Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 

The state budget is now a month past due, as Republicans in the Senate and Assembly have been unable to agree on key issues like transportation and education funding.

In this week’s newsletter, you will find information about a new Task Force on Foster Care, a bi-partisan effort to fight the loss of federal funding for homeless veterans, and details of the ongoing budget debate.

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

Foster Care Task Force
This week I was appointed to the newly formed Assembly Task Force on Foster Care. The task force was created to look at ways we can improve our foster care system.

The task force will address issues such as the increase in children placed in foster care, the ongoing need for foster families, and ensuring youth who “age out” of the system have the support and resources they need to be successful. Yesterday, we held our first informational hearing at the Capitol. Next, we will tour the state to hold public hearings.

Housing our Veterans
The federal government recently announced plans to cut funding to Wisconsin for Veterans Housing and Recovery Programs. These programs house otherwise homeless veterans at Wisconsin’s veterans homes located in Union Grove and King.

Last week, a bi-partisan group of legislators sent a letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reconsider its decision not to renew housing program grants that support Wisconsin’s veterans.

Homeless veterans in our state will undoubtedly suffer without this vital funding. The Veterans Home at King was the first in the country to receive funding for its homeless program. This loss of funding will directly impact the 49 veterans who are currently housed in Wisconsin’s programs and surely many more in the future.

We are working with members of the Congressional delegation on efforts to restore the funding and with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to make sure the veterans housed under these programs are not cut off from the assistance they need.

Budget: One Month Past Due
According to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures, Wisconsin is now one of only three states in the U.S. with a late budget.

The Joint Finance Committee has not held a single meeting in the last month, as Republican infighting derailed the committee process and caused the state to miss its July 1st budget deadline. As the budget delay continues, schools and communities face greater uncertainty over their local budgets, and road and infrastructure projects face potential delays.

Click here to view all of the previous motions and votes on the state budget.

Republican Budget Proposal Increases Property Tax Burden for Private Voucher Schools
The latest Republican budget proposal would nearly triple local property taxpayer costs for the statewide school voucher program. New figures from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau show that local costs for the state-mandated voucher program would balloon to $120.3 million, up from $43.1 million in one budget alone.

Property tax payers have no local oversight of voucher spending that takes state money away from our public school districts and transfers it to unaccountable private voucher schools. However, local taxpayers are left to make up the difference through referendums and higher property taxes to keep our neighborhood schools running. I have coauthored legislation that would give local taxpayers a say before voucher costs are shifted to property taxpayers by requiring local referenda before doing so. Similar legislation to protect local taxpayers and our neighborhood schools has been offered by Democratic members of the Joint Finance Committee.

Republicans Attempt to Weaken DNR Warden Authority
If you have ever gone fishing or hunting in Wisconsin, you may have been approached by a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Warden. Their job is to make sure people have purchased licenses and are hunting or fishing in a safe, responsible manner within the confines of our law.

To do their jobs effectively, DNR wardens need access to both public and private lands. In Wisconsin, there are about six million acres of public land, but about 82% of the land people use for hunting and other outdoor recreation is privately owned.

Republican lawmakers have introduced Assembly Bill 411, which would prohibit DNR Wardens from entering private lands to ensure individuals are complying with fish and game laws. One person providing testimony in opposition to the bill called it “a poacher’s dream.”

Under this bill, DNR Wardens could only enforce fish and game laws on public lands and would not be able to enter private lands unless they have reason to suspect a law is being broken. Of course, a person fishing without a license or hunting without a license will not look any different that a person who is obeying the law and properly licensed, making it impossible for Wardens to monitor permit compliance.

The bill is poor public policy. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and other groups dedicated to conservation and preserving Wisconsin’s sporting heritage have expressed opposition to this dangerous bill.

Upcoming Events at the Agricultural Research Station
One of the hidden gems on the west side of Madison is the Agricultural Research Station of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The work and programming exemplifies what the Wisconsin Idea is all about.
If you already have a green thumb or are trying to developing your gardening abilities, the Station, located at 8502 Mineral Point Road, is holding three events in August you may want to place on your calendars.

Commercial Flower Growers of Wisconsin Field Day
All day on Thursday, August 3
West Madison Ag Research Station
Come learn from the experts in the beautiful display gardens!

West Madison Agricultural Research Station Open House Horticultural Field Day
10am-2pm on Saturday, August 12
UW West Madison ARS will be holding its annual summer event in which the public is invited to tour the outstanding collections of flowers, vegetables, and fruit. This year’s trials and demonstrations include nearly 300 cultivars of annual and perennial flowers and one of the biggest displays of sun patiens and impatiens in the Midwest. Come see many different cultivars of vegetables and over 20 cultivars of cold-hardy table and wine grapes are also on display.

Organic Variety Trials Field Day: Organic Vegetable Variety Showcase
2pm-6pm on Thursday, August 24
See the beautiful vegetable trials, season extending technology, and cover crops under a certified organic system.

Click here for more information about the Agricultural Research Station and the upcoming events.

Fun Wisconsin Fact
The Onion, a popular satire news outlet, was founded by two students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson in August, 1988. The Onion's articles cover current events, both real and fictional, satirizing the tone and format of traditional news organizations. Since its founding in Madison, the Onion has grown to over 100 employees and is now located in Chicago.

Click here to view the Onion’s website. < http://www.theonion.com/>