Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 October 06, 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


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 Favorites
Saturday, October 7
1 pm – 3pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Enjoy the colorful show of trees and shrubs before their winter hibernation. Michael Jesiolowski, Senior Horticulturist at Chicago Botanic Garden, will highlight the best fall foliage and fruit displays from Acer to Zelkova. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center
 


By the Light of the Harvest Moon
Saturday, October 7
6pm – 7:30pm

UW Arbretum
1207 Seminole Hwy

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. Traditionally an asset to farmers harvesting crops, the light of this moon is also memorable for bird watchers during fall migration. How many bird silhouettes can you identify? Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


Woodlands
Sunday, October 8
1 pm – 2:30 pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Enjoy what may be peak for fall color in the restored woodlands. Our naturalist will share stories about Arboretum woods and their history. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
 


Why Do Leaves Change Color?
Sunday, October 8
1:30 pm – 2:30pm

UW Arboretum
1207 Seminole Highway

Families will learn about the wonders of fall color in native trees and prairie grasses. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
 


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches
Tuesday, October 10
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.
 


Library LEGO Club
Tuesday, October 10
4 pm – 5 pm

Meadowridge Library
5726 Raymond Rd.

Join other LEGO fans and build your own unique creation.
 


AnjiPlayDate
Wednesday, October 11
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, October 11
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.
 


Sean Gaskell and the West African Kora
Wednesday, October 11
7 pm – 8 pm

Alicia Ashman Library
733 N High Point Rd

Musician Sean Gaskell will combine a music and educational presentation on the West Africa Kora, a 21-string harp native to the Mandinka people and dating back 300 years. Between songs, he will talk about the Kora, how it is built, who plays it, what its cultural significance is, and what it was like to live in the Gambia while he studied with master Kora players.
 


Knitting at the Library
Thursday, October 12
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.
 


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,
 

Earlier this week, a gunman opened fire on concert goers in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in America's deadliest mass shooting yet. Fifty-nine lives were lost, and more than five hundred people were injured. My thoughts and prayers are with those impacted, but I know that thoughts and prayers are not enough. It is time we pass common sense laws to protect our communities by ending gun violence.

In this newsletter, you will find what Democrats are doing to end gun violence, an update on Wisconsin's political gerrymandering case in the Supreme Court, information about a bill to protect child victims of human trafficking, and more.

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

 


Ending Gun Violence
Together with some of my Democratic colleagues, I introduced a bill yesterday to ban bump-fire stocks (pictured right) and similar devices. These devices make a semi-automatic weapon capable of simulating automatic firing and were used in the recent Las Vegas mass shooting. We ban fully automatic weapons but allow semi-automatic weapons modified to act like fully automatic weapons, and I find that nonsensical. If someone needs access to a weapon that’s effectively fully automatic, we should probably be asking why.

We are hopeful that Republicans in the Legislature will join us in support of this common sense proposal. We welcome ongoing discussions with Republican leadership on this issue and are diligently pursuing bipartisan support to pass this bill.

In addition to introducing this bill, we have called for a hearing on legislation that we introduced earlier this session to reinstate the 48 hour waiting period for handgun purchases and require background checks for all firearm purchases.

Earlier this year, I again introduced the “Safe Storage for Gun Safety” package of bills that would keep guns out of the hands of children and individuals not allowed to possess firearms. This Safe Storage for Gun Safety legislation would take common sense steps to keep our families and our communities safe by ensuring that legally owned firearms are stored safely and are less likely to fall into the hands of those who should not have them.

We desperately need action on these and other common sense measures to reduce gun violence and keep our communities safe.

 


Landmark Redistricting Case Heard by US Supreme Court
Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to be in Washington DC for a Women's Legislators Lobby (WiLL) conference when the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Gill v. Whitford, Wisconsin's political gerrymandering case. It was an exciting day at the court, with rallies outside in support of non-partisan redistricting and serious business inside as the Supreme Court Justices heard the case. For 3 minutes, Representative Pope and I were able to sit in the courtroom as part of a rotation of visitors allowed in the court each day. It was a thrill just to be inside for a few minutes, even if I was not able to hear the whole case from the courtroom.

Unlike in other courts where there is a prosecution and defense or defense and plaintiff, the Supreme Court has petitioners and respondents. In this case, the petitioners lost the lower federal court decision and filed an appeal to the Supreme Court in hopes of having gerrymandered legislative districts remain unchanged. The respondents prevailed in the lower court and want the Supreme Court to affirm the decision so district maps are redrawn and not rigged to favor members of one political party.


Prior the Court hearing oral arguments, many legal observers felt that the outcome of the case would ultimately hinge on Justice Anthony Kennedy. While it is likely the other eight members of the Court will be evenly divided, it is Justice Kennedy who represents the swing vote.

While it cannot be said that Justice Kennedy tipped his hand during oral arguments, the questions and comments he made could provide some insight. Observers have noted that when Justices ask many questions of one side, that is a sign of skepticism on the part of a Justice and quite often a technique used to solicit information that may sway the view of other Justices.

While Justice Kennedy did not ask questions or make comments when the respondents made their arguments before the Court, he made five statements and asked 5 questions when the petitioners made their arguments. Justice Kennedy pressed Erin Murphy, a lawyer for Wisconsin’s state Senate, on whether it would be unconstitutional for a state law to contain explicit provisions favoring one party over another. Murphy conceded it would be.

I left Washington with the feeling that there is a legitimate chance that the Supreme Court will affirm the decision of the lower court and that our maps will be redrawn. Although the ruling could be made as late as June of next year, it is my hope that a decision to affirm is made earlier and that the process of drawing new maps concludes with enough time remaining for the federal courts to conduct any further review that may be necessary.
 


Protecting Child Victims of Human Trafficking
I am pleased to report that this week the Assembly Committee on Children and Families conducted a public hearing on Assembly Bill 186. This is a bill I co-authored to change our state statutes to recognize children coerced into sex trafficking are victims — not criminals or child prostitutes — and provide them necessary intervention and protective services.

This bill will provide minor children who are victims of human trafficking with immunity from prosecution for prostitution. Prosecution causes further victimization of a child and creates a criminal record that can be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Instead, under this bill, children who are victims will receive the care, treatment and support they need. This will not only benefit children, but it will help efforts to prosecute people who coerce children into sex trafficking.

The bill has bipartisan support and the support of the law enforcement community.

 


National Child Health Day
Monday was National Child Health Day, so Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan), Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), and I highlighted our proposed Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act (AB 193/SB 147). The proposed Healthy Babies, Working Mothers Act would ensure new moms returning to work have the accommodations they need to pump breast milk during the work day and ensure they do not lose their health insurance due to unpaid breaks taken to pump..

National Child Health Day is an annual observance, currently held on the first Monday of October, established by Presidential Proclamation by every United States President since 1928. This is a day to recognize all of the ways children grow healthy and strong and that each child deserves to be the healthiest she or he can be.

One of the healthiest things a mother can do for her baby is to breastfeed and accommodations in the workplace make it possible for working mothers to make that healthy choice.

Click here for a video featuring Wisconsin women who share their stories of returning to work while breastfeeding.
 


Pacesetter Award
On Monday, I received the Pacesetter Award from the Women Legislators’ Lobby (WiLL) at the national "Women at the Tables of Power" conference in Washington D.C.. The Pacesetter Award recognizes legislators who demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in public service and whose careers reflect the invaluable contributions made by elected women in addressing today’s challenging and complex issues. I am honored to be named by WiLL as a Pacesetter and to earn this recognition by my peers as a public policy leader.

WiLL is a national non-partisan network of women state legislators who work together to influence federal policy and budget priorities.

 


Important Health Care News for Couples in Domestic Partnerships
If you are in a domestic partnership, you should be aware of changes in state law put in place by Governor Walker and Republican legislators in the budget bill. I opposed these changes.

Under the bill, the ability of people to enter into domestic partnerships after April 1, 2018 is eliminated. While the ability to enter into domestic partnerships will be lost, current law provisions that apply to domestic partnerships will continue to apply to domestic partnerships that have already been registered, with the exception of current law related to public employee benefits.

If you have your primary health care and supplemental insurance through a partner who is a public employee, you will no longer have coverage after January 1, 2018. You will need to take steps to obtain health insurance, supplemental insurance, and, if necessary, set-up an employee reimbursement account for medical expenses.

Click here for a summary of the changes prepared by the Department of Employee Trust Funds:

If you have specific questions, please contact your human resources office or the Department of Employee Trust Funds at 1-877-533-5020 or 608-266-3285.
 


2017-18 Blue Books Are Here
The newest edition of the Wisconsin Blue Book has arrived. If you would like one, you may pick one up my at my Capitol office (418 North).

My office is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. If you are unable to come to the Capitol but would like a Blue Book, please email Rep.Subeck@legis.wisconsin.gov or call my office at 608-266-7521.
 

 

 

 


Fun Wisconsin Fact
Barbara Thompson was born in McFarland, Wisconsin and raised on a dairy and tobacco farm. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville and University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni ran for school superintendent in 1973 and won, making her the first female to hold this position. Her most notable achievement was requiring teachers to receive continuing education and renew their teacher’s license every five years.
 

 

 

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