E-Update Hiatus 

As many of you may have noticed, it has been several weeks since you’ve received one of my e-updates.

I’d like to take a moment to discuss some of the technical issues the state Legislature has been facing in regard to sending out email newsletters such as this one.

Due to recent changes in online spam filters, electronic newsletters from the state legislative email domain were being blocked by most email providers. When multiple emails with the same information are sent at one time from one singular address, various email domains such as Yahoo and Google take note of it and sometimes confuse it with unwanted advertisements. 

Because multiple legislators have the same email domain, it appeared to various email providers that the state Legislature was sending unsolicited ads, which resulted in most e-updates being automatically blocked without notifying the recipients.

The Legislature’s IT department has found a way for me to resume sending out these newsletters to all of you. However, if you know of anyone who typically received them in the past but are no longer getting them, please advise them to contact my office and I will make sure that they get added back on to the distribution list.

Transparency is incredibly important to me and I would like to ensure that everyone who wants to stay abreast of current issues can do so.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we dealt with this issue. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on all the latest legislative activities in Wisconsin.

Healthcare Bills

I was honored to join my Assembly colleagues this week in passing several legislative proposals aimed at improving healthcare outcomes in the state.

One of the bills, of which I am the lead co-author, is designed to strengthen access to mental health services throughout Wisconsin.

AB 63 modernizes the state’s psychology laws by removing barriers that make it challenging for healthcare organizations to hire psychologists, for psychologists to enter the workplace and for residents to receive mental health services.

The legislation also expands the licensing exemptions for professionals engaged in activities related to psychology and removes red tape in current state statutes.

While we have recently made great strides toward improving mental health services for our citizens, Wisconsin is still near the bottom in several critical areas. As our needs continue to rise and our state's aging mental health specialists retire, we need to take a proactive approach in ensuring our residents can get the care that is necessary to lead healthy and productive lives.

The state Assembly also passed a number of other bills that do the following:

• AB 34 - Prevents insurance companies from denying policies to patients with pre-existing conditions if provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are no longer enforceable
• AB 7 - Lowers prescription drug prices by implementing regulations on pharmacy benefit managers
• AB 148 - Assists hospitals and healthcare providers with navigating through lingering issues related to COVID-19
• AB 124 - Allows dentists to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines

Over the years, we have learned that we need to improve certain healthcare services in our state, and that has become even more evident with the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am proud to support these bills and I am confident they will give Wisconsinites better peace of mind by eliminating unneeded obstacles standing in the way of accessing affordable and reliable healthcare.

Cocktails-to-Go 

In our second floor session of the week, the state Assembly passed legislation that is expected to help the hospitality industry by permitting certain alcohol beverage retailers to sell intoxicating liquor by the glass for consumption away from the licensed premises.

AB 32 does not change existing in-person purchasing requirements for these beverages. Rather, it amends current state law to allow a “Class B” licensed establishment to sell "cocktails-to-go" if they secure the container with a tamper-evident seal before it's removed from the property.

I believe this is a smart move to assist the hospitality industry, which has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants, taverns and supper clubs employ hundreds of thousands of residents across the state and are a critical component of our local and state economies.

We must do what we can to help these businesses weather the storm and adapt to the changing habits of their customers. That is why I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill.

JFC Budget Public Hearings

I want to make sure everyone is aware that the Joint Finance Committee will be hosting a series of public hearings throughout Wisconsin in April to receive input from residents on the state budget.

To learn more about the locations, dates and times, please click on this link to view a press release from the co-chairs of JFC.

You probably observed that there are fewer in-person hearings than in years past. That's because it was much more difficult to secure larger venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, JFC is also providing an option for a virtual public hearing.

If you would like to provide your feedback on the state budget, I highly recommend that you consider participating.