March 30, 2016

Working for you!

Governor Signs College Affordability Bills into Law

This week, six of my bills were signed into law. Two bills used the Assembly's Red Tape Review process to clean up outdated administrative code in the University of Wisconsin System and our Technical College System. Governor Walker also signed four bills in our College Affordability Package into law.

The bills in the College Affordability Package are another step forward in our vision to keep college affordable: keep costs low, make them transparent to the student, and focus on getting degrees finished in a timely manner. We know that we need multiple strategies to tackle college costs; this predicament won’t be solved in one fell swoop or in just one action. I will continue to work with my colleagues and higher education partners on more fiscally responsible reforms for the future.

Below is brief description of each bill:

Wisconsin Grants (Act 281): Benefits over 1,000 technical college students by increasing the needs-based Wisconsin Grants by $1 million in the biennium.

Emergency Grants (Act 282): Provide $450,000 for emergency grants to keep students in school who experience a financial emergency.

DWD Internship Coordinators (Act 283): Uses existing money to create two positions at DWD to connect employers with Wisconsin universities and create internship opportunities.

Financial Literacy (Act 284): Requires all higher education institutions to send students an annual letter with information about their loans so they can make better decisions about their financial future.

At the bill signing for Acts 281 and 282 at Mid-State Technical College

Left to Right: UW Colleges and Extension Chancellor Cathy Sandeen, Governor Walker, Representative Dave Murphy, David Boardman (Office of Rep. Murphy), and Diane Handrick (Office of Rep. Murphy)

Meeting with Outagamie County Supervisor Mike Thomas

Recently, I met with Outagamie County Supervisor Mike Thomas. Mike wanted to discuss the feasibility of moving the sheriff’s department out of the downtown area in order to save money and reduce emergency response times. I keep in touch with Mike on many issues, and in 2013, I recommended him for a position on the East Central Regional Planning Commission, on which he now serves. Thanks, Mike, for your public service to our community.

Mike Thomas (Left) and Representative Dave Murphy (Right)

Visiting Mid-State Technical College and UW-Marshfield/Wood County

The pictures above are from my tour of Mid-State Technical College. I met several technical college leaders that introduced me to the many programs they have to prepare students for the workforce.           

The pictures above are from my tour of UW-Marshfield/Wood County. Special thanks to campus and student leaders who took time to show me their campus and share their experiences with me.

Speaking to Students at Monona Grove High School

While I was in Madison today, I was asked to speak to students in the current events class at Monona Grove High School. We talked about voter ID, representation in government, the legislative process, and other state and local government issues. I was impressed with how engaged the students were and all of the excellent questions that they had.

"Like" Representative Murphy's Facebook Page

I will use Facebook to update you more frequently on my work in Madison and the 56th Assembly District. I look forward to using this as another way to connect with constituents and encourage you to follow it and watch for regular updates.