December 1, 2017

Working for you!

Capitol Christmas Centerpiece Donated by Winneconne Family

This year our Capitol features a beautiful Christmas tree donated by the Ryf family of Winneconne. Thank you Jim and Debbie Ryf for this magnificent tree! For the past two weeks employees and volunteers at the Capitol have been preparing the tree and on Friday at noon we had the official tree lighting ceremony. You can watch the entire event online by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/governorscottwalker/videos/1936135776403656/

Here are some highlights from the past week. Clockwise beginning in the upper left: The Ryf family leads the pledge of allegiance during the lighting ceremony, it’s a tight fit getting such a large tree in between the stone columns as it enters the Capitol, the height of the tree is measured as it’s prepared for lifting into an upright position, the base of the tree is prepared for the stand, lights are added to the tree, and ornaments made by students from around the state are added to the tree.

Shop Talk with the Governor

On Wednesday I had a very productive meeting with Governor Walker to discuss my concerns with creating benefit corporations, the need to expand I-41 on the north side of Appleton, and the ramifications of designating part of Lake Michigan as a National Marine Sanctuary. I was very pleased with how the meeting went and I’m looking forward to sharing positive news with you on these issues in the future.

Wow, Our District is Impressive!

On Tuesday I invited Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch to join me on a tour of our district.

Both of us were impressed by the enormous storage capacity of the WOW Logistics warehouse in Little Chute. CEO Howard Kamerer and manager Jerry can been seen giving us a tour near the giant bolts of paper in the background.

What appears to be the warehouse from Indiana Jones is actually a refrigerated storage space with more cheese in it than I've ever seen in one place in my entire life.

I enjoyed introducing the Lt. Governor to fourth generation family CEO of the Boldt construction company, Howard Boldt.

We had a productive meeting about the need for our state to adopt innovative methods of contracting out state building projects. As this industry evolves, the conversation must continue in both the public and private sectors so that we get the most value for our money on projects.

We also had the opportunity to observe Outagamie County Circuit Court thanks to an invitation from Judge Vince Biskupic.

Hard at Work in Madison

It takes a lot more than just me to keep my office in Madison up and running. This fall I've been thankful for the assistance of our intern Maryjane Behm from Winneconne. Here she is hard at work with my Research Assistance Diane Handrick:

Go Badgers!

This Saturday marks the Big Ten football Championship game in which the Wisconsin Badgers play Ohio State. I'm looking forward to a Badger win and invite to the college football playoffs.

Lowering the Cost of Podiatry

On Wednesday, I testified before the Assembly Committee on Health about a bill I've introduced to make podiatry care more accessible and affordable for patients around the state.

Under current law, physician assistants and advanced nurse practitioners are not allowed to perform care associated with podiatry, even if they are specifically trained to do so and supervised by a podiatrist. AB 582 clears away this unnecessary roadblock to affordable, accessible, and quality care for podiatry patients. AB 582 was requested by podiatrists from across our state, represented by the Wisconsin Podiatric Medical Association. To keep up with the need for specialized health care, physician assistants and nurse practitioners have begun playing an increasingly valuable role in patient care. Both professions require years of specialized education and national certifications that allow them to work alongside physicians.

You can watch the hearing of the bill by clicking on this link: http://www.wiseye.org/Video-Archive/Event-Detail/evhdid/12018

"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.