Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and I are
all smiles this week. For well over a year, we've been working
together on a package of ideas to crack down on a few bad actors in
Wisconsin's housing market... and we've just learned that our bills are
headed to the Senate floor next week to be considered for passage!
I have experience in banking and
business. He serves a legislative district that was among the
hardest hit during the 2008 housing and foreclosure crisis.
Although we
don't always agree philosophically, he and I have developed strong
mutual respect, and with the worst of that
crisis now in the past, we put our heads together to find some solutions
that we think make sense for every Wisconsin community.
Specifically, the law will no longer allow people who already owe their
local governments tens (or hundreds!) of thousands of dollars in back
taxes to keep buying up our neighborhoods. The law will penalize
bad actors who lie about their eligibility. And the law will
provide options for communities to conduct sheriff sale foreclosure
auctions online so that new homebuyers can more readily compete to
purchase the properties that need help the most. (Have you tried
buying a new home lately? The market is as competitive as I've
ever seen it!)
Madison isn't usually like Washington,
DC. Your state representatives can and frequently do set aside our
philosophical differences and find answers to the questions that you
send us here to solve. Rep. Goyke and I are both looking forward to
seeing Milwaukee, Sheboygan and many other Wisconsin communities benefit
from our work. We expect Assembly Bill (AB) 690 and 691 to advance
next week in the State Senate with a bipartisan vote; they have already
been approved in the Assembly, so after the Senate votes, they will head
to Governor Scott Walker's desk.
As always, I encourage you to follow
my updates on
social media or contact
my office directly with your questions. Best wishes on your weekend!
An
Incredible Conservation Success Story
Prior to the late 1800s, elk once inhabited
at least 50 of Wisconsin's 72 counties. After more than 22 years of
reintroduction efforts, Wisconsin's elk herd has grown to the point that our
state's first-ever
managed elk hunt will be able to occur in fall 2018!
The restoration project began in 1995 with
the release of 25 elk from Michigan into the far north-central forests.
That herd, comprised today mainly of animals that were actually born in the
wild here in Wisconsin, will reach a population of more than 200 this year,
including a high proportion of bulls. Starting on May 1st, Wisconsin
residents may apply to enter the drawing for a total of 10 bull-only hunting
licenses/tags. Drawing winners will be required to complete a special
elk hunting education course prior to the fall 2018 hunting season. No
hunting will be permitted among the smaller elk herd in the Jackson County
area, where new elk have been recently added to the herd from Kentucky and
where the herd still comprises a high proportion of cow elk.
In addition to professional Department of
Natural Resources biologists and researchers, representatives from the
Wisconsin Conservation Congress, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,
the U.S. Forest Service, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Wisconsin
Wildlife Federation, Jackson County Forest and Parks, the Ho-Chunk Nation,
the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and
Wildlife Commission have all participated in determining the 2018 elk
harvest quota. These groups have also helped enormously with the
entire project; the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation alone has invested more
than $1.6 million on elk reintroduction and other conservation projects in
Wisconsin!
Service
Opportunity: Be a Storm Spotter!
The National Weather Service and Sheboygan
County Emergency Management invite you to become a 2018 severe weather
spotter! Training is free and open to the public; no pre-registration
is required.
Training will be available on Wednesday,
April 4th at the Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin, N6191 Resource
Drive, Sheboygan Falls beginning at 6:30 PM. The first hour of the
training is about public safety during different types of weather hazards
(i.e., tornado, flood, lightning, wind); the second hour of training teaches
you what to watch for and how to report weather events. New this year
is the advent of volunteer social media search teams. All are welcome
to attend one or both parts of the free training!
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