Grieving Mother to Scott Walker: Why?

After waiting over seven hours, just before 8:30 Tuesday night, Dawn Kellner testified before a joint state legislative committee to offer her tearful opposition to Gov. Scott Walker’s first bill – which would provide unprecedented immunity from accountability for those who harm citizens.

Dawn Kellner is the grieving mother of Jared Kellner, the 15-year-old boy who was killed on his way to Summerfest on June 24, 2010, when a 13-ton hunk of faa§ade from Milwaukee County’s O’Donnell parking structure broke free and killed the youngster.

Ms. Kellner powerful testimony is available here (7 hour and 19 minutes).

Struggling, but valiantly keeping her composure, Ms. Keller implored the committee to reject Walker’s bill:

After my son died, Governor Walker told the media that he wanted to reachout to me to join in any potential lawsuit. So why is it that his very first proposal as Governor is to protect people like those who killed my son? Nobody wants to put hard-working businesses out of business, but this bill protects bad businesses like those that killed my son. Why? Why does Governor Walker want to protect the worst of the worst? Punitive damages keep bad businesses in check.

To Governor Walker and the legislators who are determined to protect their corporate donors from immunity at the expense of Wisconsin’s families, you owe Ms. Kellner an explanation to her face: Why?