Building Strong Wisconsin Families 

My busy week in Madison began on Tuesday with a front row seat at the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar called Building Strong Wisconsin Families: Evidence-Based Approaches to Address Toxic Stress in Children. Researchers from around the country presented information about the importance of early brain development and how stressors, like abuse, neglect, poverty, etc., during the early formative years can cause significant challenges later in life. 

One of the presenters was from UW Milwaukee and he shared his fascinating research about the benefits that researchers have seen from Wisconsin's home visiting programs. Often called a "two-generational approach", home visiting programs, occurring in counties throughout the state, provide in-home services and supports to pregnant women and new parents. These programs show the potential to interrupt inter-generational cycles of trauma by providing intervention for parents with trauma and simultaneously preventing trauma in their children. These programs are cost-effective and have been shown to improve maternal and child health, prevent child abuse and neglect, and improve child development and school readiness. 

It is so encouraging to see these great programs taking off in our state! Nationwide presenters indicated that Wisconsin is a leader in some aspects of child welfare, particularly as it relates to recognizing Adverse Childhood Experiences. I am proud of the work we are already doing and am excited to continue being an advocate for our kids and families! 

Protecting those who protect us 

This session, I was appointed to the Committee on Corrections. With criminal justice and corrections reform on the forefront of many citizens' and public officials' minds, I am excited to join in the work that Wisconsin legislators are accomplishing related to corrections. 

The Committee met for the first public hearing of the session this week and we had productive conversations about how we can improve our correctional system. The members of the committee come from diverse backgrounds, such as a public defender, county supervisors, a correctional officer, business owners, and a law enforcement officer. These unique perspectives lend to especially productive conversations about how we can better serve our communities, our correctional personnel, and those who are incarcerated. 

The legislation that was considered in committee this week is Assembly Bill (AB) 5 and Assembly Bill 63. I am particularly appreciative of AB 5, which would classify county jailers as a protective occupation under the Wisconsin Retirement System. These individuals are frequently put in the same dangerous situations as prison guards and police officers, who are already classified as a protective occupation. It is critical that we recognize the importance and severity of the situations these men and women are placed in as a result of their occupation and give them the benefits that they deserve. You can read written testimony from the hearing here. 

We received good news again this week that Wisconsin's unemployment rate is holding at historically low levels. The recently released jobs report shows that Wisconsin's unemployment rate for the month of February was 2.9%. That means that for 13 months straight, Wisconsin's unemployment rate has remained at or below 3%. Additionally, our labor participation rate continues to be higher than the national average. I am pleased to see our economy performing well, but this means we must continue our efforts in supporting workforce development to ensure everyone is working up to their full potential. The full jobs report can be viewed here. 

A huge thanks to these folks from the district that are members of the Tavern League that visited me at the State Capitol this week! 

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!