June 30, 2017

Working for you!

Supporting Craft Breweries and Wineries

I strongly support small Wisconsin businesses, such as craft breweries and wineries. I believe in the free market and deplore any regulation that attempts to box competitors out of the market. I recently gave a TV news interview on WBAY channel 2 regarding this issue.

Paving the Way to Good Roads

I’ve worked tirelessly to keep Interstate 41 and Highway 10 interchange projects on schedule. We have also worked very hard and have made progress at keeping the Winneconne Bridge project on schedule.

Another important project on my radar is the Highway 15 bypass between Greenville and New London. This project is strongly supported by our local governments and is getting the same attention and hard work I've been putting into the other projects.

When it comes to transportation, nothing is more important to me than safety, and I’ve made specific recommendations to the Department of Transportation to address the significant traffic safety concerns on I-41 between Highway 15 and 441 North. The safety hazards and the congestion through this stretch requires an upgrade to six lanes, in order to alleviate these issues through the whole section.

A Win for Open Government

Yesterday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a committee created by the Appleton Area School District Board was subject to open meetings laws. The Krueger v. Appleton Area School District ruling ensures that government decisions will continue to open to the public, even when they are delegated to committees. The committee in question was created by the school board to review potential works of fiction for use in the ninth grade curriculum. The full decision by the court can be read here: https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=192288

Protections for People with Pre-existing Conditions

Last Wednesday, the State Assembly adopted an amended version of Assembly Bill 365, which puts in place two important protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions without a single Democrat in support:

• It prohibits health insurers from considering pre-existing conditions for individuals with continuous coverage when setting premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and other rates.

• It permits the Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance to propose a plan for individuals with pre-existing conditions who have not had continuous coverage that would expand choices of insurance coverage, provide more affordable options to purchase coverage, and provide for greater flexibility in portability of coverage.

We’re taking the initiative to prepare for changes in federal health care laws and ensure that the needs of individuals with pre-existing conditions are addressed here in our home state. We’re not going to let partisanship stand in the way of doing what’s best for the health care needs of our citizens. With something as important as pre-existing conditions in health care, we were disappointed that our Democratic colleagues in Assembly did not join us in this critical effort.

Explore Wisconsin's Private Colleges

In addition to the world class public universities in our state, we’re fortunate to have two dozen private, non-profit colleges for Wisconsin students to explore. July 10-15, 2017 is Private College Week with events scheduled in every corner of the state. To learn more and plan a trip to tour one or more of the campuses visit: http://www.wisconsinsprivatecolleges.org/visit/register-private-college-week-visit

Happy Independence Day!

Check out other upcoming events near us by visiting the Wisconsin Tourism website, and if you run into me while you’re out and about be sure to stop and say hi!

"Like" Representative Murphy's Facebook Page

I use Facebook to update constituents 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.