The Assembly is in recess for the summer but committee work continues, bill ideas are being circulated, and lawmakers are making plans for the fall legislative session days.
This week’s newsletter covers votes I took in committee, an update on the state’s livestock siting regulations affecting concentrated animal feed operations or CAFOs, a local effort to collect items for the Meadowood Neighborhood Center, some Wisconsin history, and events happening in our community.
As always, if you have questions or need assistance on any matter, please feel free to contact my office.
Sincerely, Lisa Subeck State Representative 78th Assembly District
Earlier this month, I introduced a bill that would ensure translation and interpretation services needed by members of the public would be provided at committee meetings of the legislature. The bill would establish a process for individuals with special needs, including non-English speakers and those in need of sign language interpreters, to access the services they need to participate in the legislative process, and require that every public notice and published agenda for legislative committee meetings include language printed in English, Spanish, and Hmong. It also must explain how to request an interpreter, translator, materials in alternative formats, or other accommodations to observe or participate in the meeting. The notice would be required to include contact information for the office responsible for fulfilling the request. Every citizen deserves equal access to participate in the legislative process.
Even elected officials with disabilities deserve accommodations to fulfill their duties in the legislative process, but still face obstacles to obtain them. This was publicly illustrated this week when my colleague, Rep. Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg), had his struggles accessing reasonable accommodations to do the job he was elected to do, written about in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It wouldn’t require much to fulfill his request of being able to listen in on public testimony in committee meetings via teleconference and to receive notice on when session votes would occur, but Republican leadership seems determined to deny his request. This not only means that Rep. Anderson cannot fully participate in the legislative process like the rest of my colleagues and I can, but it also means his constituency is also experiencing a disservice by the lack of accommodation and stubbornness of Speaker Vos. I support Rep. Anderson in this fight, and will continue to work towards accessible government for everyone.
This week we celebrated the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26th, 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act is an important milestone, yet nearly three decades later, individuals with disabilities still face significant barriers to fully participating in state government. We must change this
Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules Report
One of my committee assignments for 2019-2020, is the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, JCRAR. This committee is the front line of legislative oversight, and hearings like these provide a faster rules process which help keep the legislative code up-to-date.
On Wednesday, the committee took up five emergency rules that needed to be extended, and also passed four expedited rule repeals to remove provisions for programs that do not exist anymore. I voted in favor of Emergency Rules (EmR) 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909. EmR 1906 extends a rule in which optometrists must pass the TMOD test to become certified. EmR 1907 implements the terms of the Lake Superior Fishing Agreement, which aims to protect the Lake Superior ecosystem by striking a balance between tribal, commercial, and recreational harvesting interests. EmR 1908 streamlines the process for education license recertification, and EmR 1909 cleans up other education licensing rules. While each of these rules was approved by the committee, I voted against EmR 1902, which continues to prevent turkeys, deer, and Canadian geese from needing tags.
The Wisconsin Women’s Hive is a Madison collective of crafters who care about issues affecting women and children. This summer, the group is working with the Meadowood Neighborhood Center on a Back to School Supply Drive. They are asking community members to donate school supplies and personal hygiene items to make the lives of children in our community a little brighter. Here is the list of requested items:
Binders, earbuds for Chrome usage at school, deodorant, body wash and body lotion, feminine hygiene products (pads are best), and any fun things that kids might not be able to afford.
Please bring your donations to my office to my Capitol office (Room 109 North) during normal business hours or drop them off at an event hosted by the Wisconsin Women’s Hive at Common Ground, 2644 Branch Street in Middleton, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Monday, August 22.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) recently posted public hearing notices on ATCP 51, an administrative rule that regulates local government’s ability to approve expansions of livestock facilities. The 2004 Livestock Facility Sitting Law was promoted as a way to streamline the standards for farm permits, but by doing this, it took away power from local governments to use protective ordinances specific to their community. This frequently promotes larger concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, which can sometimes be harmful to local communities.
In the coming month, there will be six public hearings throughout the state where citizens can comment on the proposal before the final draft is submitted. Madison’s hearing occurs on August 22nd in the state agricultural building, 2811 Agriculture Drive; Boardroom 106. Comments and concerns can be made at any of these public hearings or online.
This month, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that it found the shipwreck of the S.R. Kirby that sank to the bottom of Lake Superior 103 years ago. A 294-foot composite mercantile sailing ship, the S.R. Kirby was relatively unusual for its time. It had a wrought iron frame with a wooden hull and planking, making it durable but efficient for commercial travel. The S.R. Kirby left Ashland Wisconsin in 1916, towing a 352-foot-long barge filled with iron ore. Heavily overloaded, the ship did not stand a chance in the storm that hit. Winds up to 76 miles per hour battered the Kirby, and ultimately it was hit by a massive wave which broke the ship in half and quickly sank it 800 feet. Of the 22 men that made up the crew, only two survived. However, the captain’s dog “Tige” survived and was soon found by the Coast Guard.