Nearing the End 

The Assembly met yesterday and is expected to meet a couple more times this session by the end of the month, which as one can guess, makes for a very busy schedule. 

Between meeting with constituents and juggling a handful of legislative meetings, I'm proud to be working on bipartisan proposals both majority and minority members can see eye to eye on. But, as we all know, politics tend to trump priorities down in Madison, and it shouldn't be that way. Despite the political games both parities play far too often, I'm focusing on compromise and cooperation. 

Recent Legislation 

America First

I recently introduced the Buy American Act with a few of my colleagues. As a Wisconsin taxpayer, your money should be supporting American jobs and American businesses. This legislation would require materials purchased by the State of Wisconsin are - to the greatest extent possible - made in the U.S.A. I'm proud to be a good steward of your hard-earned tax dollars and ensure your money is being used to grow our economy and manufacturing sector. Our tax dollars should be getting put to work at home, not thousands of miles away at a foreign company. 

Better Broadband 

If you're lucky enough to be reading this without any issues, be thankful you live in an area where you can access the internet with ease. However, in rural areas with little to no internet access, it's important to expand broadband and give our rural areas the luxury those in the city often take for granted. From improving broadband mapping accuracy to cracking down on misleading broadband advertisement, I'm pleased to have introduced a number of proposals with my colleagues to address these issues and help rural areas get easier access to broadband.

Water Quality 

Wisconsin has a proud history of preserving our environmental resources and it's important to maintain that preservation. Recently, the Speaker's Task Force on Water Quality introduced a number of proposals to ensure lead or other dangerous substances are not present in the water we drink. These bills also aim to clean up contaminated waterways and wells and support conservation strategies to prevent pollution. I am a proud cosponsor of the majority of the bills introduced by this task force. 

What Else is Happening? 

Credit Union Visit

It's always a pleasure to meet with the Credit Union advocates from our community. We discussed a variety of issues impacting their business and what we can do at the state level to help them succeed. 

Promoting Tourism

I'm proud to represent an area that is home to many in-state and out-of-state travel destinations. I had the opportunity to meet with Destinations Wisconsin, which is a group that helps create jobs and enhance life for Wisconsinites through tourism. 

Touring Fort McCoy

A few weeks ago, I spent the day at Fort McCoy, learning about the high quality training they offer and the logistics and engineering behind it all. I also got to experience many demonstrations and see what these men and women are doing everyday. I want to thank all the men and women wearing uniform. 

 Meeting Fire Protection Specialists 

It was great to meet Tom and Trent Anderson, Fire Protection Specialists and members of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin. While touring their shop, we discussed the benefits and set backs of owning a small business in Wisconsin. 

Until next time, 

Steve