Clean Water Access Bill Public Hearing

Earlier this week, Assembly Bill 226 that I co-authored with Senator Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) was given a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on the Environment and Forestry.
 

This bill was written specifically to help with the well contamination problems in Northeastern Wisconsin, but I believe it will be applicable to many areas of the state.  Kewaunee County has received most of the attention recently but this problem is far from isolated.  I believe that the portion of the bill that deals with septic systems, also known as private onsite wastewater treatment systems, or POWTS, will be applicable throughout the state.

This bill provides that a city, village, town, or county may remediate a contaminated private well, fill and seal a contaminated well, or rehabilitate, replace, or abandon a failing POWTS, in agreement with the owner of the well or POWTS, or may make a low-interest or interest-free loan to the owner of a contaminated well or failing POWTS for these purposes. Under the bill, if a city, village, town, or county takes any of these actions or provides a loan for these purposes, the city, village, town, or county may recover the costs of the action or collect the loan repayment as a special charge or special assessment on the property tax bill. 

It is entirely up to the communities to determine whether they wish to take advantage of this program, and it is also up to them to determine what criteria they may require to be eligible for these loans and the interest rate that may be applied.

It is important to point out that this bill is not intended to fix the problem of manure contamination of groundwater.  There is a great deal of work being done to address the root cause of the problem.  It is a complex problem and must be addressed from many angles.  This bill addresses the short-term need to get safe, clean water in the hands of the citizens right now, while we continue to implement a long-term fix.  This past week, the DNR announced that they will distribute free drinking water to anyone with a well that is likely contaminated by manure, which likewise addresses the short-term need to get clean water to those with unsafe drinking water. 

I would like to specially thank Kewaunee County Conservationist Davina Bonness and Door County Conservationist Erin Hanson for their testimony and their support. I would also like to thank the WI League of Conservation Voters for their support and their testimony as well. I thank Chairman Mursau and the members of the Committee on the Environment and Forestry for allowing me the opportunity to testify on my bill. I look forward to seeing this much needed bill move forward!

Here I am testifying with Senator Rob Cowles in Committee.

Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial

This morning at the State Capitol, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial held its 27th annual ceremony. This ceremony is held to honor Wisconsin law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty each year. The memorial located on the grounds of the State Capitol lists the names of each officer who lost their life while in the line of duty.

 Every day, officers and their families put their lives on the line to protect us. It is a great privilege to honor and pay our respects to these fallen heroes and their families. Governor Walker declared May 14-20 as Police Week throughout Wisconsin.  I thank all first responders for the sacrifice they make on a daily basis not only for our district, but for the state!

Southern Door 4th Graders Visit the Capitol

Earlier today, 4th Graders from Southern Door visited the State Capitol! It is especially exciting to see young students learning about democracy while in the Capitol. I am always happy to welcome visitors from the district. If you would like help setting up a tour, or just want to stop by to say 'Hi', let my office know and we can set something up!