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Robert Cowles
Serving Wisconsin's 2nd Senate District
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Quick Fact |
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Brown County, which celebrated their 200th Anniversary
last month, was formed in 1818 by a proclamation of
Michigan Governor Lewis Cass and was one of the two
original counties that became part of the Wisconsin
Territory.
The Governor of Michigan named Brown County for Major
General Jacob Brown, a military hero who led his troops
to numerous victories on the northern border in the War
of 1812.
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Governor Seeking Ornaments to Decorate Capitol Chrismas
Tree |
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Governor Walker is asking art teachers, parents, and
children from across Wisconsin to help decorate the 2018
State Capitol Christmas Tree by making ornaments. The
theme for this year’s tree will be ‘America’s
Dairyland.’ Anyone interested in sending ornaments to decorate the tree should
make their submission by Friday, November 23, 2018.
To learn more and to see where to send ornaments, visit
this link.
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Helpful Links |
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Thank You Veterans! |
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Happy belated Veterans Day, and thank you to everyone
who has served our nation! We owe you a debt that cannot
be repaid.
In the Legislature, I’ve made it one of my top
priorities to ensure that Wisconsin continues to be a
great place for veterans to live after their military
service has concluded. In previous e-newsletters, I’ve
discussed efforts I’ve taken this session to ensure more
veterans have an easier time transitioning into the
workforce by co-authoring the
Hire Heroes legislation. I’ve also requested and
followed-up on an
audit of the Veterans Home at King to ensure those
veterans at King are receiving quality care and
co-sponsored numerous bills to help veterans.
I’ve recently attended a number of events to honor our
veterans. Two weeks ago for Brown County’s 200th
Anniversary, I joined hundreds of community members to
welcome our veterans back to Green Bay after the recent
Flight of Champions. Thank you to the Brown County
Government and everyone else involved in setting up this
truly amazing and unforgettable opportunity for these
local heroes. Learn more about this event on
WBAY’s website. I also attended a number of events
over Veteran’s Day Weekend to honor those who have
served our country.
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Addiction Recovery Helpline Launched by State |
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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recently
launched a free and confidential service to help
connect people with resources to overcome
dependencies on opioids and other substances. The
Wisconsin Addition Recovery Helpline is available
statewide 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and
will help callers navigate local resources. Learn
more about the new helpline by visiting
DHS’s website or watching
this story on WBAY.
If you or someone you know needs help kicking a
dependency, the Addiction Recovery Helpline can be
reached by calling 2-1-1 Wisconsin.
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Weekly Radio Address on Workforce Development |
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In October, I offered my third weekly Republican radio
address of the year where I discussed recent action by
the Legislature to advance workforce development in
Wisconsin. Listen to the address or read the transcript
on
my website.
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Collections for Law Enforcement Memorial Fund |
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The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Fund has provided
support to family and fellow officers and honored the
memory after the in the line of duty death of law
enforcement officers for over 25 years. With
legislation that Representative David Steffen
brought to me to co-author being signed into law last
session, the Fund will now have a stable funding source
through annual contributions from drivers who elected to
support their specialized license plate. While I hope they never have
to use these resources, it’s important that the Fund has
the financial support needed to best serve the law
enforcement community in those difficult times.
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Recent Work on the Audit Committee |
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After the release of several major audits earlier this
year, I have been working with my colleagues on the
Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which I Co-Chair, as
well as the experts at the non-partisan Legislative
Audit Bureau and leaders in the state agencies to
follow-up on these audits and ensure that the
recommendations made in these evaluations are thoroughly
considered and implemented.
In this process, I’ve been helping to keep the Wisconsin
Economic Development Corporation accountable and
transparent and have been working with the University of
Wisconsin-System to implement recommendations on several
audits. The Committee is also awaiting the release of an
audit requested earlier this year of the costs in our
adult corrections system, and we’ve been following the
release of several recent mandatory audits including the
Petroleum Inspection Fee Revenue Obligations Program and
the Department of Employee Trust Funds.
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Recent Events Attended |
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I have the opportunity to attend a number of community
events each week. These events are central in my role as
an elected official, as they allow me to stay
up-to-date
on the latest news from businesses, non-profits, and
local governments. These events also give me a chance to
meet great people and recognize the contributions that
so many people make to our communities. Here is just a
sampling of some of the events I’ve recently attended:
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I joined the Clean Bay Backers’ Bringing
Back the Bay Tour. This year, the event showed how
innovative stormwater management practices are not
only preventing flooding and improving the health of
the Fox River, but are also appealing additions to
new developments.
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Thanks to Cellcom for hosting a great event last
month where members of the community, including
myself, were able to learn a little more about the
future of 5G in Northeast Wisconsin. Not only will
5G speed up your cell phone, but it can transform
cities and build our local industries. Learn more
about the event on
WFRV’s website.
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It was a pleasure to attend the grand opening of
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation’s
Northeast Wisconsin Office in Appleton. I look forward to the
positive impact they will have on our region’s
business community.
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A couple of weeks ago, I joined Kaukauna Mayor Tony
Penterman, DOT Secretary Dave Ross, Representative
Jim Steineke, and other local leaders for the ribbon
cutting on the new Highway 41-Highway 55 interchange
in Kaukauna. Not only was the project completed on
time, but it looks great and will be safer and
easier for the flow of traffic.
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It’s the time of year where a lot of construction
projects are being finished, which means I attended
yet another ribbon cutting last month, this time for
the new Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy
project at the Green Bay Metro Sewerage District. This new
project, known as R2E2, will allow NEW Water to
recover more solids from wastewater and turn them
into energy, saving nearly $2 million a year in
energy costs. This new process will also reduce
phosphorus pollution discharge into the Bay and help
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more on WLUK’s website.
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Last month, I attended
an event in Green Bay for
My Brother’s Keeper which is a great cause to help
directionless young men have a male mentor in their
life. The event was headlined by legendary wide
receiver Jerry Rice, a former teammate of the
organization’s founder, Harry Sydney.
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Great to join my colleagues Representative John
Macco and Representative Eric Genrich to talk about
workforce development and tour Georgia
Pacific in Green Bay as part of Wisconsin
Manufacturers and Commerce’s State of Wisconsin
Manufacturing Tour. Take a look inside this plant
for yourself during this segment on
WLUK.
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The Young Professionals Advisory Council recently
held their latest SOUP event. SOUP, standing for
Support Of Urban Projects, is a program of the
Greater Green Bay Chamber that awards grants to
local projects that help to enrich our communities.
It was fun to learn more about these projects, and
I’m glad to see the Young Professionals working hard
to ensure more projects like these can be funded.
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Congratulations State Championship Qualifiers |
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As the school year is now well underway, the fall high
school sports season is coming to a close. While every
student who takes time out of their day to join a sports
team or other extra-curricular activity should be proud
of their dedication and achievements, I wanted to take
the time to congratulate and recognize those from the
2nd Senate District who excelled in the fall sports
season and qualified for the WIAA State Championships in
their respective sports.
Ashwaubenon School District
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Boys Cross Country Individual Qualifier: Randy
Johnson
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Boys Golf Individual Qualifier: Hannah Kihl
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Girls Swim and Dive Qualifiers: Hallory Domnick,
Evelyn Geuts, and Sydney Popp
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Girls Tennis Qualifiers: Caylee Behnke, Maddy
Coopmans, and Marisa Marohl
Bonduel School District
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Boys Cross Country Team
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Girls Cross Country Team
Clintonville School District
Freedom Area School District
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Boys Cross Country Team
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Girls Cross Country Team
Green Bay Area Public School District (Southwest High
School)
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Girls Cross Country Individual Qualifiers: Greta
Hansen and Kaylee Kornowski
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Girls Swim and Dive Qualifiers: Anabelle Metzler and
Brigitta Neverman
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Girls Tennis Qualifiers: Jenna Tackmier and Anna
Ziech
Hortonville Area School District
Kaukauna Area School District
Little Chute Area School District
Pulaski Community School District
Seymour Community School District
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Thanks for Reading! |
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Feel free to contact my office
with any questions or concerns you may have, and be sure
to
visit
my website and connect with me on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
Senator Robert Cowles
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