Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As we head into the July 4th weekend, the Republican dominated Joint Finance Committee remains deadlocked on key issues of education and transportation funding. As the Republican leaders in both houses continue fighting and lobbing insults at each other, the fiscal year will come to an end on June 30 without a new budget signed into law. When a new budget is not complete in time for the new fiscal year, the state continues operating under the previous year’s budget. Meanwhile, school districts, our cities and counties, and others whose decisions are dependent upon the state budget are left hanging.

In this week’s newsletter, you will find news regarding health care, an update on the state budget, and information on how to stay safe this holiday weekend.

I hope you and your family have a great Fourth of July, and I hope to see some of you as I make the rounds to various neighborhood events!

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

TrumpCare Debacle
On Monday, I joined other legislators, community leaders, and healthcare workers at a press conference to speak out against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The event took place the same day that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a summary of the Senate Republican Health Care repeal bill. According to the CBO, if signed into law, the Senate version of TrumpCare would result in 22 million Americans losing health care they currently have.

Even conservative news analysts have used words such as “incompetently” and “cruelly” when describing the process under which the Senate proposal was created and the way it treats individuals and families who need health care coverage. The American Medical Association has stated the proposal would expose lower and middle income patients to higher costs and greater difficulty in affording care. The AMA stated it had an ethical obligation to speak out in opposition to the Senate bill because the bill violates the basic medical precept of 'first, do no harm'.

Should the Senate or House versions of the Affordable Care Act repeal pass, we could easily go back to the days where families who have worked hard all their lives suddenly find themselves declaring bankruptcy because of one health care emergency.

While this legislation is being debated at the federal level, I am committed to doing everything I can here in the state to fight these Republican attacks on health care. Our efforts are making a difference, as Senate Republican leadership was forced to indefinitely delay a vote on the bill.

Highlights and Lowlights from Last Week on the Assembly Floor
On a positive note, the Assembly unanimously passed a bill to expand financial literacy among young people. I was pleased to co-author Assembly Bill 280 which directs each school board to adopt academic standards for financial literacy and incorporate instruction in financial literacy into the curriculum in grades kindergarten to 12. Recent studies have shown that two-thirds of Americans are unable to pass a basic financial literacy test.

Unfortunately, our legislative session did not end there. I joined my Democratic colleagues in opposing a proposed Campus Gag Rule that passed the Assembly on a near party-line vote, with all Democrats and just one Republican voting no.

The bill, which inserts new mandatory penalties – including suspension or expulsion – for students who participate in certain protest activities based on arbitrary and ambiguous standards, will effectively muzzle free speech and dissent on our college campuses. Our colleges and universities should be a place to vigorously debate ideas and ultimately learn from one another. Instead, this campus gag rule creates an atmosphere of fear where free expression and dissent are discouraged.

The bill flies in the face of the First Amendment and is likely unconstitutional. Students are subject to automatic suspension or expulsion for merely exercising their constitutional rights. Worse yet, the penalties for violating this arbitrary gag rule are more severe than the penalties for sexual assault on the University of Wisconsin campus.

It should be noted that the University already has rules in place – and the state has laws on the books – to stop violent protest or punish those who are disruptive. For now, free speech is alive and well on campuses across Wisconsin, but that could change if the Campus Gag Rule is signed into law. By voting for this bill, Republicans failed to recognize that we protect free speech by exercising it, not by restricting it.

Click here to hear what I had to say about the Campus Gag Rule.

I also voted against Assembly Bill 196, a bill in which Republicans offered blanket immunity to motor fuel distributors and sellers, while failing to fully protect consumers who have fallen victim to credit card skimmers. This legislation gives fuel distributors and sellers immunity from civil liability in cases of credit card skimming scams without having to take even the most basic steps to ensure the security of their pumps.

Republicans showed no interest in an amendment that would have required unique locking devices on pumps as a condition of waiving liability. Once again, the big corporations are the winners, while the average Wisconsinite is left holding the bag by Republicans in the State Assembly.

Wisconsin Eye covered AB 196 in its “Morning Minute”. Click here to watch on-line.

Budget Update
Although the new fiscal year for the state begins on July 1, Republican in-fighting has led to no new budget to sign into law before that date. No meetings of the Joint Finance Committee have been scheduled to continue work on the budget bill due to the dysfunctional Republican majorities in the Senate and Assembly remaining at an impasse.

The budget impasse continues to be centered largely on transportation. The Senate Republicans want to borrow $850 million while Assembly Republicans have put forward a convoluted proposal that raises taxes on middle and lower income families, gives the wealthiest even greater handouts, and targets hybrids and electric vehicles for higher taxes. Neither proposal can be viewed as providing a long term solution.

Assembly Republicans are threatening to not fund road projects, but that comes with a significant price tag. In the Milwaukee area alone, delaying the I-94 project two years would result in $44-$60 more in added construction costs due to inflation, and waste $20 million the state has already invested in planning, engineering, and environmental study work that would need to be redone if the project is not started on schedule. A delay in re-construction would also require $60 million to be spent on resurfacing the roadway to keep it in operating condition in the interim. Finally, rumors emerged today of a new truck tax proposal by Assembly Republicans. Senate Republicans are already speaking out against that proposal, as well.

The Governor and Republican leadership in both houses are engaged in an ideological power struggle that has no vision beyond the next election.

The budget bill, which will allocate the spending of over $70 billion during the next two years, impacts every resident of the state. The inability of Republican legislators to make difficult decisions and put the needs of the state above their partisan ideology and their electoral ambitions will have long term negative consequences for individuals, families, and businesses.

BadgerCare for All Legislation Introduced
In Washington, Republicans continue their attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. If they are successful, Americans could face increased premiums and deductibles and could lose essential health benefits and vital protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

Wisconsin Democrats are offering a different way forward. A Democratic bill introduced last week would allow individuals and small businesses to purchase BadgerCare coverage on the health insurance exchange. The bill also requires that individuals receiving health insurance through a BadgerCare buy-in program have access to the same premium supports available to those who purchase private insurance on the exchange.

All Wisconsinites deserve access to high quality, affordable health insurance. BadgerCare would be a way to cover hundreds of thousands of people across the state who cannot otherwise afford their health care.

This Fourth of July, Think Fireworks Safety
With a burst of light, a bang, and a cascade of glowing embers, fireworks season is here again. Fireworks displays are a cornerstone of our nation's celebration of the Fourth of July, and while many folks take in the sights and sounds at public events, some families choose to bring the excitement of fireworks to their own homes. State officials ask that families use best safety practices when dealing with fireworks, especially in the presence of children.

In 2015, 11 Wisconsin residents were hospitalized and 108 visited emergency departments due to fireworks-related injuries, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The number of emergency room visits has steadily increased since 2012. Nearly 50 percent of those injured are between the ages of 25-54, and one in five injury cases involve children under the age of 15.

Wisconsin law regulates the use of fireworks. Fireworks such as roman candles, firecrackers, bottle rockets, mortars – anything that explodes or leaves the ground – can only be purchased and used with a permit issued by your local government.

Non-explosive devices such as sparklers (not exceeding 36 inches in length), toy snakes, and cones do not require a permit, but that does not mean they can be used safely by children. More than half of the nation's reported fireworks-related injuries are burns. Sparklers, which many parents believe are safe, burn at temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees and can cause serious burns.

There are safe alternatives to fireworks that can keep children entertained over the holiday weekend. Consider stocking up on flashing LED lights or glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces. They stay cool to the touch, remain lit throughout the night, and are available in a wide range of colors, keeping your children entertained a lot longer than a sparkler or a firework. As an added benefit, any of these items will help make a child visible to a driver after nightfall.

If you plan to use fireworks, follow these tips to ensure a safe Fourth of July holiday for your family:

• Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.

• Read and follow all warnings and instructions.

• A responsible adult should closely supervise all fireworks activities.

• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.

• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

• Light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from any buildings, flammable materials, and dry leaves and grass.

• Light one item at a time and then move back quickly.

• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or light them in or near metal or glass containers.

• Keep a bucket of water or a hose handy in case of a malfunction or fire.

• Always remember – if fireworks fizzle and don't ignite, douse them with water and do not relight them.

Click here to find additional information on fireworks safety from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

Note: Local city ordinances may ban the use of fireworks, including sparklers. Depending on weather conditions, local governments may also have restrictions in place for fireworks use.

Fun Wisconsin Fact
The Wisconsin State Capitol dome is the second tallest capitol building in the nation. The United States Capitol dome in Washington, DC is the tallest. The Wisconsin State Capitol is 284.4 feet high from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome - just three feet and one-half inch shorter than the dome in Washington D.C. The dome and exterior of the building was constructed entirely out of White Bethel Vermont granite. There is a Wisconsin state law that prohibits any buildings from being built within one mile of the capitol taller so that it overshadows the capitol.