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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

It has been another busy week here in the State Capitol, as the budget process continues, committee meetings are ongoing, and new legislation is being introduced on a variety of topics.   

 

Read on for details about changes the Joint Finance Committee has made to Governor Evers’s state budget proposal, information about two bills my colleagues and I introduced this week, a reminder about the centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, and a fun Wisconsin fact.

 

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


In This Week's Update:

Joint Finance Committee Update


Budget Listening Sessions


Abortion Access Protection Act


National Gun Violence Awareness Day


Women's Suffrage Centennial Celebration


Fun Wisconsin Fact


Whats Happening?


Contact Me:

109 North, State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

Phone: (608) 266-7521

Toll-Free: (888) 534-0078

Fax: (608) 282-3690

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Joint Finance Committee Update

This week, the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee again eliminated several key components of Governor Evers’s 2019-21 state budget proposal. The committee cut nearly $200 million from the Governor’s budget for the Department of Health Services, including cuts to programs such as Hospital Access Payments, Community Health Benefits, Crisis Intervention, Dental Access Incentives, and Lead Exposure Prevention. The committee also cut over $100 million from the Governor’s budget in funding for Department of Children and Families programs.

 

Additionally, Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee refused to even consider a motion offered by Democrats to accept Medicaid expansion, again choosing to put politics ahead of people. Even as Republicans continue their partisan obstruction, Health Affairs released new research showing that expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin will substantially lower health insurance premiums in the individual market.

 

The study compared marketplace premiums in Wisconsin to marketplace premiums in neighboring states that expanded Medicaid, finding that expanding Medicaid produced individual marketplace premiums that were 19% lower. That means Wisconsinites are paying about $57 per month – or $684 per year - more than our neighbors in states that accepted the expansion.  

 

The data is clear - Medicaid expansion makes good fiscal sense for everyone. Expansion not only allows more Wisconsinites to receive coverage through Medicaid; it also lowers premiums for people on private insurance plans. Wisconsin Republicans are out of excuses for not accepting Medicaid expansion. I stand with Governor Evers and my Democratic colleagues in support of expanding health care access and lowering premiums for all Wisconsinites.

 

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Budget Listening Sessions

I would like to thank everyone who attended one of my budget listening sessions with Senator Fred Risser at Meadowridge Library and Oakwood Village. I appreciated the chance to hear from many of you about Governor Evers’s budget proposal and the changes that have been made by the Joint Finance Committee.

 

If you did not get the chance to attend, please feel free to use this link to submit any comments or questions you may have about issues relating to the state budget.

 


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The Abortion Access Protection Act

Earlier this week, I held a press conference along with women’s health care advocates and providers introducing the Abortion Access Protection Act. The act, which I am co-authoring with Senator Fred Risser, would repeal Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban. 

 

Wisconsin is one of only 9 states with a statute criminalizing abortion still on the books over 45 years after Roe v. Wade made this criminal ban unenforceable. If Roe were to be overturned, Wisconsin’s law would once again take effect and abortion would immediately become a criminal offense in the state, meaning physicians who provide abortion could be charged with a felony and face up to six years in prison. As the balance of the Supreme Court turns against access to abortion, the threat to legal abortion is now the greatest since Roe v. Wade was decided.

 

The Abortion Access Protection Act recognizes that providing abortion services is health care, not criminal activity. Our bill ensures that Wisconsin women can make our own deeply personal health care decisions based on what is best for our health and well-being, without interference from politicians. It modernizes Wisconsin’s harsh and obsolete abortion ban so that the state treats abortion care like any other form of health care in accordance with medical standards.

 

Access to abortion is about treating women with dignity and equality. Women deserve the respect to make our own decisions about our bodies, our health and our lives. Now is the time to protect safe, legal abortion in Wisconsin.

 

 

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National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Today, I joined community members, legislators, and advocacy groups in observing National Gun Violence Awareness Day by renewing my support for reinstating Wisconsin’s 48 hour waiting period for handgun purchases.  I am currently part of a group of legislators circulating legislation that would reinstate the waiting period.

 

Gun Violence Awareness Day is a time to remember those whose lives have been cut short by gun violence and to call for bold, swift action to prevent future tragedies. Over the last eight years, Republicans have failed to take any meaningful steps to address gun violence. The time is now to address this public health and safety crisis.

 

In 2015, the Republican-controlled Legislature repealed Wisconsin’s nearly 40-year-old requirement that a federally licensed firearm dealer wait 48 hours to transfer a handgun. This “cooling off” period played an important role in de-escalating domestic conflicts and preventing suicides for individuals in crisis. Research from the Harvard Business School indicates that waiting periods can reduce suicide and homicide rates. Reinstating Wisconsin’s waiting period would help prevent impulsive violence and save lives. 

 

Every family wants to know that they and their children are safe, whether they are home, at school, at work, or out in the community. It is time to put people ahead of politics by passing common sense, lifesaving public safety measures such as reinstating the 48 hour waiting period.

 


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Women's Suffrage Centennial Celebration

A mere century ago, Wisconsin became the first state to officially ratify the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote. On Monday, June 10th, beginning at noon, a celebration will commence in recognition of the historical significance of women’s suffrage. The festivities will begin with a welcome from the First Lady of Wisconsin, Kathy Evers, followed by an unveiling of the original 19th Amendment. We will also hear from former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who is now the Executive Director of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission in Washington D.C., and from Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. 

Following the brief ceremony, you can stick around for the rare opportunity to view the original 19th Amendment document along with a turban, sash, and other historical artifacts from the suffrage movement until 10 PM in the State Capitol Building. This entire event is free and open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to wear suffragist white!

 

 

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Fun Wisconsin Fact

June is Pride Month, an appropriate time to note that Wisconsin has a long history of upholding and protecting the rights of LGBT Americans. Wisconsin passed a complete statewide ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation back in 1982, and was the first state in the country to do so. Wisconsin stood as the only state that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in both public and private employment for 7 years until 1989 when Massachusetts joined Wisconsin in passing comprehensive protection for gay Americans.

Wisconsin’s bill was written by Representative David Clarenbach and signed into law by Republican Governor Lee Dreyfus, who said at the time, “There are some questions government has no business asking.”  

Today, however, Wisconsin has begun to lag behind in LGBT rights. It is only one of two States to have a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not based on gender identity. Governor Evers has signed an executive order protecting transgender state employees, but a ban on private sector employment discrimination is still needed.  

 


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Things happening in the district & around Madison:

Marquette Waterfront Festival
Saturday, June 8 - Sunday, June 9

Yahara Place Park, 2025 Yahara Pl Madison
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The official curtain raiser to the near-east side’s glorious season of summer music festivals, Marquette Waterfront Festival celebrates its 30th year the weekend of June 8 -9, mixing hot local talent with national touring favorites.

SummerPalooza
Saturday, June 8

10 am - 2 pm
Madison Children's Museum, 100 N Hamilton St

 

At Madison Children’s Museum the summer season kicks into high gear with SummerPalooza! Hosted by Madison Children’s Museum, SummerPalooza festival features:

 Free museum admission all day; Free performances outside the museum; Community parade around Capitol Square at noon.

UW Arboretum Family Walk
Sunday, June 9

1:30 pm
UW Arboretum Visitor Center 1207 Seminole Hwy, Madison 


The Summer Buzz: Discover the fun and fascinating world of insects on this walk in the Arboretum’s gardens. Designed for families with children ages 3–11. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

Women's Suffrage Centennial Celebration
Monday, June 10

12 pm - 10 pm
State Capitol, 2 E Main


Witness the unveiling of the original 19th amendment! Join the Wisconsin Historical Society at the State Capitol for a 100-year anniversary celebration of Wisconsin being the first state to ratify the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote.

The Peanuts Movie (2015)
Friday, June 14th 

6 pm - 8 pm
Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N High Point Rd


Free and open to the public - Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.

Movie Program: Mary Poppins Returns
Wednesday, June 12th 

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N High Point Rd


Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks Siblings and Michael's Children through a difficult time in their lives. [PG, 2hrs. 10min., Comedy|Family|Fantasy, 2018]
All shows are free and open to the public.

   
   

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