I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read through my newsletter. Each week, I'll include information to keep you up to date with what is happening in Madison and the 1st Assembly District.
Pebble Beach Funding
I am excited that I was able to help the Village of Sister Bay with securing more than $392,000 in Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds that will go toward the purchase of the Pebble Beach property.
The Joint Finance Committee released the funding earlier this week.
I am proud that the Wisconsin State Assembly passed four of my bills during Wednesday's busy floor session.
If you are interested in learning more about the legislative proposals, please click on this link to read my press release.
In a separate floor session earlier in the week, the Assembly also passed my amended bill that strengthens state reading screening standards, provides parents with more transparency and ensures teachers have the framework and tools that are necessary to help every student learn to read proficiently.
The governor vetoed the Senate companion bill in November of last year because of concerns over funding.
The amended Assembly bill directs the governor to use up to $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to get the reading program up and running. It would then be funded in future budgets.
Water Quality Legislation
One of my bills that was passed by the Assembly this week takes a multi-pronged approach to protecting Wisconsin’s water from excessive nitrates and other contaminants.
The main components of the legislation do the following:
Create a Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program where farmers can receive grants for implementing new and innovative methods that optimize the application of commercial nitrogen
Establish a three-year hydrogeologist position within the UW System to develop localized groundwater resource data
Provide cover crop insurance premium rebates to help offset the costs of planting cover crops
Preventing nitrate contamination of water is much more complex than with phosphorous or bacteria. Soil depth and type, topography and the kind of crop – among other things – affect the level of contamination, so we are not yet able to simply write rules.
The Department of Natural Resources first launched the rulemaking process for standards regarding nitrates in groundwater in December 2019, but the agency later scrapped those plans when it realized it did not have enough data to move ahead.
It is vital that we involve the farming community in arriving at best practices. If we can give farmers the resources they need to come up with innovative solutions to our pollution problems, we will be able to use that expertise to make meaningful changes.
If you would like to watch a press conference where I speak about the bill, please click here.
In Closing...
Thank you for taking the time to read my e-update. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff member, Adam, looks forward to working with you. Also, if you would like a 2021-22 Wisconsin Blue Book or 2019-20 state highway map free of charge, just send us an email!
