Does the statute have a sufficient and legitimate public purpose?
Although the assessment of the public purpose behind a challenged statute requires a case-by-case analysis, court decisions provide some broad principles. First, the courts generally recognize the legislature as the branch of government that is responsible for defining the public interest. Thus, the courts give deference to the legislature in assessing the extent to which a statute accomplishes a public purpose. In Wisconsin, this policy of respect for the legislature is expressed as a function of the burden of proof. A person challenging a statute under the contract clause must show beyond a reasonable doubt that the statute is an unconstitutional impairment. Wis. Profl. Police Assn v. Lightbourn, 243 Wis. 2d 512, 593 (2001). Second, courts examining the public purpose behind a challenged law are more likely to uphold a statute that protects a broad societal interest rather than the limited interest of particular individuals or groups. Finally, on numerous occasions, the courts have h
