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The cold and wind this week didn't stop
us from touring the Milwaukee Harbor District and the UW-Milwaukee
School of Freshwater Sciences! Some really exciting revitalization
is underway in this historic part of our state's biggest city, including
local, state and federal investment and some significant private
investment as well. The plan is the result of several years of
hard work and community engagement!
Click here to read more about
what's happening.
It's a busy season in the state legislature right now, which means it's
a great time to give me a call or send an e-mail to let me know what you
think about headlines you've heard or ideas that you have.
As always, I encourage you to follow
my updates on
social media or contact
my office directly with your questions; we'll do our best to help. Best wishes on your
weekend!
Health
Care Heads-Up!
Positive
changes are coming to the way Wisconsin delivers health care for many adult
Medicaid members. Watch your mail in the months ahead to
learn if the changes apply to you or a loved one and what steps you will
need to take; in the meantime,
click here
for a helpful summary of what's coming.
In short: most
private and employer-supported health insurance plans these days require
folks to choose to enroll in a network of health care providers. This
is not only cost-effective but also generally improves folks' ability to
access the care they require, in a timely fashion, with effective
coordination among providers, and with capable assistance from network staff
as needed. The Department of Health Services is moving most recipients
of state medical assistance toward this same successful model so that
quality care continues to reach those who need it most.
Moving
in the Right Direction
There is good news on many fronts in
Wisconsin these days! We're keeping our promises to make our state a
better place for you to live and work. But what does that mean?
Here are a few indicators of our progress.
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Did you know that the 2017-19 state
budget expands upon the biggest "rainy day fund" we've ever had in
Wisconsin? We have almost $300 million set aside to help prevent
any loss of state services if, say, a surprise economic downturn (like
the one we experienced 10 years ago) causes a surprise loss of state
revenue. So far, though, Wisconsin is actually on track to enter
2019 with a $138 million surplus, considerably ahead of our
budget estimate.
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Sometimes I still hear Wisconsin referred
to as a "tax hell." That may have once been true, but it isn't
true any longer. In 1995, we had the 4th-highest state and local
tax burden of any state in America. The most recent data available
now says we've moved from #4 all the way down to #21. (By the way:
Minnesota and Illinois are going the wrong direction; they're up to #6
and #7, respectively.) That's huge progress... but I think we can
still do better. And we will!
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Our economy has the best kind of problem
right now. Unemployment is so low that businesses are having a
hard time finding employees so that they can grow! Now, even a
good problem is still a problem... but it's a great time to be an
employee, a student or a young professional in Wisconsin because, boy,
do we have work here for you! As of today, there are 91,213 job
openings available at
jobcenterofwisconsin.com.
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