COVID-19 Update - Tuesday, April 28th

In order to support your families being able to take a deep breath, turn away from constant news updates, and create a new temporary normal, my office will continue sending a daily update on the COVID-19 public health emergency and will post online on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

It is my hope that one reliable update each day will allow you to take a deep breath, oversee all that is happening in your own life and home, and have a reliable source of news you can count on to be up to date and accurate. As always, previous updates are on our website and linked beneath the graphic below.

My greatest concerns right now are your lives and livelihoods. We are working hard to keep you and your loved ones safe, and to fight for our small businesses in an unprecedented crisis.

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Past email updates can be found HERE

State Parks

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources gave the following update today regarding Wisconsin State Parks:

Effective, May 1, 2020, nearly all Wisconsin State Parks properties will be open. Annual admission passes and/or trail passes are required. New hours for all properties will be 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. All properties will close weekly on Wednesday.

Camping will reopen after May 26, 2020 – full refunds will be issued to those with reservations.

The following properties will remain closed for the health and safety of the public, staff, and property integrity:
• Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area
• Pewit’s Nest State Natural Area
• Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area
• Dells of The Wisconsin River State Natural Area

If you do not already have a pass, please purchase passes via phone at 1-888-305-0398. Admission passes are unavailable onsite.

Capacity will be limited at all properties to prevent overcrowding.

All facilities, including restrooms and drinking fountains, will be closed.

We will continue to monitor property conditions and make adjustments as needed to limit the spread of COVID-19, protect natural resources and provide safe and accessible opportunities for Wisconsinites to enjoy the outdoors.

Visitors are encouraged to follow Leave No Trace principles, maintain social distancing and choose opportunities for outdoor recreation that are in their local community to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

For more specific details, visit the DNR website HERE.

Letters to Government Officials

Recently, I have written and signed onto letters with my colleagues in the legislature on various topics related to COVID-19. These letters have been sent to legislative leadership, state and federal government agencies, and the President of the United States.

The purpose of sending letters is to communicate publicly with our colleagues and state and federal partners on issues that matter to our constituents, our districts, and our state. We communicate by other means as well — phone, email, in-person (or virtual meetings) — though sometimes the severity of a situation calls for a public and transparent commitment to addressing a particular issue.

Earlier this month, myself and 36 of my colleagues in the State Assembly and State Senate sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Vos and Senate Majority Leader Fitzgerald in support of the urgent needs of healthcare and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as the Healthcare Heroes Act. Read the full letter HERE.

Earlier this month, I signed onto a letter to President Trump requesting him to authorize all functions of the Defense Production Act (DPA) in order for Wisconsin to gain access to needed resources such as supplies for COVID-19 test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and ventilators, and to limit price gouging and competing bids for resources. Read the full letter HERE.

Last week, I signed onto a letter to the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding issues with mail-in voting during the recent spring elections and a request to address these issues before the remaining elections in 2020 and during the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic. The full letter can be found HERE.

I signed onto a letter today to the United States Postal Service Inspector General requesting an investigation into the issues associated with the USPS and the absentee ballots in Wisconsin’s April 7th election.

Federal elected officials write letters like these as well. Just yesterday, Senator Tammy Baldwin and 20 of her U.S. Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin request information on what the Treasury Department is doing to ensure that funds made available to small business owners through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are reaching small business owners who need the assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full letter can be found HERE.

Medical College of Wisconsin Virtual Town Hall
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Last night the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert hosted another in their series of COVID-19 community town halls. I thought it was very helpful. You can register for future town halls! Included at the end is an opportunity to ask questions.

Here is the information:

MCW is hosting additional COVID-19 Virtual Community Town Hall Series the next two Monday evenings at:
• Monday, May 4, 6-7pm; and
• Monday May 11, 6-7pm

Please find the registration link HERE. We hope you have the opportunity to join them!