The Goyke Report

November 25, 2014
 
 Contact Me  

State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708

PH: (608) 266-0645
TF: (888) 534-0018
FAX: (608) 282-3618

E-Mail: Rep.Goyke@legis.wi.gov
On the Web: goyke.assembly.wi.gov

   In The District  

This summer I was proud to be the emcee at the 2014 "Be Kind to Animals Celebration" at the Wisconsin Humane Society. It was a wonderful event for community members and families. As a dog owner I was honored to help animals in need.

Rep. Goyke as emcee at the Wisconsin Humane Society's 2014 "Be Kind to Animals Celebration"

Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market

Date: Saturdays, Nov. 1 through Apr. 11.

Location: Milwaukee

Description: The indoor Milwaukee Farmers Market starts early November, and encourages community members to buy local. The Farmer's market takes place at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory.

On Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, enjoy the wide array of Farmer's Market offerings including fresh herbs, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs, baked goods, seasonal jams, and more.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory

524 S Layton Blvd
Milwaukee, WI 53215

Rep. Goyke with 2014 Letter Carrier Olympics participants at Hunger Task Force Headquarters. The event helps support local food drives and awareness for citizens in our community in need.

Energy Assistance

With winter already here, I encourage you to closely examine your residence to see how you can winterize and make your home more energy efficient so you can save money on heating and electric costs.

The United States Department of Energy and its Energy Saver Website provide many ideas and resources on how to save on energy costs.

Wisconsin's Focus on Energy Program helps citizens lower their energy consumption and costs by making their homes more energy efficient. Please visit their website here to learn how you can save more money on your energy bill.

  At the Capitol

Rep. Goyke is named a "Conservation Champion" by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters

If you are ever in the Capitol, I encourage you to take an official Capitol Tour and, if you have time, to stop by my office to say hello!

Free tours are offered daily at 9am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm on Mondays through Saturdays. On Sundays, tours are offered at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. Tours depart from the ground floor Rotunda. 

Groups of 10+ should call (608) 266-0382 or visit tours.wisconsin.gov​  to make a reservation. 

Employment Resource

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has a Skill Explorer website that provides a free job search tool allowing Wisconsin workers to search for employment opportunities that match their existing skills and training. Skill Explorer can be found by clicking here.

Workers can search for career opportunities on the Skill Explorer website by typing in their former or current job title. Skill Explorer provides a list of current openings relating to the work experience of that job through openings on Job Center of Wisconsin. Skill Explorer provides overviews explaining what each specific job entails, how much workers typically make in that position, and any special training or background needed for the occupation. Skill Explorer’s mapping function will show hot spots in the state for particular occupations, as well as allow individuals to search for current openings by county.

Veterans Holiday Drive

Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are having a wonderful fall and Happy Thanksgiving to you a few days early. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve the 18th Assembly District during the 2015-2016 legislative session. I continue to hear from many of you at my Capitol office and have spoken with many more of you at home in Milwaukee.

As your representative it is always my goal to be as accessible as possible. If your neighborhood association, club, or community group is having a meeting please consider inviting me to attend. We can discuss how your voices, values, and concerns influence my work in the Capitol. Please call my office at (608) 266-0645 and let me know about your local event. I’d love to see you around the 18th District.

Below you will find an update on issues and legislation that I plan to introduce on behalf of our community. I welcome any feedback or thoughts you may have on these ideas! More times than not, legislation is introduced based on an idea a constituent brings to their legislator.

Until the legislature convenes for Inauguration Day on January 5, 2015, I will continue working on new legislative proposals and ideas to make our neighborhoods, and Milwaukee, a shining example of what we can accomplish together. As always, please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you.


 
Evan Goyke
State Representative
18th Assembly District
 

Rep. Goyke hosting a community forum for veterans and members of the military at Veterans Manor on the corner of North 35th and Wisconsin Avenue

Legislation I Am Working On:

Last session I introduced five bills to address problems associated with foreclosed and abandoned homes. Unfortunately none passed. This summer, in an effort to reach across the political aisle, I invited my Republican colleagues to our community to see firsthand how important the issue is. Eleven Republican members of the Legislature joined the tour, several traveling great distances from Milwaukee to participate.

I will again lead the charge to change Wisconsin’s law related to foreclosed and abandoned homes. I am confident the work to reach across the aisle will pay off. Our community should be empowered to solve this problem, which requires some changes to state law. Please watch for future updates as this legislation is introduced and advances.

Community Safety

No issue is more important to my family and my neighbors than the safety of our community. As residents of the 18th Assembly District, we know too well the costs associated with unacceptable levels of violence.

I spent much of the summer building coalitions around ideas to help keep our community safe. There is no magic legislative solution, but please know that I will work with my fellow Milwaukee Representatives to make the greatest positive impact we can.

Many of our neighborhoods have seen great progress and we need to celebrate and replicate those successes throughout the city. I have pledged to help as a resource and stakeholder to do just that.

Criminal Justice Reform

At the same time our community addresses violent crime, we need to address the unacceptable racial disparities that exist within the Criminal Justice System. Wisconsin incarcerates African Americans at a greater rate than any other state in the United States – and that must end.

In the legislature, I have worked, and will continue to work, on reforming how our communities are policed, how and what crimes are prosecuted, and increasing resources for those that are incarcerated or have recently returned home.

One major component to this reform is the needed change to expungement law. This coming session, I will again work to increase the ability for non-violent offenders to erase outdated criminal convictions from their records. I have met hundreds of individuals this year that are held back from their current potential based on an old, nonviolent mistake they made. I believe they deserve a second chance.

Long-Term Proposals:

* Extension of Hank Aaron State Trail - I am continuing to work on a possible extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail. An extension would be very valuable to the district and the City of Milwaukee. The extension of the trail would allow for an increase in trail use, local tourism, and opportunities for family activities. I will continue to work with my colleagues and the DNR on this idea.

* Redesign of Highway 41 - I am continuing to seek input on the possible redesign of Highway 41, particularly as it intersects Lisbon and North Avenues. I believe there is a better design to connect neighbors and businesses that surround Highway 41. Though this type of project would be several years in the making, please don't hesitate to contact me with your thoughts.

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