Governor Walker Highlights Education Budget Proposal in Northwoods
Governor Walker visited North Lakeland Elementary in Manitowish Waters this morning to speak with administrators, teachers and students about his budget proposal for K-12 education.
Governor Walker discussing his education budget proposal to school administrators, teachers, and students at North Lakeland Elementary in Manitowish Waters
The Governor’s rural education plan, Every Student Matters, will provide greater support for Wisconsin’s rural schools through an increase per-pupil funding, a record increase in transportation and sparsity aid, and further investments in broadband, technology and Fab Labs.
Additionally, the Governor has proposed a $509.2 million increase in per-pupil state aid that will be distributed outside of the general school funding formula. This represents a $200 per-pupil increase in 2017-2018 and a $204 increase in 2018-19 that will be guaranteed to each student in my district. I am very pleased to see that this per-pupil funding would be distributed outside the general formula, thus helping all of the students and schools in the 34th Assembly District.
The Governor included the following in his Every Student Matters plan:
$509.2 million increase in per-pupil state aid routed outside of the traditional funding formula
100% reimbursement for rural school districts in the High-Cost Transportation Aid program
Increase Sparsity Aid by $20 million
Increase broadband expansion grant program by roughly $13 million
Increase funding for TEACH program by $22.5 million
Increase opportunity to recruit and retain teachers
Increase flexibility through school district shared services
Allocates $1 million over the two year budget for the Fab Lab grant program
During the next few months, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will be reviewing the Governor’s budget proposals. The JFC completed their public hearings throughout the state this afternoon and will begin to vote on the Governor’s budget starting in May. I remain hopeful that these education provisions will be included in the final budget presented to the Governor this summer.
If you have a moment, I would appreciate you filling out my 2017 Spring Survey below to provide feedback on the upcoming budget as it relates to education and other important issues.
Assembly Committee on State Affairs Update
It was another busy couple of weeks for the Assembly Committee on State Affairs at the Capitol! On Wednesday, the committee voted on four bills and held a public hearing on an additional piece of legislation. I have provided a description of each bill below for your reference.
Members of the Assembly Committee on State Affairs during this week's Executive Session and Public Hearing
Safe-Ride is a program that offers a free ride home to someone that feels that they have had one too many and shouldn't be driving. The program in Wisconsin has grown at annual rate of approximately 10% over the past decade and has been a national model to promote safe and responsible drinking. Under current law, grant monies allocated by the Department of Transportation for the use of Safe-Ride cannot be used for promoting the program. This bill simply authorizes the use of existing grant money for the promotion of the program to increase awareness and further reduce drunk driving in Wisconsin.
AB 194: relating to: the prohibition against underage persons being present on alcohol licensed premises.
For decades, large music festivals throughout Wisconsin have allowed both unaccompanied minors (under 21) and those 21 and older to be on the same premise where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed. However, due to a technicality in Wisconsin law, many of these large music festivals would no longer be able to allow individuals under the age of 21 to attend. Wisconsin statute 125.07(3)(a) allows for exemptions to this law. AB 194 would add music festival venues during an event with a projected attendance of at least 2,500 persons to this list of exemptions. This will keep the status quo and allow large music festival to operate as they have for over 40 years.
AB 115: relating to: the authority of the departments of administration, children and families, workforce development, justice, and health services to allocate federal grant money for civil legal aid.
AB 115 clarifies that the departments of administration, children and families, workforce development, justice, and health services are able to allocate federal grant money for civil legal aid as allowable by federal law for low-income, indigent, vulnerable, or at-risk populations. This codifies and clarifies existing law in order to facilitate the use of federal grant monies to provide civil legal aid services if the agencies receiving the federal grant money choose to do so.
AB 116: relating to: the creation of the Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council.
This bill creates an Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council for the purposes of identifying ways for the aforementioned departments mentioned under AB 115 to work together to provide civil legal services for the indigent. The council will facilitate discussion among various stakeholders, including state agencies, about how access to civil legal services will assist in achieving the goals of each department and organization.
Public Hearing
AB 42: relating to: various changes regarding administrative rules and rule-making procedures and making an appropriation.
This bill requires scope statements for proposed administrative rules to be reviewed by the Department of Administration for a determination of an agency's authority to promulgate a rule; requires agencies to hold preliminary public hearings and comment periods on scope statements for rules if directed to do so by the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR); and requires the passage of a bill in order for an agency to promulgate a rule that would result in implementation and compliance costs of $10 million over any two-year period, subject to certain exceptions. In sum, this bill would strengthen the Legislature and improve transparency and accountability in the rule-making process.
Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry Update
The Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry met this week to review bills for the first time this legislative session. The committee held a public hearing on Assembly Bill 100, relating to towing water skis, and Assembly Bill 230, relating to fencing requirements on managed forest lands. You can reference the bill texts, status of each bill and committee information if you click on the bill numbers below.
Rep. Swearingen listening to testimony from Sen. Moulton and Rep. Jarchow, the authors of Assembly Bill 100
AB 100: relating to: operating a motorboat towing a person on water skis.
This bill authorizes the operation of a motorboat towing a person on water skis, aquaplane, or similar device, without having a second person in the boat to observe the person being towed, if the motorboat is equipped with a mirror that provides the operator with a wide field of vision to the rear.
AB 230: relating to: fences on closed managed forest land.
Under this bill, the prohibition on a fence that prevents the free and open movement of wild animals across managed forest land (MFL) does not apply if the fence is used for dog training on closed MFL owned by a nonprofit organization that holds a dog club training license. Under current law, a parcel containing a building or an improvement associated with a building is ineligible for designation as MFL.
Committee Description
The Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry will address issues and laws affecting our forestry industry and the management of our state forests as well as environmental issues including air pollution, water pollution, sewage and drinking water systems, the Great Lakes and recycling.
Constituent Meetings at the Capitol
I had the opportunity to meet with Judy Domaszek last week in Madison. Judy has been the owner and operator of the Wildwood Wildlife Park in Minocqua with her family since 1997. Wildwood is home to more than 1,000 animals including endangered and threatened species. Judy and I had a great discussion about legislation addressing this industry as well as the importance of Wildwood to the Northwoods community and tourism. If you haven’t already gone to Wildwood, I would highly suggest visiting this summer!
Rep. Swearingen, Judy Domaszek, and Alan Smith of the Zoological Association of America
This week was the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) legislative day at the Capitol. I had a number of healthcare representatives from Rhinelander, Eagle River and Minocqua meet with me to discuss Medicaid, increasing reimbursement for outpatient mental health services, and strengthening Wisconsin’s healthcare workforce. Recently, Wisconsin ranked third best in the nation for our health care quality by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ). In nine of the last ten years, Wisconsin has ranked in the top four states for health care quality by AHRQ. I would like to thank everyone for making the trip to Madison!
Rep. Swearingen with Healthcare Representatives from the Northwoods during the Wisconsin Hospital Association Legislative Day
Multi-County Veterans Benefits Expo
I was invited to attend the Multi-County Veterans Benefits Expo this afternoon in Rhinelander. The expo featured a consortium of veteran service offices from Oneida, Vilas, Price, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, and Langlade counties. There were just short of 40 vendors that were stationed at the expo to provide veterans with information about the services that they are entitled to. Some of the vendors included the VA regional office, Nicolet College, the Department of Workforce Development, social services, the Department of Aging, and social security administration, among others. I would like to congratulate Tammy Walters, the Oneida County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) as well as the other CVSO's for coordinating this important event!
Vilas County Veterans Service Officer Michael Biszak, Oneida County Veterans Service Officer Tammy Walters, and Rep. Swearingen at the Multi-County Veterans Benefits Expo
2017 Spring Survey Season
It is Spring Survey time in the Wisconsin State Legislature! I invite all of my constituents to take a moment to complete my 2017 Spring Survey that is posted on my legislative website. Click here to take my survey. The survey will allow you to provide comment on the Governor's proposed budget. If you have any further comments or concerns on the survey or the proposed state budget, please feel free to contact my office by emailing Rep.Swearingen@legis.wisconsin.gov or by calling toll free at 888-534-0034.
DNR Outdoor Report
Fairly regular rain falls over the past week have green-up proceeding rapidly with even reports of trees starting to leaf out in the far north. The rain has been especially helpful for the spring wildfire season, with fire danger levels remaining low to moderate over much of the last couple of weeks. But warm weather and wind are in the forecast, and it only takes a short time for fire danger levels to increase, so continue to check fire danger levels and if doing any burning, follow burning permit rules.
Water levels on streams and rivers are running way above the normal flow for this time of year. In the north waterfalls are roaring at Amnicon Falls, Copper Falls and Pattison state parks. The lower Wisconsin River was flowing at 33,000 cubic feet per second, more than two-and-a-half times its normal flow this time of year and travel on the main channel is not recommended.
Warmer water temperatures and good river flows drew sturgeon up Wolf River and hundreds of people have shown up to watch these prehistoric fish spawn below the Shawano dam. DNR fisheries staff have been capturing sturgeon to collect eggs and sperm for fish hatcheries where young sturgeon will be reared and then stocked into state waters and in waters in other states where sturgeon are being reintroduced. Biologists also weigh measure and tag the fish to monitor the population. Sturgeon were also running on Green Bay tributaries including the Menominee, Peshtigo and Oconto rivers.
Steelhead fishing season is well under way on the Bois Brule River. Redhorse suckers are running on the Flambeau River. The rains also brought more steelhead up Lake Michigan tributaries, with some of the best action of the year so far on Door County streams. But warmer temperatures have now brought suckers up tributaries by the thousands on some streams. The catch rate for rainbows on southern tributaries tapered off when the water temperature reached 60 degrees.
Turkeys continue to move out of their winter range and gobbling activity has really picked up during the past week just in time for the first period of the turkey hunting season that began this week. Many youth took to the woods to watch the sun rise and hear gobbling turkeys last weekend for the youth hunt.
Geese are sitting on nests and some wood duck boxes are now full of eggs. Loons are being seen fishing on northern lakes. Woodcock are peenting. Warbler reports are picking up with yellow-rumped, palm, pine, black-and-white, northern parula, and Louisiana waterthrush all found in small numbers at this early date. Broad-winged hawks have arrived statewide, including an impressive 1,200-plus tallied on Washington Island in Door County.
Marsh marigolds, pasque flowers, Dutchman's breeches, blood root, rue and wood anemone, spring beauty, wood violets and shooting star are in bloom. Wild leeks have emerged in some quality hardwoods forests creating a lush green onion scented ground cover at times.
This Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day and people have lots of opportunities to get out and help the environment with 17 Wisconsin state properties holding Work*Play*Earth Day events. Come out and help clean up parks, campgrounds and trails, do a little maintenance on structures or plant some trees. Then enjoy the rest of your day recreating on the property. These events are sponsored by our many friends groups, some of which also provide food or refreshments. If you can't make it this weekend, events will also be held over the following to weekends. For a complete list, search the DNR website for "Work Play Earth Day.'
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest - The terrible wind/hail/snow storm early last week has had a great impact on hiking trails in the south end of the forest. DNR and volunteer groups are helping to restore the Raven Trail near the Clear lake campground. Hikers are asked to use caution as there are a lot of trees and branches down on the trail. Otherwise spring is slowly coming to the Northwoods. White throated sparrows have started to show up along with the other returnees of hermit thrush, fox sparrows, juncos, winter wrens, robins, and sharp shinned hawks. Trailing arbutus are starting to bloom on south facing slopes so hepaticas are not far behind. Bears are starting to hit area bird feeders looking for that first spring meal. Wood frogs and a few spring peepers can be heard in the very full ephemeral ponds and swamps! The forest is alive with the many different songs! - Rosalie Richter, visitor services associate.
Community Events
Please click the following links for upcoming community events!
