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Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter |
Contact Me
418 North State
Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI
53708
PH: (608) 266-7521
TF: (888) 534-0078
FAX: (608)
282-3690
Literacy Network SCALE Program Thursday, January 28 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Literacy Network SCALE Program - Improve Reading, Writing and Computer Skills. Call Ezi (608)244-3911 to register. Space is limited.
Hilldale Winter Farmer’s Market December 12, 2015 to April 23, 2016 Saturdays 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Hilldale Shopping Center 702 N. Midvale Blvd.
Absentee Voting Monday, February 1 to Friday, February 12 8:00 am – 7:00 pm City Clerk’s Office 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blv
Cast your absentee ballot in the City Clerk's Office. If you are not already registered, register at the City Clerk’s Office.
West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches Tuesday, February 2 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older, the suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but please pay what you can afford. Transportation to the meal is available by donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.
Read to a Dog Wednesday, February 3 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Bring a favorite book and read aloud to a furry friend. Time slots available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Science Day: Current Research at the Arboretum Thursday, February 4 9:00 am – 11:30 am UW Arboretum 1207 Seminole Hwy
Students and faculty will present findings from projects on Arboretum land and in the Lake Wingra watershed. No fee.
West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches Thursday, February 4 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older, the suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but please pay what you can afford. Transportation to the meal is available by donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.
Evening/Dinner Storytelling Workshop Thursday, February 4 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Teju Ologboni, storytelling dinner/workshop
Literacy Network SCALE Program Thursday, February 4 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Literacy Network SCALE Program - Improve Reading, Writing and Computer Skills. Call Ezi (608)244-3911 to register. Space is limited.
Job Connect with the Worksmart Network Friday, February 5 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Meadowridge Library 5726 Raymond Rd
Get help with job search, resumes, & interviewing, and get connected with a full range of workforce and community resources and services. Sessions are one-on-one with a professional Employment Specialist from the Worksmart Network. Advance registration is required and you must call library staff to schedule a time.
Winter Birds Sunday, February 7 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm UW Arboretum 1207 Seminole Hwy
Returning migratory birds often arrive in February. We will look for red-winged blackbirds, bluebirds, robins, and more.
Visiting the Capitol Whether you are planning a visit to the state Capitol as part of a large group, small gathering, or just by yourself, our office can assist you in scheduling a free guided tour of the Capitol building during normal business hours.
Free tours are offered daily, year round. Tours depart from the ground floor Information Desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm. A 4:00 pm tour is offered Memorial Day through Labor Day. The sixth floor museum and observation deck are also open during the summer months.
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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The end of our legislative session is near, as the Speaker has indicated that we will likely wrap up our time on the Assembly floor near the end of February. That means it is an incredibly busy time at the Capitol as committees meet and new legislation is still being introduced every day.
In this week’s newsletter, you will find news of Wisconsin’s revenue shortfall, information about Wisconsin's voter ID law, and resources to assist you as you prepare to file your taxes.
If you have any questions or need assistance with any matter, please feel free to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Lisa Subeck State Representative 78th Assembly District
Revenue Shortfall Last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released numbers showing that Wisconsin is expected to take in $158 million less in revenue than previously estimated. This is the direct result of the Republicans' disastrous budget and their inaction on many of the major challenges our state faces. Instead of facing our economic challenges head on, Republicans have spent the legislative session focused on a harmful special-interest political agenda and election-year distractions.
A simple first step toward improving our state’s finances and closing the revenue gap would be to accept federal BadgerCare funds and provide health care to roughly 80,000 Wisconsinites at a savings of more than $300 million to taxpayers over the next two years. Unfortunately, Governor Walker and legislative Republicans have refused to act, putting politics ahead of doing what is right for our state.
Update on The Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act Together with Representative Joan Ballweg (R- Markesan) and Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), I introduced LRB-3285 to ensure nursing mothers do not face unnecessary barriers in the workplace. LRB-3285 would bring Wisconsin law in line with federal employment regulations regarding breastfeeding and provide additional accommodations to ensure that nursing mothers do not have to choose between breastfeeding and returning to work. The bill also ensures that unpaid break time taken for the purpose of nursing or expressing breast milk would count toward meeting eligibility thresholds for employer sponsored health insurance. After circulating for co-sponsorship, the bill has received support from both Democrats and Republicans.
The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, made updates to the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that required many, but not all, employers to provide reasonable (unpaid) break time, along with a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion where employees may express breast milk.
The Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act codifies these changes into state law and expands on them by applying the standards to any employer unless compliance results in a significant undue financial burden. My bill also requires an employer to provide an electrical outlet, running water, and a refrigerator for the storage of breast milk. Finally, the bill requires an employer to treat unpaid break time taken to express breast milk as paid work time for purposes of determining the employee's eligibility for health care benefits.
This bill addresses an issue raised by a constituent who lost her health insurance because unpaid breaks to express breastmilk resulted in her total work hours dropping slightly below the minimum threshold for health insurance eligibility.
The Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act was drafted with significant input from breastfeeding coalitions and breastfeeding support organizations, including public health professionals. I am pleased that the Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act has received early bipartisan support and am hopeful the bill will move forward. No mother should have to choose between making the healthy choice for her baby versus returning to work and providing health care for her family.
Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Friday is the 5th anniversary of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. Unfortunately, women still earn just 78 cents on the dollar compared to men. African American and Latina women fare even worse than that.
In 2012 legislative Republicans and Governor Walker repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which allowed state level enforcement as a tool for women to combat wage discrimination.
Equal pay is not just a women’s issue, it is also a family and economic issue. The 22 cents of every dollar adds up quickly for families struggling to make ends meet. In Wisconsin’s economy so many people are already working harder for less pay, and the last thing they can afford is to lose part of each month’s paycheck to gender discrimination. As we work to grow our economy, it is imperative our economy works for everyone.
Spring Primary: Voter ID Will Be In Effect Absentee voting for the Spring Primary begins next Monday, and Election day is Tuesday, February 16. This will be the first election since the courts ruled that Wisconsin's Voter ID law will be in effect.
Tax Time is Here Income tax filing season began last week with both the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and IRS starting to process tax returns. E-filed tax returns including both federal and state returns will not be received by DOR until the return is processed by the IRS. You can still use Wisconsin e-file to file your Wisconsin tax returns directly with DOR. The Income Tax customer service number at DOR is (608)266-2772.
You can now access your 2015 Form 1099-G form on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue website. This form provides information about your state tax refund, which you must include as income on your federal tax return if you itemize deductions.
You can view or print their Form 1099-G on the Department's secure and confidential 1099-G Lookup. If you use a tax preparer, give the form to that person with the rest of your tax documents.
Watch Out for Fraudulent Tax Preparations As we enter another tax season, two issues stand out as particularly important when prepping for your return: making sure you have all your necessary documents and finding a company you can trust to help you file your taxes. After all, you are entrusting this company or individual with your most valuable personal and financial information. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asks the public to be on the lookout for questionable tax practices in the months ahead and to report any suspicious behavior to the agency.
A handful of shady businesses pop up each year, however, collecting personal financial information under false pretenses or secretly filing customer’s tax returns and stealing from the refund. A common type of tax and loan scam involves tax prep businesses filing returns on behalf of consumers without their consent. These businesses initially solicit the consumers with a promise of providing short-term loans and then pocket exorbitant fees from the tax refunds they file in the consumer’s name.
Here are some tips to avoid becoming the victim of tax preparation fraud: -Be alert to promotions such as “holiday loans” or other short-term loans that can be used to gain the personal financial information needed to file an individual’s tax return. -Be careful providing personal financial information to a business unless you want the preparer to file your taxes. Make sure you provide clear direction and that the company specifically advises you on whether they intend to file your tax return. -Never sign an authorization permitting a company to file your taxes if you do not want the company to do so. -Never sign a document without first reading and understanding what it says. -Always insist upon receiving copies of all documents that you are required to sign or that identify the terms of a transaction and the charges you will be required to pay. Confirm, before signing, that you will receive copies. If a business does not agree to provide copies, don’t sign.
DATCP works with the Wisconsin Departments of Justice and Revenue to detect tax preparation fraud. Anyone suspecting fraudulent activity is encouraged to file a complaint with DATCP. Complaints can be filed online through the DATCP website or a complaint form can be requested by calling the state’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
Meet our Intern, Alan I am happy to introduce you to Alan, the newest intern in our office. Alan joined us in January and will be with us through the spring semester.
Alan was born and raised in the 78th district and is excited to become involved in Wisconsin politics. He graduated in May, 2015 from Macalester College with majors in political science and international studies, along with a minor in Hispanic studies. Alan hopes to attend graduate school for political science in the near future. He looks forward to helping promote a progressive agenda for the state of Wisconsin.
Fun Wisconsin Fact Dena Smith became the first woman to serve as Wisconsin State Treasurer. She was initially appointed to the position after the death of her husband, who served in the position at that time, and was then elected to the office in 1960, becoming the first woman elected to a statewide constitutional office in Wisconsin.
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