Offenders Placement

I would like to spend a few moments clearing up some misconceptions I've been hearing about a bill recently vetoed by the governor that modified the process for determining the placement of sex offenders on supervised release.

It appears that most of the misleading information has been coming from sensationalized media reports that try to paint the legislation as an irresponsible attempt to let violent sexual predators live right next to schools and other areas where kids are likely to be present.

Even Gov. Tony Evers himself has claimed the bill compromises children's safety. "Providing as safe of a place as we can for our kids to grow, learn, and play is one of the most vital responsibilities of our society," the governor said in his veto message.

However, I can assure you that the purpose of SB 60 was not to put our children in danger by allowing sex offenders to be housed in close proximity to places where our younger people tend to congregate.

Prior to 2017, our urban centers were authorized to send their sex offenders to other counties for supervised release. Our laws set a statewide standard for these offenders that they cannot live within 1,500 feet of a school, church, nursing home, childcare facility, public park, youth center or other specified area.

It was common practice for our urban communities to dump their offenders in rural counties, leaving them to assume the risk and the expense of monitoring them. But that changed during the previous legislative session when the former governor signed a bill that prohibited counties from placing offenders in a county that is not their county of residence.

Shortly thereafter, we started receiving complaints from the urban centers that the 1,500-foot requirement was not practical in densely-populated areas, where nearly every city block contains at least one of these facilities. It is worth noting that law enforcement is also more concentrated in urban locations. In one instance, an offender was going to be placed across the street from a police station, but that home was eventually rescinded when it was learned the property was still within 1,500 feet of a church. To me, that just doesn't make sense.

SB 60 would have allowed counties to make their own decisions on how much setback would be needed, either by policy or by evaluating each case individually. The bill would have also permitted counties to go beyond 1500 feet, if that’s what they thought was best for them.

It goes without saying that nobody wants our children exposed to sexual predators. But counties know their communities the best and have the knowledge to assess all the risks when making a determination. It would certainly be understandable if a county in the sparsely populated Northwoods chose a different setback than that of downtown Milwaukee.

We need to trust our local elected officials to make these local decisions. If we don't, the only other realistic alternative is to go back to releasing sex offenders from our urban counties into all of our neighborhoods throughout Wisconsin. I don't think that is what most of you want.

It still baffles me, though, that Gov. Evers vetoed this bill. It had bipartisan co-sponsors and it passed out of committee unanimously. It received a voice vote in the Assembly, which only happens for noncontroversial bills that are expected to have broad bipartisan support.

SB 60 is common-sense legislation that endorsed the principle of allowing local officials to make the best decisions for their communities, and it is frustrating to see it portrayed in any other light. This veto is part of a disturbing trend toward putting the desires of Milwaukee and Dane counties above those of the rest of the state. 

Lodging Marketplace Bill

I am pleased to announce that I have started circulating a bill for co-sponsorship that gives municipalities the tools they need to ensure they are receiving the correct amount of room taxes from lodging marketplace companies like Airbnb and Vrbo.

I believe this legislation is necessary because, as it stands right now under current state law, room taxes are remitted based on zip codes. The problem with that is there are many areas across the state – including Door and Kewaunee counties – where a handful of municipalities are all located within the same zip code. That makes it impossible to know whether each municipality is getting their proper share of room taxes.

My bill takes care of that issue by requiring entities that are subject to the room tax to include certain identifying information when filing their returns, such as the addresses and total taxes collected for each property.

To help guarantee that a marketplace provider's room tax numbers are accurate, my legislative proposal also gives municipalities the authority to call for audits and inspect the tax-related records of those businesses. Municipalities would also be able to partner together to conduct joint audits where that information could be shared with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

In the event a marketplace company does not submit the required room tax returns in a timely fashion or neglects to pay its taxes, a municipality would have the ability to impose a forfeiture of up to $500 per day, for a maximum of $45,000 per year. Municipalities would also be able to waive any forfeiture if an appeal takes place.

More importantly, my bill will go a long way toward leveling the playing field for lodging marketplace businesses, traditional hotels and any other entity that offers overnight rooms. It's so crucial that we move away from having a separate set or rules for each industry, and I am proud my legislation does just that.

Health Insurance Coverage

I would like to remind all of you that the open enrollment period to apply for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange ends on Sunday, Dec. 15. You can apply for coverage by clicking on this link and following the instructions that are laid out on the website.

Although Wisconsin has not expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act, we are still one of only two states that does not have an insurance gap. We were able to accomplish that by having BadgerCare – our version of Medicaid – cover all adults who are considered 100 percent or below of the federal poverty level, which is $12,490 for a single person.

Those between 101 and 138 percent of the poverty level can purchase private insurance through the exchange set up by the ACA.

While BadgerCare is a valuable program that provides health insurance coverage to our residents who cannot otherwise afford it, it doesn’t always yield the same results as private insurance. Because healthcare providers lose money when they see Medicaid patients, many will accept few, if any, of these people seeking care. Largely because of this limited access, health outcomes for those on Medicaid are traditionally not as good as those on private insurance.

Thanks to subsidies, private insurance that is purchased through the marketplace can be completely affordable as well. For example, the estimated premium for an individual plan in sections of Brown County for single adults earning between $12,490 and $17,236 (138 percent of the poverty level) was 18 cents a month last year, with an annual deductible of $50.

If you have any questions or need assistance with applying for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange, please contact my office or click on this link. You can also find out your approximated marketplace costs by clicking here.

Upcoming District Events

What: Holly Days
Where: Donald and Carol Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St., Egg Harbor, WI
When: Friday., Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30
Details: "A celebration of the holiday season with Breakfast with Santa, a children's Elf Hunt, Mistle Dough shopping contest, horse-drawn wagon rides, caroling, old-fashioned tree lighting and more!"

What: Christmas Stroll
Where: Throughout Kewaunee County
When: Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Details: "It's that time of year to shop 'til you drop at local businesses throughout Kewaunee County for a chance at winning some great prizes. You're invited you to grab a shopping passport and visit each listed business to collect a stamp. And, when your card is filled, turn it in for a shot a winning more great goods."

What: Friends of Gibraltar Holiday Art Fair
Where: Sister Bay Village Hall, 10693 Hwy 42, Sister Bay, WI
When: Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Details: "Shop for gifts created by talented artists in Door County. Proceeds help support programs at Gibraltar School."