November 10, 2017

Working for you!

Traveling into the Future

I had a chance to tour and test drive some of these vehicles recently. To learn more about the testing of automated vehicles in Wisconsin, visit http://wiscav.org/

The ABCs of Construction Jobs

I had a great time at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin 30th anniversary open house Tuesday night! Their apprentice program is such a treasure for our state.

The construction simulators are harder to operate than they look.

Deer Season Begins

The Department of Natural Resources has some useful information that I've been asked to share with you:

• The 2017 nine-day gun deer season opens Saturday, November 18: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4102

• Here are some helpful tips to ensure another safe hunting season in Wisconsin: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4103

• Registration of your harvest is still required: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4104

• The 2017 fall hunting and trapping forecast is available online: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4105

• First-time hunters can purchases discounted license and receive a certificate to commemorate their first harvest:  http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4106

• Here are some online tools to find a new place to hunt this fall: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4107

• Safety tips for using ATVs and UTVs while hunting:  http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly/article/?id=4108

'Tis the Season to Be on the Watch for Scams

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's (DATCP) Bureau of Consumer Protection is spreading joy and information about how to protect yourself and your family from scams at this time of the year.

Charity Scams
In the spirit of the season, many consumers give generously to charities over the holidays. But while they are looking to share, scammers are looking to steal through fake charities with high-pressure pitches. Read online

Gift Card Shopping and Scams
Shoppers and gift recipients alike love gift cards for their convenience and ease of purchase and use. As with anything else where there is an exchange of money, however, there are some dos, don’ts and potential scam traps to consider when it comes to gift cards. Read online

Holiday Promotions
In recent years, many major retailers have started spreading their one-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales into a week-long shopping extravaganza. Each of these promotions will have its own terms and conditions, including limited item inventories, rebate requirements and specific promotion dates and times.  How does a shopper keep track of all of the details for these sales? Read online

Layaway
Layaway is a popular option for consumers looking to hold the hottest gifts at the store without paying the full price upfront. The process for layaway varies from store to store, however, with different fees and conditions to consider. Read online 

Online Shopping
Holiday sales are expected to increase for the ninth year in a row in 2017, and online sales will continue to drive much of the spending (National Retail Federation). Using smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and laptop computers, consumers can tackle an entire shopping list from anywhere they can get an internet connection.  But with this convenience comes a need to protect your personal and financial information when shopping online. Read online

Returns / Exchanges
Gift shopping is a gamble. Despite all of your best efforts, your “perfect gift” may end up back on the store shelf hours after the package is unwrapped. Given that even the best presents sometimes get returned or exchanged, planning ahead can be a great help to a gift recipient. Read online

Shipping Scams
More and more consumers are shopping for the holidays online and are accustomed to the influx of purchase and delivery confirmation emails. This added email traffic creates a scenario where scammers can sneak malware-laden spam emails into consumers’ accounts masked as shipping or delivery alerts. Read online

Toy Safety
We consider a number of factors when we shop for a gift for children–what’s popular, what they are excited about, what they need–but we may not always think about the most important factor: safety. Even the most popular toy may not be appropriate for the intended child or safe for other children in the home. Read online

Student Capitol Christmas Tree Ornaments

Claire Franz
Wisconsin Department of Administration
Division of Facilities Management
17 West Main Street, Suite 119
Madison, WI 53703

This year's Capitol Christmas tree is a 40-foot balsam fir was harvested in the Town of Emery and donated by Jim Ryf. Thanks Jim!

I was able to catch the tree arriving at the Capitol earlier this week. To watch a time-lapse video of the tree getting dropped off, click on the photo below.

Wisconsin Writers Contest

Send your best fiction and poetry to Wisconsin's largest and longest-running writing contests, hosted by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Contest winners in both the fiction and poetry categories receive awards of $100 to $500, publication in Wisconsin People & Ideas, and a reading at the Wisconsin Book Festival. First-place winners in both categories also receive a one-week writers’ residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point. The submission period ends at 11:59 p.m. on December 1.

"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.