Farm Tour with the Governor  

I am grateful that Gov. Tony Evers accepted my invitation to tour a local farm this week to see firsthand what farmers in our area are doing to address water quality issues in the state.

The tour took place in Kewaunee at Deer Run Dairy LLC, a member of Peninsula Pride Farms.

Established in 2016, Peninsula Pride Farms is a group a dedicated farmers in Kewaunee and Southern Door counties that uses innovative techniques and science-based methods to protect, nurture and sustain the soil, water and air in Northeast Wisconsin. Their members account for about half of the acres farmed and half of the cows in both counties.

The governor may have declared 2019 as the “year of clean drinking water,” but we wanted to show him how Peninsula Pride Farms has been leading the way on this crucial effort for years.

We are fortunate to have many forward-thinking farmers in our region who know the importance of safeguarding our environment while also maintaining a sustainable agriculture industry. I am confident their work can serve as an example for the entire state.

As part of the tour, farmers informed the governor that they have been using a rye cover crop to hold their soil together better, which helps reduce water runoff and erosion. Deer Run Dairy also showed off the methane digester they use to transform manure into methane gas for energy.

The governor and I both enjoyed the tour and I know that he came away very impressed by the efforts of these farmers. If you want to learn more about the tour, please check out some local media coverage by clicking here and here.

Education Budget 

I am pleased with the decision of the Joint Finance Committee to increase public education funding by $500 million over the next two years and raise special education funding for the first time in more than a decade. This budget reaffirms our commitment to our young people and will benefit every district in the state.

The spending plan approved by the Legislature’s budget-writing committee will provide schools with a per-pupil increase of $200 in the first year of the biennium and another $204 in the second, with a majority of those funds being infused directly into classrooms. 

I am happy that a portion of the overall $12 billion education budget will be targeted toward much-needed spending increases in special ed and mental health resources. Funding for special education would be going up by $96 million, which would increase the state's reimbursement rate to 26 percent in the first year and 30 in the second.

Costs for special education have continued to rise in all of our districts and, while schools are mandated by law to meet these special education needs, they end up pulling money away from regular education to pay for them.

An additional $20 million will also be spent on student mental health services.

In what is especially good news for our area, the budget creates a new categorical aid program to ensure that, between per student categorical aid and equalization aid, every school district receives at least $1,000 in state aid per student. Because they have very high property values per student, Washington Island, Gibraltar and Sevastopol have generally received little aid from the state. This new funding will assure a minimum aid for these districts.

The budget also addresses the needs of districts that are among the lowest spending in the state. These districts frequently struggle to compete with higher spending districts for staff. This budget allows for additional increased revenue for those districts in each of the next two years. This will benefit Southern Door, Algoma, Kewaunee, Luxemburg-Casco and Denmark. 

Furthermore, the budget also renews the state’s commitment to two-thirds funding, which lessens the burden on most local property taxpayers. When the funding formula was written, the state committed to funding two-thirds of the cost of education on the state level. Under Gov. Doyle, the state backed away from that promise, but we will finally be returning to it. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says that our entire plan will not raise property taxes by more than 1 percent during the next two years.

I met with the superintendents in our district last week to discuss how the Joint Finance Committee’s budget will affect each of their districts. The reaction to the budget from superintendents around the state has been overwhelmingly positive. Please click here to read a statement from the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators.  

I want to assure you, however, that our work on education is not done. Most of the items listed were recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding, which I co-chaired. There are additional items from the commission that we are hopeful will be passed outside the budget. I am particularly interested in addressing declining enrollment, which affects nearly every district in our area.

Capital City Sunday

I was honored to appear on Capital City Sunday this week to discuss my legislative proposal that would allow women to obtain certain birth control through a prescription from a pharmacist.

Because the show is taped by WKOW in Madison and doesn't air in our area, I wanted to share my segment with you so you don't end up missing it. 

If you are interested in watching my full interview, please click on this link.

Upcoming District Events

What: Blessing of the Fleet Festival
Where: Throughout Baileys Harbor, WI
When: Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, starting at 9 a.m.  
Details: "Bring your personal boat to receive a blessing (11am, town marina). Meet w/ship captains and Fire Department boats. With live music (Dirty Deuce), food & drinks, and more. Free. For more information visit baileysharbor.com."

What: Dairy Days Dash
Where: Community Center, 206 Maple St., Luxemburg, WI
When: Saturday, June 1, at 8 a.m.
Details: "The 5k Run/Walk is sponsored by the Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce and the proceeds stay within Kewaunee County. Also, strollers and wheelchairs are welcome in the race.  And, participants get to take part in an ice cream social during the awards ceremony."

What: Free Fun Weekend
Where: Throughout Wisconsin
When: Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2
Details: "On June 1 and 2, Wisconsin residents and visitors can fish for free, hike or bike state trails for free, enjoy free admission to state parks and forests and ride public ATV trails for free."