Assembly to Meet on Tuesday

On Tuesday, the Assembly will hold a floor session to consider proposed legislation on a variety of topics. Click here to see the full schedule.

Included on the agenda are two controversial proposals (Assembly Bills 411 and 488), which would prohibit most anti-racism and anti-sexism education in our schools. These bills mirror legislation proposed in other states as part of a radically conservative political movement.

These proposals from Republican legislators are clearly motivated by politics, not sound policy making, and would strip our local school boards of the ability to decide what is best for their local schools. These bills could even endanger the progress we made in passing the Holocaust Education Act, which passed earlier this year.

It is important that our kids learn critical thinking skills so they are able to handle complicated topics and issues as they become adults. Anti-racism and anti-sexism education crucial for our future. Teaching about racism and sexism, and their context in our history is vital, and we should not ignore truths about our history simply because they make some people uncomfortable.

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US Supreme Court to Hear Mississippi Abortion Case

The United States Supreme Court announced this week that it will hear arguments on December 1 in a Mississippi case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, that could essentially overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. If the court overturns Roe, abortion would be immediately illegal in Wisconsin and doctors would be subject to felony penalties for providing abortions because Wisconsin still has a criminal abortion ban on our books from 1849. Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined other Attorneys General from around the country in pushing back against rolling back the right to choose safe and legal abortion.

Abortion is health care, not criminal activity, and should be accessible safely, legally, and without judgment. This is why Senator Kelda Roys and I introduced the Abortion Rights Preservation Act, which would repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban and preserve the individual right to make personal reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. The time has come to guarantee access to safe and legal abortion in Wisconsin, no matter what.

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COVID-19 Update

Over 142,000 Wisconsinites who received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine between August 20 and September 19 still have time to submit their information by September 30, 2021, to claim their $100 reward.

In order to receive the $100 reward, eligible Wisconsin residents will need to fill out the form available at 100.wisconsin.gov or call 844-684-1064 to register over the phone. Information submitted will be used to verify that individuals have a valid first COVID-19 vaccine dose reported to the Wisconsin Immunization Registry between August 20 and September 19. DHS is working with vaccinators to validate the submissions for the reward program. Rewards cards will be mailed to the individual’s Wisconsin address and may take six to eight weeks to be mailed to participants. Proof of insurance, I.D., or citizenship are not required to get vaccinated or to be eligible for the reward program.

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September is Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness on this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.

• 78% of all people who die by suicide are male.
• Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are nearly 4x more likely to die by suicide.
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.
• The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999.
• 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition.
• While nearly half of individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition, research shows that 90% experienced symptoms.
• Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide, by U.S. demographic group:
  • 8% of all adults
  • 8% of young adults aged 18-25
  • 8% of high school students
  • 8% of lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students
• Some of the highest rates of suicide in the U.S. are among American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic white communities.
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth.
• Transgender adults are nearly 12x more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for people held in local jails.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255, or online here. You can also find more resources from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

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DWD Updates Policies Supporting Self-Employed People with Disabilities

New changes to the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Existing Business policy will make it easier for self-employed individuals with disabilities to access funds for assistive technology.

With input from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and statewide agricultural groups, the revised policy may allow more farmers and other agribusiness owners to benefit from DVR services. The policy also covers self-employed individuals in other business sectors.

The policy changes expand opportunities for self-employed individuals with disabilities to become eligible to receive DVR services under the Existing Business Policy. This includes money for qualifying assistive technology and access to assistive technology experts.

Developed in 2016, DVR's Existing Business policy serves as the standard policy DVR staff follow when working with people with disabilities who want to maintain self-employment through their existing business. Revisions to the policy expand the criteria for determining whether a DVR eligible self-employed individual is eligible to receive services under this policy.

The main revision to the policy allows for broader consideration of business wages that may allow business owners earning less than minimum wage to qualify for services using a debt to asset ratio calculation. In determining DVR eligibility, the new policy also allows outside income, if related to the business, and expenses that may be viewed as assets in subsequent financial periods to be considered.

The revised policy was developed after several workgroup meetings, a statewide public input session, and stakeholder engagement. The policy can be found on DVR's Existing Business Policy page.

Individuals who wish to apply for DVR services can fill out DVR's online referral form or contact the DVR administrative office at 608-261-0050 or toll-free at 800-442-3477.

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POW/MIA Recognition Day

September 17 was POW/MIA Recognition Day. At the Capitol, a ceremony hosted by the Rolling Thunder Chapters and Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars took place, and was attended by Gov. Evers, legislators, veterans, and members of the public. This year’s ceremony included the official dedication of the POW/MIA Chair of Honor, which sits in the Capitol Rotunda.

Thank you to those brave men and women whose service, sacrifice and courage should not be forgotten.

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New Blue Books are Here!

The 2021-2022 edition of the Wisconsin Blue Book is here!  If you'd like a copy please email my office at Rep.Subeck@legis.wisconsin.gov, and I will have my staff provide you with your very own copy.  If you are downtown during normal business hours, you can also stop in to my office (Room 109 N in the Capitol) to pick one up in person (please note that masks are required in my office).

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Wisconsin Fun Fact 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

The first Spanish-speaking explorers reached Wisconsin before the 18th century though exact dates are difficult to determine. Because St Louis, MO was an important frontier outpost for the Spanish government until 1804, trappers, traders, sailors, and soldiers made frequent visits to the upper Mississippi region. Census records show that few Spanish-speaking immigrants had settled in Wisconsin between 1850 and 1910.

Mexicans began arriving in large numbers after the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910, and remained the dominant immigrant group until the 1950s when many Puerto Ricans began to settle in Wisconsin.  More Mexicans arrived to work in Milwaukee factories in the 1920s but the Depression forced many to return to Mexico. The out-migration continued until the labor shortages of WWII caused a reversal. Mexican-American farm workers, mainly from Texas, also began to come back to rural Wisconsin farms. Mexican migratory farm workers had first been recruited in the 1920s to work in sugar beet fields and continued to come in increasing numbers until the early 1970s.

The emergency farm labor program, established in 1943 by the federal government, led to the placement of several thousand agricultural workers, most from outside the United States, throughout the remainder of the decade. Wisconsin farmers participated in the Bracero program from 1951 to 1964, which brought workers from the southwestern U.S. to Wisconsin.  Diverse and better-paying jobs in urban areas led more Mexican-Americans to settle in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, and Waukesha in the 1970s. By 1980, approximately 35,000 Mexican-Americans lived in Wisconsin. The 2020 Census recorded over 447,000 people that identified as Hispanic or Latino in Wisconsin.

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