Water Quality Legislation

Earlier this week, a group of lawmakers joined me in introducing a legislative package that continues the advancement of beneficial land practices in our state and protects our ground and surface water.

Many of the proposals in these bills come from policy recommendations made by the bipartisan 2019-20 Speaker's Task Force on Water Quality.

In short, our package would do the following:

• Create a Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program where farmers can receive grants for implementing new and innovative practices that optimize the application of commercial nitrogen
  
  
• Provide cover crop insurance premium rebates to help offset the costs of planting cover crops
  
  
• Establish a three-year hydrogeologist position within the UW System to develop localized groundwater resource data and to work with local stakeholders on interpreting and using that information
  
  
• Update the existing Well Compensation Grant Program so that it can be better utilized by lower income residents
  
  
• Allow recipients of Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants to also participate in the competitive Surface Water Grant Program
  
  
• Authorize the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to take into account factors with the weather when considering the allocation of County Conservation Department Grants 

No single approach can solve our water pollution problems, but concerted efforts like these can make a noticeable difference for our state’s agricultural producers, rural residents and those who use our waterways.

Because these proposals are supported by a large number of agricultural and environmental groups, we are optimistic that we can get this package signed into law.

Election Audit

An audit recently released by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

However, the audit did show that the administration of the election at both the state and local level was sloppy and that certain procedures were not followed.

As such, the audit bureau proposed 30 recommendations for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to follow to improve election integrity. The audit also makes 18 recommendations that require legislative action.

You can find those recommendations and the full audit by clicking on this link. 

Many of the recommendations found in the audit fall in line with the election-related bills that were passed by the Legislature earlier this session. Regrettably, Gov. Evers vetoed that package in August.

Because the state Legislative Audit Bureau has such a long track record of being impartial and thorough in its work, we are hoping the governor will reconsider his actions so we can ensure that election results are fair and accurate. 

It should be noted that the involvement of outside interest groups in conducting elections in our major cities was outside the purview of this audit. That continues to be investigated.  

In related news, the Wisconsin Legislative Council also released a memo this week on the Legislature’s current authority to “decertify” the presidential election or “pull back” the electoral votes cast by the state presidential electors. 

The memo states, "There is no mechanism in state or federal law for the Legislature to reverse certified votes cast by the Electoral College and counted by Congress."   

You can read that memo by clicking here.

Roadmap to Reading Success

A group of students recently published an op-ed in the left-leaning Capital Times to urge Gov. Evers to sign into law my Roadmap to Reading Success legislation.

You can read the op-ed by clicking on this link.

For more information on my bill, please click here.