A recent Wisconsin state Senate debate on an immigration bill erupted when the panel’s top Democrat lunged at the chairman’s gavel, calling Republicans “cowards” and questioning their faith.
State Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Oconomowoc, chairman of the Wisconsin Senate’s State and Federal Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital the video of the episode is important because it shows how quickly discourse can spiral when lawmakers abandon decorum.
The flashpoint came as ranking member Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, opposed legislation that would bar public funds from paying for healthcare for illegal immigrants. Carpenter highlighted a story told moments prior by state Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, about a migrant woman who was reportedly initially lawfully present, but later deported and supposedly died after not being able to refill her prescription medication after her private insurance lapsed.
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Larson later apologized after misstating the facts of the case, after it was reported the woman was still alive – which earned public praise from Kapenga. But, Carpenter at the time seconded the story as told by Larson and continued his arguments.
Kapenga – a former Senate president – said the panel cannot be expected to comment on the woman’s situation and that the bill’s sponsors were there to talk strictly about the legislation.
Kapenga further objected to Larson explicitly bringing President Donald Trump‘s changes to the federal immigration system into the conversation, when he was not being discussed in the context of the bill.
“Gentlemen, that’s outside the scope of the bill,” Kapenga said.
Bill sponsor Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, tried to return to an earlier discussion of the bill’s contents, adding, “anybody who is here that is not a citizen – here as a temporary resident; they are here on a visa or whatever, they always have their ability… to be here be revoked.”
“It could be by the president or by Homeland Security, for certain, there’s all different reasons why that ability for them, that privilege for them to be here could be terminated,” Wanggaard said.
Carpenter replied that Wisconsin is dealing with federal issues in how Trump is conducting official business, and argued its relevance to the debate.
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“We were told by the president that only the violent criminals were going to be deported… That’s not all that’s happening… so when you’re bringing this up and saying, ‘Hey, look you can’t have any medical care for people that are being detained’ that’s wrong: it’s unchristian, it’s immoral,” said Carpenter – while Kapenga tapped the gavel as Carpenter continued to speak.
“Don’t interrupt me,” he told Kapenga after another gavel tap.
Kapenga replied that lawmakers cannot impugn the character of other lawmakers, referencing his comment about being “unchristian.”
As cross talk escalated, Carpenter grew more animated, weaving in complaints about federal policy and historical deportations of Mexican illegal immigrants. Kapenga again banged the gavel, leading Carpenter to lunge at it.
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Carpenter then told Kapenga he was “too cowardly to let me speak… the truth about this situation.”
“If you have a specific question about their specific bill…” Kapenga replied, as Carpenter claimed, “BS” and chaotic crosstalk ensued again.
Bill co-sponsor Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, then interrupted to say similar bills had been passed by “red states and blue states.” Carpenter cut in that it was “amazing how you Republicans are so afraid of this information” and added he looked forward to winning the full floor debate, before taking a dig at Kapenga’s prior Senate presidency.
“Gentlemen, we’re done,” Kapenga calmly responded, gaveling the session out.
Fox News Digital reached out to Carpenter for comment.
Kapenga told Fox News Digital the behavior of “certain colleagues” should be a timely reminder:
“I’m not sharing the video because this isn’t about embarrassing individuals. This is about choosing decorum and the use of measured words to persuade those of opposing opinion. Sharing stories with false information to incite fear, name-calling, aggression,” he said.
“We all know the dangerous place that’s leading society. The upswell in the movement Charlie Kirk started shows Americans are passionate about the freedom to debate ideas, not rhetoric and violence.”
Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.
