Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 September 22, 2017

 

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

 

rep.subeck@legis.wi.gov

Website

 

Things happening in the district & around Madison


Movie Night—Kubo and the Magic Strings
Friday, September 22
5 pm – 8 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Join us for a presentation of Kubo and the Two Strings!

 


Equinox
Friday, September 22
6:30 pm – 8pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Walk with a naturalist as the sun sets and learn about autumnal equinox science and folklore. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


West Side Farmers Market
Saturdays, Through Nov. 4
7:00 am – 1:00 pm

New location: 750 University Row
Behind the UW Health Digestive Health Center

 


Fall in the Native Plant Garden
Saturday, September 23
1pm – 3pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy

Color, fruits, seeds, late-blooming plants, late-season insects—we will find these and more in the diverse native plant gardens. Susan Carpenter, Arboretum native plant gardener, will lead this tour. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


Arboretum Sampler
Sunday, September 24
1 pm – 2:30 pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Learn about the ecosystems that support plants and animals at the Arboretum. Explore the restored woodlands, wetlands, and prairies near the Visitor Center with a naturalist. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


Nature’s Transformers
Sunday, September 24
1:30 pm – 3:30pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Come learn about fascinating transformations animals make throughout their lives. Naturalist-led hike from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., indoor activities from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
 


Book Discussion of UW-Madison’s Go Big Read: Hillbilly Elegy
Tuesday, September 26
6:30 pm- 8pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

Join in the discussion of UW-Madison’s 2017 Go Big Read Book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance.

 


AnjiPlayDate
Wednesday, September 27
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Lussier Community Center
55 S Gammon Rd.

The library will provide play and art materials especially chosen to encourage highly engaged, self-determined play. When kids are done, they'll create a Play Story depicting their play that day. Messy clothes recommended. Open to all ages.
 


Chess Club
Wednesday, September 27
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Learn how to play chess and play against others with varied levels of experience. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
 


Crochet for beginners
Wednesday, September 27
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

Join instructor Kathleen Chapman for a 4-week series for beginning crocheters. Adults and teens 13 and older are welcome. Supplies are provided. Please plan to attend all four sessions.
 


Knitting at the Library
Thursday, September 28
3pm – 4:30 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Learn to knit or bring your current project. Supplies provided. Children under 8 must have an adult present.
 


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches
Thursday, September 28
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older. The meal is served at noon and participants must arrive on time. The suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but participants are encouraged to pay what they can afford. Transportation to the meal is available with an additional $1.00 donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.

 


Fifth Fridays Poetry
Friday, September 29
6:30pm – 8:30pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

Join us on 5th Fridays for a night of poetry, featuring a Madison poet and an open-mic reading. Come to read your own poetry or a poem by a favorite author. Come to listen and enjoy other poets. Come to celebrate poetry!
 


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.

 

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

L'shana tovah to all who celebrate the Jewish New Year!

In this newsletter, you will find information about the state budget and Foxconn legislation being signed into law, an update on the Equifax data breach, and an announcement of the Edible Startup Summit happening in Madison.

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

 


A Rigged Budget and Foxconn Boondoggle Become Law
The budget passed by Republicans and signed into law by the Governor is rigged against working families, putting the interests of a wealthy few over the needs of ordinary Wisconsinites. This budget is rigged against working people, small business owners, seniors and individuals with disabilities, and against our schoolchildren and our most vulnerable neighbors. Rather than passing a budget that provides opportunities for hardworking Wisconsinites to get family-supporting jobs, the budget contains provisions that are purposefully intended to lower the incomes of working families.

People throughout Wisconsin need to have family supporting jobs that pay a fair wage. In order to provide those sort of jobs and have steady economic growth over the long term, I believe that we must strongly support public education, as well as the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Technical College System, have laws in place that protect the ability of people to organize in the work place, and to receive a fair, prevailing wage for their efforts. This budget falls short and continues to rig the system in favor of a privileged few.

Despite my opposition, the Foxconn bill is now law. I opposed the bill because it is an exceptionally bad deal for Wisconsin taxpayers and a textbook example of a boondoggle. Wisconsin taxpayers will pay Foxconn over $200 million per year in tax credits ($3 billion in total) and not see any return, if any, until 2042. Given the changes in technology that can occur over 25 years, there are no guarantees that the flat screens Foxconn produces will still be at the heart of technology 10 or 15 years from now.

When voting on the Foxconn bill, I also questioned the constitutionality of provisions in the bill that automatically suspend lower court rulings and require the Supreme Court to give preference to Foxconn-related cases. Analysis of the bill, prepared by attorneys for the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council, confirms my concerns regarding constitutionality and makes it clear the expedited appeals process is wrong.

The Foxconn Boondoggle diverts $3 billion we could invest in our neighborhood schools, higher education, vital infrastructure, or health care for our most vulnerable residents. Governor Walker and Republicans are selling out Wisconsin’s future, our environment, and now our justice system to one big foreign corporation.

 


Untested Rape Kits at DOJ
In Wisconsin, there has been little appreciable progress made in testing approximately 6,000 rape kits. The kits consist of clothing, DNA samples and other items collected as evidence after sexual assault allegations.

According to recent news reports, at least one in every three kits came from children, and at least one in every seven kits came from children under the age of 10. As of August, the tally of kits involving child sexual assault allegations was at least 2,441.

The backlog in kits has been known about since at least 2014, the Department of Justice has received millions of dollars in grant money to test kits and address the backlog, and claims were even made by the Attorney General that hundreds of kits had been tested – only to learn the actual number at the time was nine. We can no longer afford to have these kits gathering dust on evidence room shelves. Crime lab analysts should be testing these kits and using the information to help resolve crimes and get criminals off of the streets.

This session I have co-sponsored three pieces of legislation in an effort to address the problems and improve the system in the future:

  • Assembly Bill 404, which directs the Legislative Audit Bureau to inventory untested rape kits, assess how the number of untested kits has changed over time, and review the rape kit testing policies and procedures of the DOJ.

  • Assembly Bill 405, which requires law enforcement agencies to report annually regarding the number of kits collected, submitted for testing, and not submitted; the dates of collection, submission, and testing of these kits; and the reasons for which kits were not submitted or not tested. These data must be reported to the DOJ, which will compile and issue an annual statewide audit report to the legislature.

  • Assembly Bill 408, which requires law enforcement agencies to submit all rape kits to the lab within 30 days for storage, testing, or both. The bill also grants survivors of sexual assault the right to have their kits stored for 15 years or the duration of the sentence of the convicted perpetrator of the crime; the right to have their kits transported to the lab within 30 days of collection; and the right to receive oral and written notice of all of their rights at the hospital.


Irresponsible Concealed Carry Bill Passed in Senate Committee
This week the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety voted to pass Senate Bill 169. This bill will eliminate current licensing, background check and training requirements for individuals to carry concealed weapons. In addition, the bill will lower the concealed carry age from 21 to 18 years old and allow some individuals to carry concealed handguns on school grounds.

I strongly oppose this legislation.

Under current law, a person wishing to carry a concealed firearm needs to apply for a permit. In order to qualify, the person has to pass a simple background check and have taken a concealed carry class or hunter safety course. It is already far too easy to obtain a permit under current law and Senate Bill 169 will put the public at risk by allowing anyone to carry concealed without training or a background check.

Senate Bill 169 has not yet been scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor. Should the bill pass the Senate and then be passed in the Assembly, it remains to be seen if Governor Walker will follow through on statements he made earlier this year in favor of maintaining current law by using his veto to oppose this dangerous expansion, or if he will succumb to pressure from the gun lobby.

 


Equifax Data Breach: Phone Scams are the Next Risk
In the aftermath of the recent Equifax data breach, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asks Wisconsin residents to be on the lookout for unsolicited calls requesting sensitive personal or financial information.

An event of this scale is sure to bring scammers out of the woodwork, and one of the potential risks at this point is con artists preying on consumers through misinformation. Neither Equifax nor any bank will call you and request your Social Security number or other sensitive details. If you receive an unsolicited call from someone who claims that they can verify whether your information was affected in the breach or that they provide services to affected consumers, hang up the phone. Do not engage with the caller and do not provide any information.

Be wary of a call from someone claiming to be from your lending institution. Hang up and call the institution back at a number listed in the phone book, in one of your statements, or on the business’s website. Never return a call on the number provided to you in an unsolicited call, and do not trust that the information on your caller ID is accurate.

If you wish to find out if your information was affected in the data breach, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. Equifax has also set up a call center to address consumer questions. The call center can be reached at 866-447-7559 from 6:00 a.m. to midnight, Central Time, seven days a week. Due to high call volumes, Equifax suggests trying to call after 4:00 p.m.

If your information was impacted, download a copy of DATCP's "Data Breach: What to do if it happens to you" fact sheet, pull a free copy of your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com and place a fraud alert on your credit record. More information about the situation is available on our data breach page or in our recent Consumer Alert.

For additional information, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.

 


Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
September is National Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control, every year approximately 72,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer.

Each cancer has different symptoms, many of which can be mistaken for other conditions. It's critical to know the signs and symptoms because early detection can save lives.

Ellen M. Hartenbach, MD, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and head of the Gynecologic Oncology Research Program at the UW Carbone Cancer Center has listed the top five things parents need to make sure their daughters know about gynecologic cancers. It is great advice for all women.

1. Getting regular PAP smears can save your life even if you have had the cervix cancer vaccine.
2. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices play a significant role in the prevention of cancer.
3. It is important to tell your doctor if you have a close relative with ovarian cancer since ovarian and breast cancer runs in families.
4. Report any unusual vaginal bleeding to your doctor because it could be a sign of cancer.
5. You know your body "down there". If your bowel, bladder or monthly periods are odd, tell your doctor not your friend.

Click here to learn more about the signs and symptoms of specific types of gynecologic cancers.

 


2017 Edible Startup Summit Nov. 17-18 in Madison
If you’re considering starting a local food business or already in the early stages of development, then make plans to attend the Edible Startup Summit scheduled Nov. 17-18 at the American Family Center in Madison.

Co-hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Ag and Food Center and Dane County UW-Extension, the two-day summit offers a comprehensive and interactive education on what it takes to develop a local food business.

Local and regional experts will provide information on a wide range of topics, including: how to raise money to start or grow a food business; how to create a unique brand; current market trends; food safety requirements; how to get a product onto the grocery shelf; how to do a demo; how to work with a distributor; and business concept planning. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with industry veterans, network with other entrepreneurs, and attend a field trip to food business incubators.

Click here for more information on 2017 registration an agenda or the summit.

For more information, contact DATCP's Kietra Olson at 608-224-5112 or kietra.olson@wisconsin.gov, or Becky Paris at 608-224-5051 or Rebecca.Paris@Wisconsin.gov
 


Building Your Emergency Kit and Plan
None of us know exactly when a disaster will strike. As September is Preparedness Month, ReadyWisconsin is providing information on building a simple, inexpensive emergency kit and plan for you and your family.

What you can do now to help later:

  • Put together an emergency kit focusing on specific needs in your household such as prescription medications, pet needs, and items for your children.

  • Keep an emergency kit in your car especially during the winter months when you could become stranded in a storm.

  • Consider saving money in an emergency savings account that could be used in any crisis.

  • Review existing insurance policies.

  • Save copies of important documents such as birth certificates, social security cards, and tax statements in a safety deposit box or secure digital storage.

Click here for more information.
 


Meet Our New Intern, Tia
I am excited to introduce Tia, the newest addition to our office. She is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying International Studies and Political Science. Tia is originally from Fort Atkinson. Her mother, a county social worker, emphasized the importance of compassion and justice, which she says fostered her political ideals. This past spring, Tia interned with Family Health Options- Kenya, a women’s health clinic in rural Kenya, learning about different health systems. Post-graduation, Tia hopes to attend law school to continue her education.
 


Fun Wisconsin Fact
In the late 1870s, newspaper editor and printer, Christopher Latham Sholes, came up with the Q-W-E-R-T-Y keyboard layout. Sholes placed the letters in such a way that our fingers could alternate, jams could be prevented and there was more room to help you type faster. They called their first commercial typewriter 'Sholes and Glidden Type-Writer' adding the term ‘typewriter’ to English vocabulary.

 


 

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