Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 

This week I spent some time in Minneapolis, joined by my female colleagues from all across the country for the National Foundation for Women Legislators annual conference. It has been jam packed couple of days listening to speakers, attending workshops, and learning from the other women here. This morning I was fortunate to speak to women legislators around the country about my work on SB 393 to end the practice on shackling pregnant women in Wisconsin.

In this newsletter, you will find news about an attempt to shut Democrats out of the Correctional Facilities Planning Committee, information about two bills that will make it easier to pollute air in Wisconsin, and information regarding Republican’s attempt to scrap Wisconsin’s dairy heritage from our licenses plates

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

Another Mass Shooting in America, It is Past Time to Act
It seems every week there is another high profile mass shooting. Families are left to mourn the loss of a mother, father, child, sibling or other loved one. Most recently we have had mass shootings in Rancho Tehama, California and Sutherland Springs, Texas and across the United States an average of 93 people are killed each and every day by firearms.

Like you, I offer my thoughts and prayers to the families that have lost loved ones to these senseless acts of gun violence. But, I also know that thoughts and prayers alone are not enough. We have a responsibility to pursue changes in law here in Wisconsin. That is why I am a co-sponsor of bills that require universal background checks for all firearm sales, reinstate the 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases, and ban devices like bump stocks.

In addition to those three bills, I have introduced a package of legislation that focuses on keeping 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.

I also recently introduced a bill, LRB-3860, which would require retail businesses that sell firearms to lock all firearms in a secured safe or steel gun cabinet or on a secured rod or cable when the business is unattended. This bill is in response to recent gun shop robberies where criminals have made off with numerous unsecured weapons.

With a mass shooting occurring every nine out of 10 days on average, we do not have time to wait to discuss gun safety legislation and reform. We can act now to pass some of these changes and have a real impact on reducing gun violence in our country. It is my hope that we can have a bipartisan effort to prevent future tragedies. I will continue to fight for the passage of common sense reforms to prevent gun violence.

Speaker Vos Refuses Assembly Democrat Participation in Correctional Facilities Planning Committee
In the budget bill that was signed into law, planning concerning correctional facilities was made the subject of a study to be conducted by the Department of Administration. The study will be directed by a nine-person committee comprised of three members appointed by the Governor, and six legislators jointly appointed by the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader. The budget bill language requires the committee to report on the plan to the Governor and the appropriate standing committees of the Legislature by September 15, 2018.

In keeping with legislative practice when appointing Senators to serve on these types of committees, the Senate Majority Leader’s appointments include my Democratic colleague, Senator LaTonya Johnson of Milwaukee. Having worked with Senator Johnson when she served in the State Assembly last session, I know she will be an asset to the committee.

However, unlike the Senate leader, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos chose not to appoint any Assembly Democrats to the committee. Instead, the Speaker appointed three white, male Republicans to the committee.

I am joining with my Democratic colleagues in the Assembly and introducing legislation that will require future committees and task forces to be comprised of representatives from each side of the political aisle in the future. There is strength in diversity and having people with a broad range of backgrounds and opinions serving on committees and task forces to improve the quality of the work they produce.
 

Legislation That Puts out Clean Air at Risk
Rather than recognizing the economic agenda they put into place has failed, Republican legislators are laying blame for the lack of economic development on laws and regulations that serve to improve air quality in Wisconsin. They have labeled areas of eastern and southeastern Wisconsin as “no growth zones” and are targeting laws that protect the health and well-being of residents and visitors to those areas. Targets for the Republicans include requirements for reformulated gasoline, reducing the number of vehicles subject to emissions testing, undermining the ability of the Department of Natural Resources to have rules targeting air pollutant emissions, and removing the ability of the state to provide accurate monitoring of air quality for eastern Wisconsin residents.

For example, Assembly Bill 588 will prohibit the funding and use of the Sheboygan Kohler-Andrae air quality monitor. The monitor, which is south of Sheboygan, provides accurate readings of the air quality for Sheboygan area residents due to its proximity to the Lake Michigan shoreline. Local pollutants are detected as well as emissions from areas such as Milwaukee and Chicago that are being carried to the area by air currents over the lake. Under the bill, the air quality monitor left to serve the Sheboygan area is further inland and less likely to register pollutants. Under this bill, people with asthma and conditions such as COPD will not have the information they need to protect themselves nor will governmental agencies have accurate data to use in policy making.

While many legislative committees do not meet during the week of Thanksgiving, recognizing people who wish to weigh-in on issues may be travelling, the Assembly Committee on Federalism and Interstate Relations is going to be holding a public hearing at 10:00am on November 21 in the Capitol on Assembly Bill 588 and Assembly Bill 587, which curtails the ability of the DNR to regulate air pollutants. Organizations including the League of Conservation Voters, the American Lung Association and Clean Wisconsin have registered in opposition to these bills and I oppose them as well.

Republicans Want to Toss America’s Dairyland
Republicans led by State Representative Scott Allen are introducing legislation to remove “America’s Dairyland” from Wisconsin license plates. The move was initiated by the big business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Rep. Allen believes the slogan “should reflect who we are, not who we were.” Given that the Dairy industry in Wisconsin is responsible for more than $43.4 billion dollars of economic activity in our state each and every year and creates jobs across the state, it is difficult to fathom how Republicans can believe that the dairy industry is not a key sector of our economy. Hard working dairy farm families and their partners in agriculture have invested heavily in advertising campaigns that promote the dairy industry in our state. The World Dairy Expo, which pumps millions of dollars into our local economy is just one of the benefits.

Instead of America’s Dairyland, Republicans have suggested the license plate slogan should reflect the state bioscience and high technology sectors. However, Republican majorities continue to impede the development of the bioscience and biomedical sectors of our economy by introducing and passing legislation limiting the use of cell lines used to create vaccines and conduct medical research. This is legislation that threatens over 30,000 biomedical jobs in our state and another 100,000 jobs that support bioscience companies. Republican majorities are also actively engaged in efforts to transform UW Madison from a research institution known for bioscience discovery and innovation into an institution where professors spending time innovating in the lab are looked down upon for not spending that time in a classroom.

With Layaway: Read Up Before You Put Money Down
Many businesses offer layaway programs to give shoppers a chance to lock down the season's hottest gifts without needing to pay in full upfront, and at least one major retailer has already launched its holiday layaway program. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asks shoppers to study up on a store's respective policies before agreeing to a layaway plan.

Some retailers offer consumers the opportunity to shop at brick-and-mortar stores for their items and make the layaway payments online, but layaway on an online purchase may have different terms from those in the store. For example, physical stores may require you to make incremental payments within certain monthly timeframes, but the online layaway terms may require automatic withdrawals from your checking account or through a third-party payment service. Read the fine print on the website closely and call the company's customer service line if you have any questions before you make an initial payment.

Consider these tips when researching a layaway program:

• Ask about service or setup fees.

• Find out how much time you have to make all of the required payments, when the payments are due and the minimum payment required.

• Ask what happens to the contract if you are late or miss a payment. Are there penalty fees? Will your contract be cancelled? Will the merchandise be returned to inventory?

• If you decide you don't want the merchandise after you've made some or all the payments, can you get a refund? Ask upfront.

• Ask if the business makes adjustments to your required payment amount if the item goes on sale after you start the layaway process.

• Retailers' refund policies may differ: some give you all your money back; others may charge a non-refundable service fee; others may offer a merchant credit for the amount you paid.

• If you buy a gift with layaway, will the gift recipient have unique return terms? Ask upfront.

Get the merchant's layaway policy in writing and keep receipts of the payments you make on the merchandise. These documents may come in handy if you have a problem with the seller.
For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at datcp.wisconsin.gov, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov.
 

Fun Wisconsin Fact
The Sugar Maple was designated the state tree of Wisconsin in 1949. The sugar maple tree is also a state symbol in the states of New York, Vermont, and West Virginia. In 1893 school children in Wisconsin voted for their favorite tree, the maple tree won, followed by oak, pine, and elm. Fifty five years later, in 1948 another vote was conducted among school children by the Youth Centennial Committee. In that election, the sugar maple again received the most votes, followed by white pine and birch. In 1949 State Legislature, in spite of efforts by white pine advocates, enacted law naming the sugar maple the official state tree.