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A Note from Rep. Edming

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Welcome to this week's e-update.  It was another busy week working on behalf of the people of the 87th Assembly District.  The State Assembly was in session on Thursday, where we took up a number of proposals and honored first responders from around the state for their service to our communities. I also had the opportunity to testify in support of the bill I authored to provide property tax relief to more of our state's disabled veterans.  You can read about this and more below.

Also, while we're not even a month into fall, it looks like we already have snow in the forecast across most of the district this weekend.  With the wintery weather expected please check on the road conditions before you leave and to give yourself extra time to drive to your destination. Be sure to drive safe and check out the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's website for information on winter driving, preparing an emergency kit for your vehicle, and more. 

As always, if you would like to share your thoughts or concerns on any state issues, please contact my office and let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.

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October Floor Session Wrap-up

The State Assembly was in session yesterday for our October floor session where my Assembly colleagues and I considered a number of proposals.  I'd like to take a moment and update you on some of those that I co-authored:

Senate Bill (SB) 170

Did you know that it was actually against the law for a minor to operate a lemonade stand without a permit in Wisconsin? Kids in parts of our state have had their lemonade stands called into local police departments, who then have to spend their time investigating, and eventually fine the kids, often on private property. As an entrepreneur myself, I know how difficult it can be to obtain a permit and requiring a young child to go through that process is unnecessary.

SB 170 will address this issue by allowing young entrepreneurs to operate lemonade and other types of stands without a permit on private property. These kids can then sell up to $2,000 without fear of tax liability since they will be considered "occasional sales," like garage sales.  SB 170 passed with a unanimous voice vote and now heads to Governor Evers' desk.

Senate Bill (SB) 266

Since 2009, municipalities have been required to provide health insurance coverage to surviving spouses and children of firefighters who died in the line of duty.  For some reason when this law was enacted law enforcement and other first responders were left out. SB 266 corrects this oversight by extending this same benefit to law enforcement and EMS personnel.

Under SB 266, a political subdivision would be required to continue to pay the health insurance premiums for the spouses and children of law enforcement officers and EMS who are killed in the line of duty. Local governments would then be able to file a request for reimbursement from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. These reimbursements would be funded by county and municipal aid shared revenue. Health insurance premiums required under this bill will only be paid until the spouse remarries or reaches the age of 65, and for the children until they reach age 26 or until the child has insurance offered under his or her employer. This bill also passed with unanimous support and is headed to the governor's desk.

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Assembly Bill (AB) 189

This legislation will provide students in the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College systems with more classes that are guaranteed to transfer between schools. Currently, only 30 credit hours are able to be transferred, according to the Universal Transfer Credit Agreement. AB 189 increases this number to 72 credit hours. Hopefully, by streamlining the transfer credit process, this will help students and advisors clearly understand what classes will be accepted when transferring universities and make it easier for students to transfer between Wisconsin's public institutions while remaining on track for graduation.

Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 69

Back in 2017 the US Air Force selected Truax Field in Madison as one of the two preferred sites to house the Air Force's next generation of fighter planes the F-35. The new fleet of F-35s would replace the aging fleet of F-16s at the base.  There have been aircraft stationed at Truax Field for 71 years and basing the F-35s should provide a flying mission for the base's 115th Fighter Wing for many years to come.  Yesterday I was proud to support the adoption of SJR 69 which sends a message to the federal government and our troops that we support the stationing of F-35s in Wisconsin.

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Marty Huhn: First Responder of the Year 

As I mentioned in last week's e-update, Martin "Marty" Huhn is the recipient of the 87th Assembly District's First Responder of the Year Award! Yesterday, my legislative colleagues and I honored Marty, along with other first responders of the year from other Assembly Districts around the state. In addition to these awards, the legislature also passed Senate Joint Resolution 66, declaring October 28, 2019, First Responders Appreciation Day in Wisconsin. 

I can't imagine the number of people whose lives have been touched by Marty through his decades of service on the Rusk County EMS and Sheldon Fire Department. I am proud to represent humble, selfless, and compassionate first responders, like Marty, in the State Assembly. Congratulations, Marty!

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Pictured left to right: Rep. Edming, Marty Huhn, Debbie Tinder, Brian Huhn

Agribusiness Tour

On Monday, I attended an Agribusiness Tour with one of my legislative colleagues, Representative Pat Snyder, at ProVision Partners Cooperative in Auburndale hosted by the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association. I enjoyed learning more about the agribusiness industry and its importance to the state.  

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Disabled Veterans Property Tax Relief Bill

In addition to the floor session held in the State Assembly yesterday, I also attended a hearing in the Senate in the Committee on Agriculture, Revenue, and Financial Institutions. The Senate companion bill to a bill I mentioned in a previous e-update, SB 116, was up for a public hearing.

This legislation reduces the eligibility threshold to claim the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit from 100% to 70%. I am very proud to author this legislation in the Assembly in honor of all of our veterans in the 87th Assembly District and throughout Wisconsin. I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for holding the public hearing and I hope to see the bill advance soon.  If you would like to read my testimony you can do so by clicking here.
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Click on the photo above to watch the hearing. My testimony begins at about 21:45.

Upcoming Events Around the 87th

Check out the following events happening around the district:

Do you know of any events in the district that I missed? Contact my office and let me know, so I can include it in a future e-update and try to attend myself. 

Stay Up to Date

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.