Special Session on School Safety
The Wisconsin State Assembly will be in a special session next week to consider a package of bills on school safety. Nothing is more important than the welfare of our children, and it has become abundantly clear that more must be done to prevent tragedies such as the one that occurred recently in Florida. There is no one easy solution to this problem. The bills that we will be taking up deal with the immediate goal of providing a safe and secure school environment. The ultimate solution, however, must address the mental health needs of our young people as well as the access that unstable people have to guns. There will be a role for lawmakers at both the state and federal levels as well as local police and social workers and the schools themselves. I believe the bills we will be taking up represent a very good first step in dealing with the immediate needs of our schools. They are only a beginning, however, and we will be working toward addressing the root causes for a very long time.
The Assembly will be voting on a comprehensive school safety package during the special session, which will encompass these areas:
-Establishing the Office of School Safety under the Wisconsin Department of Justice
-Creating a $100 million School Safety Grant Program under the Office of School Safety
-Requiring Mandatory Reporting for any threats of
school violence
-Amending the bullying statue to include prompt
parental notification
-Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACE) into training programs.
-Strengthening school safety plan requirements
-Encouraging cooperation with local law enforcement
Annual Governor's Conference on Tourism
I was excited to attend the 2018 Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism earlier this week. With over 900 hundred attendees, this year's conference was a great opportunity to meet with local business owners and industry leaders who have invested so much towards the continued success of the tourism industry throughout our district.
According to the data presented, Wisconsin's tourism industry continues to thrive, supporting 193,500 jobs. Over the previous 6 years, the economic impact of tourism in Wisconsin has increased by more than $5.2 billion!
I was particularly pleased to see the innovative advertisement strategies local and state tourism leaders are adopting in their efforts to attract more tourists to our picturesque bays and villages. You can check out the new advertising initiative, including a campaign featuring Wisconsin Paralympic gold medalist Matt Scott, on the official Travel Wisconsin website!
Watch As The Mesabi Miner Entered Sturgeon Bay!
As anyone living in or around Sturgeon Bay can tell you, shipping is an integral part of our local economy. Bay Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Marine Group, produces articulated tugs and barges, double hull tank ships and offshore support vessels, providing countless jobs to Door County.
After advocating for additional Harbor Assistance Grant funds for the 2017-18 biennial state budget, I look forward to seeing even more shipbuilding jobs created as a result. With the $3.6 million in additional funding provided through this program, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding will be able to revitalize Sturgeon Bay's harbor in order to accommodate heavier vessels and increase their overall winter capacity.
Numerous freight ships have docked in our harbor over the span of its history, which can be traced all the way back to 1918. One such ship is the Mesabi Miner, which arrived in January.
Rather than just watching the ships come in from the shore, click on the picture above to get a glimpse of what it looks like to enter the bay from the ship's perspective! This video depicts the Mesabi Miner arriving from Lake Michigan to Bay Ship via the ship canal.
For more information on the history of the Mesabi Miner, click here!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
St. Patrick's Day has changed significantly since its inception in the 17th century as religious feast day. Originally intended to honor Ireland's patron saint, it first evolved to include a parade in the 1760's as a sign of Irish solidarity. During this time, Irish Catholic immigrants faced discrimination in America and Irishmen serving in the British military saw a parade as a means to show strength in numbers.
While the holiday has come a long way from being purely religious, or even a mutual show of support by members of a distinct and beleaguered minority, it still holds the power to bring entire communities together in the spirit of friendship.
Upcoming District Events!
What:
Easter Market
Where:
Prince of Peace Church, 1756
Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay, WI
When: March 16, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Details:
"Local vendors sell eggs, hams,
chickens, garlic, potatoes, onions, fresh greens, canned goods, baked
goods, and honey for the Easter feast. Other artisans offer gift items
such as sewn, knitted, and crocheted goods, beeswax products, and
artwork. All are welcome."
What:
Family Art Day
Where: Peninsula School of Art, 3900 Cty
F, Fish Creek, WI
When: March 17, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Details: "Open
to all families with children ages 3 to 17 years of age. Make art that
correlates with the current exhibit. No registration necessary. Free to
the public."
What:
St. Patrick's Day
Parade
Where: Downtown Sturgeon Bay, WI
When: March 17, 11:00am
Details: "Celebrate
your Irish spirit in Sturgeon Bay by attending the annual St. Patrick's
Day Parade. Parade starts in Sawyer Park."
In Closing...
