For nearly 100 years, the state of Wisconsin has offered citizens a public venue in which they could lodge a complaint when they believe police or fire officials acted inappropriately.
Police and fire chiefs too have leveled complaints against people in their departments when they believed misconduct was an issue.
Both have equal access to have their concerns heard by a panel of citizens empowered with oversight of police and fire departments around the state.
For nearly a century, police and fire commissions have heard complaints and charges leveled against police and fire officials to determine what, if any, disciplinary action was needed.
Right here in Superior, charges leveled before the panel of five ordinary, civic-minded citizens have resulted in disciplinary action, and early retirements or resignations for those unwilling to face the charges against them. The system has worked well to keep those entrusted with life and death decisions in check.
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Now, however, that century-old system of checks and balances could be in jeopardy because of the budget bill adopted by the legislature and signed into law by the governor.
A legislative proposal that had nothing to do with the state's finances became law on the coattails of the state budget. The new law allows police and fire officials to seek arbitration when facing disciplinary action.
It's a law that fixes a system that wasn't broken. Moreover, it's a law that creates more questions than answers.
No one is quite sure yet if the law would allow police and firefighters to sidestep the public scrutiny and due process afforded by the Police and Fire Commission.
Nor has there been an interpretation to decide if the law simply creates another avenue officials could turn to if they disagree with the commission's disciplinary decision or if it would simply render the largely volunteer boards unnecessary in favor of a costly and time-consuming arbitration process.
Even if an officer or firefighter doesn't agree with the decision of commission now, they have recourse through the state's court system, which allows multiple layers for appeal.
Legislators should immediately begin to repeal this portion of the budget bill. It hasn't stood the test of public scrutiny.
Why fix a system that isn't broke?
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After all, a good law -- such as the one that created police and fire commissions in Wisconsin a century ago -- will survive public scrutiny.
