

"The city of Hudson (Wisconsin) never had an ordinance like this and they had a bunch of problems," said Supervisor John Kucinski, River Falls."I think they (River Falls Township) are trying to jump the ball."

By Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio

A veteran himself, area lawmaker Sen. Ron Brown is leading the push to adopt a proposal by several state lawmakers that would keep people from protesting outside of a funeral.

However, the small, but vocal group the measure is aimed at says it violates the right to free speech.     

The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas has protested at military funerals around the country, including four funerals for Wisconsin soldiers. 

Each time they organize under the mantra "God Hates Fags," with the message that soldiers are being killed because God is punishing America for its acceptance of homosexuality.

State legislators have condemned the protests, but under current law there's little they can do about them. 

But Brown, who heads the Senate committe on veterans and military affairs, wants to change that. 

He says he believes there's an absolute right for people to express their views and express their opinions.

However, he says as a person who has witnessed the funerals of the recent past, he knows that there is deep grieving that takes place at these events and there's a real strong feeling of patriotism there and a real strong feeling that this is a time for privacy and the families want to be left alone.  

Brown's plan would make protestors stand at least 500 feet away from a funeral service an hour before and after the ceremony.  Violators would be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to up to nine months in jail.

But Westboro Baptist Church attorney Shirley Phelps-Roeper says the plan is clearly unconstitutional. 

She says if it interferes with their capacity to as she puts it "cause America to know her abominations, and to put the cup of the fury and wrath of God to their lips and make them drink it," then they promise a lawsuit.    

Lawmakers from both parties support the plan and Gov. Jim Doyle, who is currently visiting troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has promised to sign it if it reaches his desk.

Brown represents the 31st state Senate District which includes portions almost half of Pierce County, portions of Dunn County and all Pepin County.

After an hour-long, closed session meeting last evening, the Elmwood School Board unanimously approved a motion to reinstate the contracts of Head Football Coach Jerry Hannack and Assistant Coach Dick Jones. The special session was called in response to public outcry over the news that the two coaches' contracts had been terminated.

The mood was tense last evening as approximately 50 people, including Dick Jones, crowded into the board room to hear Superintendent Barry Rose's statement and recommendation and the Board's subsequent vote. Board President Tony Baier explained that there would be no oppportunity for public discussion, but that the next official meeting of the board would be held on Monday, February 20, at 7:00 PM.

Board member Dave Wolf made the official motion, saying, "I so move as per Administration recommendation, to reinstate and issue contracts to both coaches for the 2006-2007 school year, to be evaluated on a yearly basis by the evaluation process set forth by the Board of Education." The board voted quickly to approve to motion, then voted to adjourn and no further discussion was heard.

Head Coach Hannack had spoken briefly and emotionally at an impromptu rally on the coaches' behalf held last Saturday night in the Elmwood Auditorium. He urged the large crowd not to support the recent acts of vandalism and threats which had been reported after the news of the termination the previous Tuesday.

All speakers that evening were received with applause and standing ovations, as were some audience members who all seemed to agree the School Board should come under further scrutiny for many issues, among them, personnel matters at the school.

While waiting for the Board to return to open session, several attendees voiced their opinions and shared experiences they felt needed to be taken up by the administration and Board.

After the meeting, there was no immediate indication of public response, though two people, Neil Boltik and Don Steichen, said that plans are still in place for a committee to meet and discuss the various issues raised at the rally last Saturday.

Sari Gordon (satori@redwing.net)