Newsmakers: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen
Alleged child abuse by Penn State and Syracuse coaches shows it remains a "huge problem," Attorney General JB Van Hollen said in a WisconsinEye Newsmakers interview in his Capitol office on Dec. 21. Van Hollen said the executive order that Gov. Scott Walker issued on Dec. 19 will help fight the problem, because it offers UW System employees direct guidance about what to do if they suspect possible assaults. Van Hollen also said the abuse of heroin and other opiates is growing at a frightening rate, because heroin has fallen in price and parents and relatives do not lock up or throw away prescription drugs. He also said he has personally encouraged Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who faces a potential recall election for actually "doing something" to fix what was a $3.6-billion budget deficit. Van Hollen also said he preparing possible changes to the state’s new concealed-carry law that lawmakers could review next year, but that the new law has not caused any major problems so far.
