December 17, 2025
Proposed legislation draws emotional testimony from families and backing from law enforcement as supporters urge action on a long-standing crisis.
Wisconsin lawmakers are weighing a bill that supporters say could bring long-overdue attention to the disproportionate violence faced by Black women and girls across the state. The proposal, introduced by Democratic State Rep. Sheila Stubbs of Madison, would establish a 17-member task force charged with examining the root causes of violence against Black women and girls and recommending policy solutions. The measure was the focus of testimony Tuesday during a public hearing before a state Senate committee.
“The people of Wisconsin have realized that we cannot wait one more time for another African American woman to go missing or be murdered,” Stubbs said as she urged lawmakers to move the bill forward, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee.
Advocates say the legislation is meant to address a pattern of harm that has too often gone unexamined. Stubbs has championed the issue since 2021, citing the lack of comprehensive data and coordinated response surrounding violence targeting Black women and girls.
The hearing also featured emotional testimony from family members who have lost loved ones to violent crime. Sheena Scarbrough, whose teenage daughter Sade Robinson was killed in April 2024, told lawmakers that the grief has reshaped her life and perspective.
“This has been very draining spiritually, mentally, for your soul, for your spirit to lose your child,” Scarbrough said.
Robinson’s death, which involved a lengthy investigation and a subsequent criminal trial, became a rallying point for advocates pushing for systemic change. Scarbrough said navigating the justice system exposed gaps that families often face alone, which would be addressed by Rep. Stubbs’ bill.
As previously reported, Robinson was reported missing in April 2024 after going on a first date with Maxwell Anderson at a Milwaukee restaurant. Prosecutors say that later that night, Anderson killed her inside his residence on the city’s south side.
According to investigators, Anderson later transported Robinson’s body to Warnimont Park in Cudahy, where authorities allege he dismembered her remains. Prosecutors also say he intentionally set Robinson’s vehicle on fire in an effort to conceal evidence.
Law enforcement officials later recovered portions of Robinson’s remains from multiple locations across the region. Her head has not been recovered.
“I learned in these past 20 months about the criminal justice system, about everything with how a lot of things move,” Scarbrough told lawmakers.
Stubbs said the bill is gaining traction beyond Wisconsin, noting increased national attention to similar efforts.
“Today, I am proud to report that this bill has received 11 letters of support,” she said, adding that momentum for such legislation continues to build.
Law enforcement officials also voiced support during the hearing. Madison Police Chief John Patterson emphasized that the task force should be viewed as a collaborative effort rather than a critique of policing.
“The creation of this task force should not be considered as a criticism of law enforcement,” Patterson said. “It is an investment in better outcomes, and continuous improvement must be a virtue of every one of our police agencies in our state.”
Several states, including Minnesota and Illinois, have already established comparable task forces. The Wisconsin bill must still clear additional legislative hurdles before it can advance to the governor’s desk.
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