MADISON (NBC 26) -- A Wisconsin lawmaker is co-sponsoring legislation inspired by the death of a 7-year-old boy in Manitowoc County.
Three people are facing charges in the death of Ethan Hauschultz. The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office had previously saidEthan was beaten and buried in the snow. He was eventually taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Senator André Jacque recently announced his co-sponsorship of LRB 5001, dubbing it "Ethan's Law." The state lawmaker cites a recent report from a local newspaper which said Ethan was placed in a home with an adult who had a history of child abuse.
Senator Jacque's office stated in an email that if loopholes in state law did not exist, Ethan could not have been placed in the home where authorities say he was abused.
The new bill would prohibit the out-of-home placement of a child with someone with a record of child abuse.
Timothy Hauschultz, Tina McKeever-Hauschultz, and Timothy's teenage son are all facing criminal charges in Ethan's death. Online court records show Timothy and Tina's next court appearances are scheduled for January.
