MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two Wisconsin legislators are introducing a bill that would make defacing or destroying statues a felony. Republican Rep. Rob Hutton and Democratic Sen. Tim Carpenter — who was physically attacked by protesters last month — announced the bill Wednesday. The measure would make damaging or defacing any structure, plaque, statue, painting or any other monument of historical significance on public property or maintained by the government punishable by up to three-and-a-half years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The bill comes after protesters ripped down a statue of Wisconsin abolitionist Hans Christian Heg and a statue embodying the state’s Forward motto last month.
