COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Earlier this week, Governor Evers announced that individuals ages 16+ with medical conditions associated with an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine a week earlier than originally planned.
On Monday, March 22nd individuals aged 16+ with the following conditions will become eligible: asthma, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, down syndrome, heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies, hypertension or high blood pressure, immunocompromised state, liver disease, neurologic conditions, such as intellectual disabilities and dementia, overweight or obesity, pregnancy, pulmonary fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and thalassemia.
Another group of people recently became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin. Under the Milwaukee County COVID-19 Zip Code Vaccination program, everyone 18 and older who lives in the 10 following Milwaukee zip codes ranking highest on CDC’s social vulnerability index are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination: 53204, 53209, 53218, 53233, 53205, 53215, 53223, 5306, 53216, 53224.
Additionally, Governor Evers recently announced that federal support will begin on March 15th at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee for COVID-19 vaccination. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 will provide staffing support for vaccine administration. The state will provide at least 7,000 weekly vaccine doses from the state’s allocation for this site.
As of March 19th, 2,219,237 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin and 23.8% of Wisconsin residents have received their first dose and 13.9% have completed their series.
For more information about what groups are eligible, visit the DHS website HERE.
For more information about where you can get a vaccine, visit the DHS website HERE.
For more information about where to get vaccinated in Waukesha County, visit their website HERE.
For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Wauwatosa, visit their website HERE.
For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Milwaukee, visit their website HERE.
Assembly Floor Session Highlights
The Assembly met twice this week and passed 14 bills and 6 resolutions. I have highlighted some of these bills below:
*indicates that I am a co-sponsor
Read my full statement on the passage of the Pharmacy Benefit Manager bill HERE.
Standing with the Asian American & Pacific Islander Community
Photo from outdoor vigil in Milwaukee on Thursday evening
Last Thursday evening, President Biden addressed the nation and condemned the rise in violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, a man in Georgia shot and killed six Asian American women and two other victims.
Read my full statement condemning violence & hateful rhetoric against Asian American & Pacific Islander community HERE.
Wisconsin Individual Tax Filing Deadline Extended to
May 17th
The Wisconsin individual income tax return filing and payment due dates will be extended to May 17th, 2021 following the IRS extending the federal due dates to May 17th.
Read the full announcement from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for more information HERE.
State Budget Updates
Governor's Budget Listening Sessions
Thank you to everyone who has tuned in to Governor Evers’ virtual Badger Bounceback live sessions thus far. If you want to take action, there are still 4 opportunities to attend these sessions. In these sessions, Wisconsinites can discuss, provide feedback, and share personal experiences as it relates to Governor Evers’ proposed 2021-2023 Biennial Budget. These meetings will take place at 6PM on the following dates:
- March 25th - Accessible & Affordable Healthcare, register HERE.
- March 30th - Transportation & Infrastructure, register HERE.
- April 8th - What’s Best for Our Kids, register HERE.
- April 14th - Justice Reform & Marijuana Legalization, register HERE.
- April 21st - Climate Change & Our Environment, register HERE.
Forward Wisconsin Budget Meetings
If you would like to learn more about the budget and get involved, I encourage you to attend the remaining Forward Wisconsin meetings, which take place on Wednesday nights at 7pm. Next week, I will be speaking about mental healthcare provisions in the proposed budget. I hope to see you there!
- March 24th - Healthcare, register HERE.
- March 31th - Economy & Infrastructure, registration link coming soon.
Assembly in Session & Committees Next Week
Next week, the Assembly is in session on Tuesday at 1pm. You can watch the legislative session live on WisconsinEye HERE.
Keep your eye out for updates on session via social media, and next week’s e-update.
The Assembly Committee on Mental Health will be meeting on Wednesday at 9:30am for an informational hearing, and the Assembly Committee on Children & Families will be meeting on Wednesdays at 10am.
COVID-19 Case Update
For daily updated information on COVID-19 in Wisconsin, visit the DHS website HERE.
Statewide
571,610 confirmed cases (increase of 390)
17.04% of total tests are positive, by person (for 3/19/2021)
27,024 hospitalizations (4.7% of cases- increase of 30)
558,503 recovered cases (98% of all cases)
2,679,789 negative test results (increase of 1,898)
6,562 devastating deaths (increase of 6)
14th District Counties
Milwaukee - 99,421 confirmed cases (increase of 96)
Waukesha - 41,456 confirmed cases (increase of 58)
*Changes over day prior