Bill Vetoed

I was disappointed to learn that Gov. Evers recently vetoed my bill that would have directed the state to earmark $61 million from our share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act to pay for several environment-related projects.

My legislation was part of a package that laid out specific guidelines for how Wisconsin's ARPA dollars should be spent. While my AB 243 focused on improving water quality in both our rural and urban areas, some of the other bills would have put money toward increasing broadband access throughout the state and helping our tourism industry recover from the pandemic.

I was especially disheartened that the governor chose to veto my bill on Earth Day, the annual celebration where we recognize the importance of safeguarding and preserving our natural resources.

My hope is that he was not aware of the irony of selecting this date for a veto. However, he did recently see my resolution honoring April 22, 2021, as the 51^st anniversary of Earth Day.

I was optimistic about AB 243’s chances since many of the provisions in the legislation came from recommendations from my research with the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality, a bipartisan effort to identify core issues and create solutions to the most pressing water quality concerns in Wisconsin.

Furthermore, the governor has indicated his support for many of these programs in the past and has even included them in his previous budgets. I had hoped this was a bill that we could all agree on.

Even though the governor decided to issue this veto, the public awareness that resulted from my legislation may still persuade him to consider spending some of the ARPA funds on enhancing our response to protecting the environment and human health.

With our children and grandchildren footing the bill for these funds, it is critical that we ensure this money is spent on initiatives that will benefit them the most. I firmly believe that we must be responsible stewards of our natural resources for future generations.

Visiting Boys & Girls Club

I had the pleasure this week of meeting with the Boys & Girls Club of Door County to discuss the state budget and other matters that affect the organization.

Of all the concerns brought forward by representatives from the club, the most important one to them was responding to the increased mental health issues our youth are facing as a result of the pandemic.

I have always been a proponent of increasing mental health access to our residents, especially our young children and teenagers. I strongly believe they will live more productive and healthy lives if we can get them the care they need in a more timely manner.

Many people have the perception that Door County is a wealthy community and that we are immune from many of the social problems seen in more populous areas. Unfortunately that is not the case.

Just like every other community, we have our fair share of residents who live in poverty or face difficult family situations. The Boys & Girls Club of Door County has done an excellent job of filling in the gaps and bettering the lives of all our children.

If you would like to learn more about the local organization, please click here. 

Budget Survey

Within the next few weeks, many of you will be receiving in the mail my survey on the 2021-23 state budget.

I encourage you to complete this survey and send it back to my legislative office at the state Capitol. Your answers will better help me advocate for our shared priorities during the upcoming budget deliberations in Madison.

The topics in the survey range from broadband access to education to environmental issues.

If you would like to save a stamp, you can fill out the survey online by clicking on this link.