Workforce Housing 

I am pleased the Wisconsin State Assembly has passed a bill I co-authored that will help rural businesses that are having trouble attracting and retaining workers due to inadequate affordable housing.

Everywhere you go in our district, you can see "help wanted" signs on just about every street corner. We have a worker shortage here and it is preventing many of our businesses from growing. A lack of affordable housing is playing a significant factor in that shortage – both in our district and in rural areas across the state.

The Door County Economic Development Corp. released a report in 2019 that analyzed the need for workforce housing for employees who earn between 60 and 120 percent of the area median income. The study found that Door County had a structural gap of 470 workforce housing apartment units between 2010 and 2017 and has a future need of an additional 110 units between 2018 and 2023.

We are looking to alleviate those shortages with Assembly Bill 544, which creates a $10 million pilot program where the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) may award grants, loans or loan guarantees to rural communities to encourage the construction of single- and multi-family workforce housing. Eligible projects must be located in a county where more than 25 percent of its residents live in rural areas.

It was pretty shocking to me when I learned that almost 80 percent of state and federal low-income housing tax credits go to the three most populous counties in Wisconsin. Our state is so much more than just three counties, so we need to be doing all we can to ensure that the rest of us – especially those in our more rural regions – are not being left behind.

Jim Schuessler, executive director of the Door County Economic Development Corp., told me recently that developers have been reluctant to build in rural areas because of sharp increases in home construction costs, limited financing on new housing and a diminished interest in small-scale projects.

He says AB 544 takes a problem-solving approach in addressing the need for workforce apartments and single-family homes in rural counties. Schuessler also noted that several Door County municipalities currently have sites that are ready to be developed. He believes AB 544 will help fill in the gaps so communities in our district will be better suited to keep our businesses and workers from leaving and going elsewhere.

The legislation still needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be signed into law.  

State Parks Bill

I am also excited the Wisconsin State Assembly unanimously passed a bill I'm the lead co-author on that releases $5.2 million in Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program funds to help complete several high priority projects throughout our state parks system.

Almost 25 percent of that total – or $1.4 million to be exact – will be coming to Door County to replace the large toilet and shower facility at the Tennison Bay Campground at Peninsula State Park. This is sorely needed as the existing amenities are more than 50 years old.

AB 134 requires the remaining portion of the $5.2 million to go toward upgrading water fountains, water lines and toilet systems at other state parks. 

Clean water is essential to our health and it's critical that we ensure all of our water infrastructure is up to date so we can protect the 17 million people who spend time at our state parks every year.

By providing this funding to improve and maintain Wisconsin’s park facilities, we are also enhancing the experiences of our visitors, making it more likely they will frequent our state parks for many years to come.

It is so important that we update the water infrastructure at the Tennison Bay Campground because both Peninsula State Park and Devil’s Lake State Park account for 70 percent of the total revenue our entire state parks system brings in. For that reason – and many others – we have to make sure that visitors are not being turned away by insufficient amenities.

AB 134 is a continuation of the work we started the previous session where we earmarked $4.5 million for similar water infrastructure projects at our state parks. Peninsula State Park benefited from that legislation as well by receiving $1.25 million for the replacement of vault toilets and $450,000 for the construction of a new dump station. The local state park also shared part of the $1 million that was set aside for upgrading drinking fountains.

I know firsthand the value of our state parks and I look forward to continuing my efforts in ensuring the entire system remains viable for future generations.

AB 134 has already been passed by the Senate and will soon be sent to the governor's desk to be signed into law. 

HOPE Agenda 

I was honored to join my Assembly colleagues for this week's floor session to also pass several bills that are designed to help us fight back against substance abuse and addiction in our state.

That package of legislation is part of a larger initiative known as the Heroin Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Agenda. Since it was formed in 2013, we have passed close to 30 bipartisan bills that are intended to combat our state's opioid epidemic.

You can now add six more to that list following this week's Assembly floor session. In addition to continuing the progress we have already made, the current group of bills also expands the scope of the HOPE Agenda so we can tackle addiction through multiple facets.

The six bills we passed will provide better access to reliable recovery housing, ensure state protections to patients undergoing medication-assisted treatment, extend the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program requirements, remove barriers to recovery coaches, prolong the 911 Good Samaritan Law and improve access to medication-assisted treatment in correctional institutions.

I am proud of the work that has gone into the HOPE Agenda because addiction and substance abuse can impact any community. It doesn't matter whether you live in a rural, urban, wealthy or poor area. This epidemic is reaching our family, friends and neighbors and we have to continue to treat it as a very serious issue.

What I like most about these particular HOPE Agenda bills is they put a greater emphasis on addressing the mental health complications that lead to addiction. By taking a more pro-active approach, I believe our state will be in a better position to protect our citizens from wandering down the wrong path.

Upcoming District Events

What: Winter Candlelight Ski
Where: Whitefish Dunes State Park, 3275 Clark Lake Road, Sturgeon Bay
When: Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Details: "Join the Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park and enjoy this annual winter candlelight event. Separate trails available for skiers and hikers. The shelter features a warming fire along with hot beverages, popcorn and baked goods. Please leave your pet at home as they are not allowed on the ski trails or in the shelter building. Event is free but a state park vehicle sticker is required. Call to confirm."

What: Children’s Book Character Party
Where: Sturgeon Bay Library, 107 S. 4th Ave., Sturgeon Bay
When: Saturday, Jan. 25, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Details: "Laura Numeroff's main character from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is coming to the library. Sponsored by the Friends of Door County Libraries, this annual party invites young children and their families to enjoy stories, crafts, games, balloons and snacks."

What: Breakfast Bingo
Where: Donald and Carol Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St., Egg Harbor
When: Saturday, Jan. 25, at 10 a.m.
Details: "Doors open at 9am. Coffee, juice and small breakfast treats will be available. Proceeds will help with restoration of the Bookmobile by the Egg Harbor Historical Society."