As we approach the New Year, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the work of Democrats in 2019 and also look ahead to our priorities for 2020.
The year started off exciting by being sworn in for my third term, and with the inauguration of Governor Tony Evers, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. After eight long years of Republicans controlling all branches of state government, the beginning of 2019 seemed like fresh air had been let into our Capitol. Unfortunately, legislative Republicans had no intention of working with the new administration to find bi-partisan solutions to help Wisconsinites.
Governor Evers set the bar high with a budget proposal that made smart investments in our state and put people first. His budget reflected the values of the people of Wisconsin and pushed Republicans to do better. Unfortunately, the Republican budget still missed critical opportunities to expand access to health care, address our water quality crisis, find sustainable funding to fix our crumbling roads, and provide our neighborhood schools the resources they need. Instead of investing in Wisconsin’s working families, the Republican budget failed to bring billions in tax dollars paid to the federal government back to the state through Medicaid expansion and maintains big tax breaks for millionaires.
The Republican obstruction continued when Governor Evers called the Legislature in to Special Session to enact commonsense gun safety reforms like universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders. These proposals have widespread support among Wisconsin residents, and the Republicans in the Legislature need to stop standing in the way of the will of the people to keep our communities safe. They had plenty of time this past year to work on this pressing issue, and could have even taken up bills I authored to reinstate the 48-hour waiting period or taken up my “Safe Storage for Gun Safety” Package to curb fun violence and accidental shootings.
Fortunately, not all was fraught during 2019 in the Legislature. I had the honor of awarding four constituents in the 78th Assembly District the Assembly’s Hometown Hero Award. The first ceremony honored Matt Phair, Connie Phair, and Alec Lewis with the award which is the Assembly’s highest award of citizen recognition. They were recognized for their heroic efforts to save the occupants of a vehicle that was trapped by flood waters during the flooding that occurred in Madison in August 2018. The second ceremony honored Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney with the First Responder of the Year Award for the 78th Assembly District for his career protecting the citizens and serving the communities in Dane County.
Looking ahead, Democrats’ priorities for 2020 are a lot like they were in 2019. We will continue to push for Medicaid Expansion, Universal Background Checks, non-partisan redistricting, closing of the Dark Store Loophole, and modernizing our marijuana laws. All these proposals have widespread support across the state. If you have any questions or need assistance with any matter, please feel free to contact my office.
I wish you a happy and healthy New Year!
Sincerely, Lisa Subeck State Representative 78th Assembly District
Help Protect Wisconsin Evergreens from Invasive Species
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) advises consumers who purchased evergreens this holiday season to check for an invasive pest called elongate hemlock scale (EHS) and properly dispose of any holiday greenery that may show signs of infestation. Plant health inspectors found EHS this year at multiple Wisconsin retailers who imported and sold the evergreens that came from other states.
What to Look for: Consumers can identify whether their evergreens have EHS by looking at the underside of the branches. Brown spots on the underside of the needles are a sign of the pest (see photo for example).
This season, infested stock was comprised of fir trees, wreaths, and décor from suppliers in North Carolina with some material labeled as “fresh from the Blue Ridge Mountains.” All Wisconsin retailers that sold these products cooperated with DATCP, removed the items from their shelves and destroyed them. However, many items had already been sold, and it is possible other uninspected retailers also received and sold infested items.
DATCP is working with regulatory staff from other states to prevent infested fir from going to areas where this pest is not established, as pesticides are not effective at killing EHS. EHS attacks over 40 evergreen species, including hemlock, fir, and spruce.
How to Dispose: The preferred method is to burn an EHS-infested evergreen to kill the pest. Prior to burning, check the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website for any burning restrictions in your area. The other method is to bag your evergreen wreaths or décor separately and put them in the trash. If your municipality picks up Christmas trees, you may put an infested tree out for municipal pick-up. To prevent the pests from spreading, do not compost or place infested evergreens in a forest.
DATCP’s Bureau of Plant Industry licenses about 2,000 nurseries and Christmas tree farms annually. The bureau works to control serious plant pests, diseases, and exotic species that threaten Wisconsin’s crops, forests, and plant communities.
Governor’s Tourism Awards - Now Accepting Nominations!
The Governor's Tourism Awards were developed to recognize and acknowledge those individuals and businesses in the travel and tourism industry that have shown dedication, creativity, and excellence.
Sponsored by the Governor's Council on Tourism, the Governor's Awards recognize and honor people and organizations that have made a significant impact on Wisconsin's Travel and Tourism Industry.
These awards will be presented during WIGCOT at the Governor's Dinner & Awards Celebration on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
For more information, including guidelines for submitting and nomination forms, please visit the Governor's Tourism Awards info site. All nominations must be received by Friday, January 17, 2020 to be eligible for consideration.
Tough economic times in the agricultural sector can take a toll on farm families, with increased stress associated with financial challenges often leading to difficulties communicating and making effective decisions. To help Wisconsin farm couples learn about stress management techniques, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension are hosting a series of six Farm Couples Weekend Workshops this winter.
Roger Williams, a farm family communications consultant and DATCP Farm Center volunteer mediator, will facilitate the sessions. Extension educators from the local areas and Farm Center staff will be available to provide information about other Extension and Farm Center programs and services. These weekend workshops are designed to help farm couples:
Deal more effectively with stress
Learn about personality differences
Communicate more effectively with each other and other family members
Make plans for the future
Learn about helpful resources in the community, including UW-Extension and DATCP
There is no cost to attend. Each weekend will be open to the first 10 couples who register and provide the refundable deposit. The weekend begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with on-site check-in and ends Sunday at 3:00 pm. Refreshments, meals, lodging, instruction and materials will be provided and financial assistance for childcare, farm labor or mileage may be available. For more information about financial assistance, contact the Farm Center at 800-942-2474.
The schedule is as follows:
January 18/19, 2020 - Mineral Point
February 15/16, 2020 - Wausau
February 29/March 1, 2020 - Appleton
March 7/8, 2020 - Waupun
March 21/22, 2020 - Eau Claire
April 4/5, 2020 - Rice Lake
Pre-registration and a $50/couple deposit is required, with the deposit refunded on the second day of the weekend. Interested couples can reserve a spot by purchasing a "ticket." If you prefer to pay by check, you will need to register at the link and send your $50 check payable to UW CDP to: UW Center for Dairy Profitability, c/o Jenny Vanderlin, 203 Taylor Hall, 427 Lorch St., Madison, WI 53706. Registration deadline is one week prior to each weekend.
While the 78th District is sparse on farms, you or someone you know may rely on farming for income, and of course, all of us rely on farming not only for nourishment, but also as a large contributor to our state’s economy. Please share this information so that the people who need this assistance know that it is available.
A historic treasure is written on the Cambrian sandstone on the Roche-A-Cri mound. This mound is nestled in the center of Adams County in Roche-A-Cri State Park, and etched in the Cambrian sandstone are petroglyphs (from before 900 A.D.) and pictographs that are believed to be the art of the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk. These people likely considered this a site of great significance based on the vast amount of art depicted. This rock face also displays graffiti from settlers and soldiers in the area from 1845-1880's.
In the early 1990s a stairway to the top of the mound was erected along with observation platforms and information about the rock art paintings and carvings. More information about visiting Wisconsin State Parks can be found here.
Things happening in the district & around Madison:
Harlem Globe Trotters Monday, December 30, 2019 7 PM Alliant Energy Center
Accessible Seating: Accessible seating is available online through Ticketmaster by clicking Request Accessible Tickets, or in person at The Coliseum Box Office during business hours. For additional information call 608-267-3955. Tickets $23.50 - $113.50
NOON Year's Eve Party for Kids Tuesday, December 31, 2019 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM Hy-Vee Fitchburg 2920 Fitchrona Rd., Fitchburg
We are celebrating NYE a little early, NOON that is, on 12/31.Your kids will have a chance and come out to ring in the new year in style. We will be in the Market Grille for some snacks and fun kids games, then at NOON we will have a balloon drop! We hope to see you there to ring in 2020!
Annual First Day Hike
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 1 PM - 4 PM Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area Gibraltar Rock Rd., Lodi
In celebration of the New Year, join us for our annual First Day Hike! Last year we had an overflow crowd of happy people and dogs. We appreciate car pooling if that is an option! Meet at 1 pm, Monday, January 1st, at the traditional Ice Age Trail parking area at Gibraltar Rock on Hwy V (south of Okee) and enjoy a leisurely stroll to the top. For directions visit: https://goo.gl/maps/Xh7rM We will serve hot chocolate to toast in the New Year!
2020 Rose Bowl Wednesday, January 1, 2020 4 PM (Central) kickoff Pasadena CA or televised on ESPN
The game will be played between Big Ten Conference runner-up Wisconsin and Pac-12 Conference champion Oregon. The 2012 Rose Bowl featured the same teams, won by Oregon who scored 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points in a 45–38 victory.
Personal Archiving Lab Drop-In Tutorial Thursday, January 2, 2020 3 PM - 7 PM Central Library 201 West Mifflin St., Madison
The Personal Archiving Lab at Central Library is a collection of equipment that can be used to digitize at-risk analog materials, like home movies, video tapes, audio cassettes, photographs, and more.
Stop by the Central Library every Tuesday or Thursday for a tutorial on how to use the library's Personal Archiving Lab, then make an appointment for your personal archiving project. Call 608-266-6350 for more information or to make an appointment.
The Personal Archiving Lab supports the following formats: VHS and VHS-C tapes, DVDs (not BluRay), audio cassettes, MiniDV and Hi-8 tapes, photographs (including negatives and slides), and other paper-based documents.
Memory Cafe' in Middleton Friday, January 3, 2020 10:30 AM Imperial Garden 2039 Allen Blvd., Madison
People living with early-stage Alzheimer's, dementia and other memory loss are invited to connect with others in similar situations at a Memory Café in the Madison area.
A Memory Cafe is a safe and comfortable space where people with memory loss can socialize and enjoy creative activities. This program is free and open to the public. If you require assistance to participate in the group, please bring someone with you to provide that assistance.
The Middleton Memory Café will be held the first Friday of every month from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Imperial Garden.The café will be facilitated by Noreen Kralapp, Dementia Outreach Specialist with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin. This Memory Café is made possible by your community health partners, Imperial Garden, and the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin.For more information about the Memory Café, call Noreen at 608.661.0463.
