It is hard to believe that it is already August. I hope that you and your family have had the opportunity to get out this summer and enjoy all northern Wisconsin has to offer.
August is a busy time throughout the 87th Assembly District with many great events including Ice Age Days in Rib Lake, the Athens Fair, and the Rusk and Sawyer County Fairs. I hope to see you out around the district in the coming weeks.
A Big Investment in Wisconsin
One of the biggest news stories over the past couple of weeks is the announcement by Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn that they plan to invest $10 billion in a new high-tech manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin. While the 87th District is quite a distance away from the locations that Foxconn is exploring for this new plant, the investment made by Foxconn will be felt across the state. This massive project is estimated to have at least a $7 billion annual economic impact on the state and result in millions of dollars in increased state tax revenue. In addition, businesses around Wisconsin could become part of the Foxconn supply chain further expanding the impact of this historic investment.
The next step in the process is for the legislature to review the agreement that Governor Walker signed with Foxconn to bring this investment to our state. The Governor has called a special session to consider this agreement which provides incentives to the company for locating in our state. This incentives package has been introduced as August 2017 Special Session Assembly Bill 1and last week, the Committee on Jobs and the Economy held a public hearing on the bill. The committee heard testimony from invited speakers and members of the public for nearly 10 hours and many different viewpoints were heard.
I have also been hearing from residents of the 87th District who have shared their thoughts on this proposal with me. As I continue to review this legislation and hear from the people of the 87th District I will be looking to make sure that any investment made by the State of Wisconsin to secure Foxconn is an investment that protects taxpayers and is the right deal for Wisconsin.
Local Communities Recieve Grants
Last week, Governor Walker announced a series of Community Development Block Grants that were awarded around the state. These grants are targeted towards community projects that benefit low-to-moderate income residents and are awarded through a competitive, statewide process. I am thrilled that the City of Hayward and the Village of Weyerhaeuser were both selected to receive a grant from this program.
The City of Hayward will receive a grant of $250,000 for storm sewer and street improvements, and the Village of Weyerhaeuser will receive a grant of $500,000 for sewer system and wastewater treatment upgrades. I appreciate all the work that officials in Hayward and Weyerhaeuser did to apply for these grants. The funds from these grants will be an incredible help to these municipalities and help them to better meet the needs of their citizens.
Summer Intern
A big thank you to Jacquelyn Adamicki who interned in my office this summer. Jacquelyn is from Waukesha and is a Political Science major at the University of Minnesota. She plans to graduate next May. I appreciate all of Jacquelyn's hard work and dedication in serving the people of the 87th District. I wish her the best of luck as she continues her studies.
If you know a college student who is interested in interning in my office in Madison, please give have them contact my office at (888) 534-0087 or Rep.Edming@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Around the 87th
Visit to North Star Camp for Boys
Recently, I had a fantastic visit to North Star Camp for Boys near Hayward. While I was there, not only did I have a tour of the camp and a great discussion with the owners, I also had the opportunity to speak with the campers and join them in some camp activities.
Lublin Days
In late July I had the opportunity to spend some time in Lublin at the Lublin Days celebration. What a great way to spend the day!
Bridge Replacement in Sawyer County
The Wisconsin DOT has scheduled an improvement project to replace the WIS 40 bridge over the Couderay River near Radisson in Sawyer County. They will remove and replace the structure, and do other work. During construction, the traffic will be detoured via US 8, WIS 27, and WIS 70 and residents along WIS 40 can expect single lane closures and full closures at Adler Creek, Becky Creek, and Couderay River bridges. The construction is scheduled to be completed in October 2017.
For more information regarding any traffic impact or other project updates, you can reference the DOT website.
One of the best ways to stay up to date with what is going on in Madison is to sign up for the legislature's notification tracking service. This service allows you to follow legislative activity in Madison. Once you create a free account you can sign up to receive notifications about specific bills or committees as well as legislative activity pertaining to a subject area (i.e. agriculture, veterans). You can sign up for this service at notify.legis.wisconsin.gov.
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If you have any thoughts regarding the subject of this E-Update, please feel free to contact me.
State Capitol Room 109 West - PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0087 or (608) 266-7506 Email: Rep.Edming@legis.wisconsin.gov
