March 6, 2020

Working for you!

Evers' Disservice to Wisconsin Charities

This week, Governor Evers vetoed a bipartisan bill that passed in the Senate and Assembly without a single no vote. I authored Assembly Bill 37 to allow Wisconsin charities like Lions Clubs, churches, and VFWs to hold popular paddlewheel raffles without inadvertently committing a felony. Not a single group lobbied or testified against the bill, not even the Tribal Nations the Governor mentioned in his veto message.

In July, the Governor’s staff informed me that, “We don’t have any issues with the bill at this time. If anything were to change, I will let you know.” After the bill passed both Senate and Assembly committees and houses with unanimous support, I was shocked and dismayed to hear the Governor announced his veto of the bill.

Governor Evers is sending a clear message that he doesn’t value a working partnership with the legislature. Open communication is the only way we can defeat blind partisanship. As I ask for my colleagues to consider a veto override, I hope the conversations I have with legislators on both sides of the aisle will make up for the lack of conversations the governor had before striking down the bill. While there would certainly seem to be enough votes for an override, and that people would stand by their original vote, it may take a great deal of courage for Democratic members of the legislature to not walk in lockstep with the governor.

A Record of Bipartisan Achievement

Now that the legislative session is beginning to wind down, the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau has reported that 94.1% of the votes taken on adopted Assembly bills this session have been bipartisan. I’m proud that we’ve found so many ways to work together at the State Capitol for the benefit of the entire state. All too often you only hear in the news about the less than 6% of the time when we disagree, but when you look at the facts, you come to realize that we get along a lot more than we fight.

Coronavirus COVID-19

On Wednesday, I sent out an update on Coronavirus COVID-19 to our district. Details and new information about the virus will be posted online by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm

Talking Paper in the Valley

On Wednesday, the Wisconsin Assembly Paper Caucus held a meeting at Boldt to discuss transportation issues facing the Wisconsin paper industry.

Time to Spring Forward

Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 A.M. marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time 2020. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour. ReadyWisconsin, part of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, is also encouraging you to test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and replace the batteries. For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning, visit: https://dma.wi.gov/DMA/wemnews/2020wemnews/ready200304

Upcoming Events

Check out upcoming events near us by visiting the Wisconsin Tourism website or https://appletondowntown.org/upcoming-events/ 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.