Capitol Report: Stray rock, not protesters, damaged Sen. Kapanke's windshield

[eowyn_of_rohan]

:spray: (Senator Hanky Kapanke is a Republican - enough signatures have been collected to recall him)

Contrary to Sen. Dan Kapanke's claim that his car windshield was vandalized the day he voted in favor of the controversial collective bargaining bill, a police report has determined the damage was caused by a stray rock.

Kapanke, R-La Crosse, informed Capitol Police his windshield was smashed March 9, the same day top Republican lawmakers surprised Democrats and the public by hastily calling a joint conference committee meeting to vote on a stripped down version of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

Later that night, all the Republican senators, except Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, approved the bill.

Kapanke later told a La Crosse television station that he couldn't get to his car that night "because it was surrounded by protesters."

...Fearing for their safety, the Republican senators were escorted by police through crowds of protesters inside and outside the Capitol that night.

After inspecting the vehicle March 16, the officer told Kapanke the "chip and the crack" looked like a stone chip and "not someone hitting the windshield," according to the police report.

The report indicates two officers with the State Highway Patrol, including an accident reconstruction specialist, also examined Kapanke's windshield.

They determined "the angle of the impact of the object hitting the windshield is consistent with a stone being picked up from another vehicle tire and launched into the air," causing the crack.

cont... http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/blog/article_6b1fb4b0-5fb0-11e0-9354-001cc4c002e0.html?nstrack=sid:361799|met:102|cat:3165555|order:2