Water Quality Task Force

 I was pleased to join a bipartisan group of lawmakers this week for a press conference to support a package of legislative recommendations that was released by the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality.

The task force, of which I am a member, was formed in February of last year and hosted 14 public hearings across the state to gather information on addressing Wisconsin’s water quality challenges. We heard from hundreds of citizens, organizations and experts during those hearings and the knowledge we gained has led to numerous recommendations that aim to better protect our water.

Shortly after the task force’s press conference at the state Capitol, I introduced two bills based on those recommendations.

My first bill would create a nitrogen optimization pilot program where the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection would award grants to farmers or producer-led watershed groups in targeted areas for the purpose of implementing projects that limit nitrogen loading, thereby reducing nitrates in our drinking water.

DATCP and University of Wisconsin agencies would study the results and cost-effectiveness of these practices and provide a report to the state Legislature detailing recommendations on how to improve current policies, as well as the feasibility of a permanent nitrogen optimization program.

The Nitrate Work Group that I organized at the start of 2019 has been instrumental in making this bill happen. I look forward to continuing my work with this group to determine the best areas of our state to target and the methods that will have the greatest impact.

The second bill I introduced prohibits the sale and use of sealant products that are made with coal tar or high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The particles from these materials can easily be transported by rain, wind, tires and even feet to other environmental settings.

People exposed to coal tar sealants on a regular basis have a 38 times higher chance of developing cancer, according to the American Medical Association, which supports the ban.

Studies have shown there are safer, cost-competitive alternatives to PAH tar-based sealants that are currently available. Modern asphalt-based pavement sealants contain up to 1,000 times lower PAH levels while also having similar life expectancies.  

Additionally, the task force released 11 other recommendations for legislation, including increased funding for county conservation staff and producer-led watershed protection grants, which have proven to give us the most bang for our buck. 

If you are interested in learning more about all of the recommendations, please click here to view the water quality task force's final report.

It was a tremendous honor to be involved with this bipartisan task force that spent almost a year bringing together farmers, environmentalists and experts to come up with science-based solutions to ensure we have clean water now and into the future. I am hopeful that Gov. Tony Evers will see the importance of our work and support the task force’s recommendations by signing them into law.

Legislative Update 

In addition to participating in the water quality task force's press conference, I had a busy week in Madison advancing my legislative priorities.

I had the pleasure of providing testimony on my bill that would help ensure Wisconsin's municipalities are receiving the correct amount of room taxes from lodging marketplace companies, such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Representatives from the Door County Tourism Zone made the trip to Madison to testify as well.

Over the past few years, we have passed legislation that requires lodging marketplaces to collect room taxes on behalf of their short-term rental clients. While that change has made it vastly easier to collect taxes on short-term rentals, it has created an unintended problem which we must fix.

Under current law, lodging marketplaces must remit taxes based on zip codes. In our state's rural areas – including our district – several municipalities share the same zip code, so distributing these taxes to the proper municipality is impossible. It is illegal for tax money to be remitted incorrectly, so it is absolutely imperative that we correct this serious issue. My AB 683 does just that.

Under the bill, entities that are subject to the room tax must provide the address of each property, the total sales of each property, the tax collected for each property and the number of nights each short-term rental was rented. By supplying all of this information, we are ensuring that municipalities are receiving the precise amount of room taxes to which they are entitled.

I also testified on a bill that I'm the lead co-author on that would wave the annual state park vehicle admission fee for families of public or private school students in fourth grade.

All of Wisconsin’s state parks stand to benefit from this legislation, including the five state parks in our district in Door County. This bill will further encourage families to spend time together outdoors and experience our state parks, forests, recreational areas and trails.

By giving them the opportunity to visit Wisconsin’s state parks through the waving of their entrance fee, we believe families will be more likely to purchase an admission sticker in the years to come, which will generate even more revenue for our state parks system.

As Wisconsin residents travel throughout the state to visit our 66 state parks, they will also be spending money on lodging, dining, shopping and fuel, further strengthening our local economies.

In other action this week, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services recommended passage of my bill that would allow pharmacists to write prescriptions for certain forms of birth control.

Having already been passed by the Assembly by a vote of 82-13, the bill now heads to the full Senate for a potential vote. If the legislation is passed by the Senate, it can then be signed into law by the governor.

For more information on my birth control bill, please click here and here.

District Listening Sessions 

I am excited to announce that I will be holding several listening sessions throughout the 1st Assembly District on Monday, Feb. 3.

The locations and times are as follows:

Sturgeon Bay Session
From 1o to 11 a.m.
Door County Public Library - Jane Green Room
107 S. Fourth Ave., Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sister Bay Session
From 1 to 2 p.m.
Sister Bay Village Hall
1063 N. Bayshore Drive, Sister Bay, WI 54234

Luxemburg Session
From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Luxemburg Village Hall
206 Maple St, Luxemburg, WI 54217

Anyone who would like to share their thoughts with me on state government or local issues is encouraged to attend. Hearing from constituents is an invaluable experience because it gives me the chance to gain a better understanding of our district’s needs so I can continue to advocate for our priorities in Madison.

  With all of our busy schedules, I acknowledge that not everyone will be able to participate in these listening sessions. If you cannot make any of them but would still like to have your voice heard, please contact my office at (608) 266-5350 or Rep.Kitchens@legis.wi.gov. I value your input.

Upcoming District Events

What: 2020 Fish Tales Lecture Series 
Where: Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay
When: Tuesday, Jan. 14, starting at 7 p.m.
Details: "Dr. David “Bo” Bunnell, from the Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, MI, will kick off the series on Tuesday, January 14 with his presentation, “Are Changes in the Lower Food Web Limiting Lake Michigan Fisheries?” Dr. Bunnell will review how quagga mussels have changed the ecology of Lake Michigan’s lower food web and how those changes are limiting the abundance of salmon and trout in the lake."

What: Pushin' the Cushion
Where: Haney Park, 1000 Wisconsin Ave., Kewaunee
When: Saturday, Jan. 11, with races starting at 12:15 p.m.
Details: "It's time for the highly anticipated winter chair races to support Kewaunee Rescue at the 4th annual Pushin' the Cushion at Haney Park in Kewaunee. Registration is $25 per 3-person team. Registration 11AM-NOON on race day or preregister by calling Deb Pribek at (920) 255-1436. Races start at 12:15PM. Proceeds from this event support Kewaunee Rescue."

What: Guided Sanctuary Hikes
Where: The Ridges Sanctuary, 8166 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor
When: Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Details: "10am & 1pm. Enjoy a leisurely hike, led by a Ridges naturalist, on level terrain. The naturalist will cover the cultural and natural history of the ridges and swales in their winter season. Hike ends at the Center with cup of hot cocoa or coffee. $5/members. $8/public. Free/kids."