Bills Targeting Madison’s World Naked Bike Ride Get Assembly Committee Hearing

Friday, November 3rd, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(Bob Hague, WRN) Two bills aimed at shutting down Madison’s World Naked Bike Ride got another public hearing at the Capitol this week.

A response to a young girl's participation. Delafield Representative Cindy Duchow said it’s about protecting kids. “As a parent I don't want to expose my child to that. But I don't know that when I go to the farmers market that you're going to be there naked. And if I get there what do I do, because there you are and I'm at the farmers market.”

Madison police and the Dane County DA determined no laws were broken. Dodgeville Representative Todd Novak doubts these bills would change that. “So when you're talking about farmers market in Dane County, no Dane County prosecutor or Dane County Judge is ever going to touch this with 100 foot pole, because that's just the way we work up here.”

Duchow told an Assembly committee that a young girl was photographed participating in the June event. “You would go to jail if you did that in any other circumstance, other than in this bike ride. Because the district attorney in Madison said it was for social justice causes.”

Unlike an earlier Senate committee hearing, opponents of the bills testified, including a participant who read a statement from the mother who allowed her daughter to ride.

"We have participated several times because it is a rare situation where we can exercise freedom over our own bodies and be naked of liability for the behavior of others towards our bodies.”

It’s not clear whether the legislation will advance to either the full Senate or Assembly.

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