Update on Landlord Pre-Emption Bill
It has been awhile since I updated everyone on the pro-landlord legislation that is being addressed in Madison. Senate Bill 107 (SB 107) -- referred to as the Landlord Pre-Emption Bill -- has been passed by the Wisconsin Senate and is currently being reviewed by the House this term (AB 155).
You may recall that SB 107 prohibits any municipality from enacting any ordinance that limits a landlord from obtaining or using various types of information about a tenant or prospective tenant, such as household income, occupation, court records, rental history, and credit information, or limits how far back in time a prospective tenant's
credit information, conviction record, or previous housing may be considered.
The bill has received much opposition from local municipalities and their lobbyists, not for the substance of the bill, but rather for the fact that if passed, the law will
restrict a municipality’s ability to draft certain ordinances. Essentially the municipalities feel this to be a breach of their own sovereignty and an example of the state overstepping its bounds. Many feel that this is really just a Madison problem -- since it is the City of Madison that has enacted many of these restrictions on what information a landlord can consider when making a rental decision – and therefore should be dealt with at the city level.
Another group of critics believe that the bill discriminates against African-Americans. Four Dane County Board Supervisors, two Madison City Council members and one Madison School Board member, sent a letter to Governor Walker and legislators on September 7, 2011, asking that the provision of the bill that will allow landlords to deny housing to tenants with criminal histories be removed because is discriminates against African Americans.
They argue that allowing a landlord to deny a rental applicant housing based on his/her criminal convictions will unfairly affect African-Americans because while they
only comprise 6% of the state’s population they account for almost 50% of those with arrest and conviction records. Thus the critics of the bill argue that to allow a landlord to deny a rental applicant based on his/her criminal record is to allow landlords to deny housing based on race.
The critics are relying on the doctrine of "disparate impact." The disparate impact doctrine holds that certain laws may be discriminatory and illegal – even if the law is neutral on its face -- if they have a disproportionate "adverse impact" on members of a minority group.
This disparate impact argument is ignoring a key ingredient – one’s choice to engage in criminal activity. One’s race is not something that a person has control over – we are born into a certain race. On the other hand, individuals do have control over whether or not they engage in criminal activity. Committing a crime is a volitional act. Being born African-American is not. We are dealing with apples and oranges here.
Disparate impact arguments are often raised when a law unintentionally affects a minority group through no fault of their own. This small group of critics, are trying to apply the disparate impact doctrine to individuals that made a voluntary decision to engage in criminal activity.
UPDATE - 10-28-11 -- On Wed. Octo 26, 2011, By a vote of 59-34 the Assembly voted to suspend a rulling on AB155. An amendment was made by Rep Chris Taylor (D-Madison) that would protect some local control within the bill - the amendment was tabled by a vote of 60-33.
