July 26, 2019

Working for you!

Keeping UW Affordable and Transparent

Yesterday, I released a package of bills designed to keep our public universities as open and accessible as possible.

UW tuition has been frozen since 2012, which must be renewed every two years in the state budget. If any governor were to veto a future tuition freeze, there would be no cap in the law on how much tuition could increase. In fact, in the first four years after the last tuition freeze, UW tuition increased by 60%. This can’t be allowed to happen again. That’s why I’ve introduced the Fair Future Tuition bill that will act as a safety net for UW students and their families if the tuition freeze is eliminated. Under the bill, in-state UW tuition increases would be capped at inflation and tuition would be frozen for four years as long as a student remains enrolled at the same campus. I do not support ending the tuition freeze and the bill does not end the tuition freeze.

The four other bills in the package will improve risk management for university relationships with outside partner organizations, make transferring among UW and technical college campuses easier, control the growth of UW student fees, and streamline UW reports so they are easier to access by the public.

Actual tuition increases vs. what they would have been capped at if my bill had been in place.

Storm Damange and Important Resources

A state of emergency has been declared for our region due to recent severe weather. Although my power was knocked out for a while, I feel fortunate that there wasn’t any serious damage to my home. If you suffered damage and need assistance, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging folks to visit these sites:

• Storm Debris Clean-up: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Waste/StormDebris.html
• Storm Damage to Forests: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/forestlandowners/stormrecovery.html
• Storm Debris Clean-up on Waterways: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Waterways/StormDebrisCleanup.html
• Flooded Wells: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Wells/flood.html
• Demolition, Construction & Renovation: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Demo/
• Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grants: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/UrbanForests/grants/catastrophic.html

You can also contact your local town or village for assistance in finding resources for clean up.

Governor Shuts Down Capitol

You may have noticed that last week you didn’t receive the usual e-update from me. Last Friday, the State Capitol and other downtown state buildings were evacuated by the governor due to two power plant related fires just east and west of the building. I apologize if you weren’t able to reach my office that day.

Here's the view from my office before my staff was asked to leave.

Productive Meeting with the New Attorney General

On Wednesday, I had a productive meeting with the new attorney general in which we discussed UW System compliance with public records law, on-going cases involving UW–Oshkosh, the need to fix Wisconsin’s legal definition of “expungement,” and his support of a bipartisan bill I’m cosponsoring that will improve the storage and processing of sexual assault kits.

In the District

Last Tuesday, I enjoyed touring the Fox Community Credit Union headquarters in Appleton.

One of my favorite things every year is volunteering with my Greenville Lions Club at the Catfish Races.

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.