State of the State

This week, Governor Tony Evers delivered his State of the State Address to a joint session of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Unfortunately, he chose to downplay all of the ways in which Wisconsin is thriving. Our unemployment rate has remained at or below 3% for 11 months straight; incomes are up and poverty is down; we have a record number of people working; and we have the largest rainy day fund in history. These are only a few of the metrics that show our state is undeniably strong.

I was also disappointed that Governor Evers failed to mention three of the largest industries in our state: tourism, manufacturing and agriculture. Wisconsin is a national leader in manufacturing job growth, our tourism industry is up 40% since 2011, and the agricultural industry faces major challenges that we must work together on tackling. While there are certainly areas that need improvement, the negative rhetoric that we heard on Tuesday doesn't accurately identify how favorable the state of our state truly is. 

Nonetheless, Governor Evers did mention a few things that I am excited about: tax cuts for middle class families, supporting education, and transportation funding. These are three extremely important areas that I believe we can and must find common ground on. As I mentioned in my newsletter last week, Assembly Republicans announced a proposal that would cut taxes for middle class families by $340 million using a recently announced budget surplus. I am pleased that Governor Evers has since indicated that he intends to follow through on the promise he made to deliver a well deserved break to middle class families.

Additionally, while we provided record funding increases in the last biennium for education, I know there is more we can do to help our students be successful. Governor Evers mentioned additional resources for mental health and special education in schools, which are both areas that I believe we can find bipartisan solutions on. Lastly, with an aging infrastructure, we must find sustainable solutions for transportation funding. While last budget allotted more money in local transportation aids, we need to find a solution that addresses the changing transportation needs of our population. Tackling these issues certainly presents a challenge, but I am hopeful that, working together, we will find solutions that work for individuals across our entire state. 

You can view my full statement on the State of the State Address here, or a video of my thoughts here. 

Covering Pre-Existing Conditions

This week, the State Assembly met to discuss an incredibly important topic: protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions. I was pleased to see my Assembly colleagues and leadership join me in recognizing the importance of this issue; by ensuring this was the first legislation that was voted on in the 2019-2020 legislative session, it is evident that my colleagues agree we must promptly tackle the insecurity of these protections on a federal level. Click on the photo above to see reasons why this is priority number one for Assembly republicans or click here to view my full statement on passage of the bill. 

The legislation that was ultimately passed creates state level protections for those with pre-existing conditions by defining a pre-existing condition; making it illegal for an insurance company to set rates, services and eligibility based on pre-existing conditions; and prohibiting caps on annual or lifetime benefits. This legislation was a truly bipartisan effort--Governor Evers raised his concerns about lifetime and annual caps on coverage, which led to that provision being amended into the legislation. I am pleased to say the bill passed 76-19 in the Assembly. I will now urge my Senate colleagues and Governor Evers to pass this important legislation promptly, to ensure there are no gaps in protections, as  uncertainty continues at the federal level. 

Just a reminder that my monthly office hours will be held at The Ugly Mug in Wausau on Monday, January 28th! The Ugly Mug is a new shop in the Wausau Community, and I am excited to check out the new space, support the new business owners, and have a cup of coffee while I talk with constituents! I will be there from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, so please feel welcome to drop by! 

Education Communications Board

I am excited to announce that I was recently appointed by Speaker Robin Vos to the Education Communications Board! The ECB is a cornerstone of Wisconsin's Emergency Alert System, which is responsible for relaying important communications like Amber Alerts, weather alerts, and other emergency events such as Immediate Evacuation, Civil Danger, Hazardous Materials, etc. I am looking forward to putting my 34 years of broadcasting background to use as a member of the board. You can view my full statement on the appointment here.

2017-2018 Blue Books & maps (paper highway maps or laminated maps) are still available in my office! The Wisconsin Blue Book contains information on all things Wisconsin: your elected officials; census information; the official state dog, tree, flower, etc.; government processes; and so much more! Contact me for your free copy today!