Capitol Update
by Senator Howard Marklein
January 5, 2024
Bills, Input and Will You Hire Me?
Within the first four days of 2024, two of my bills have received public hearings and several others are scheduled for action next week. I am pitching at least five bills to my colleagues for floor votes in January and I have been aggressively working on an amendment to improve the electric vehicle charging legislation I am working on. It has been very busy in your State Capitol!
The legislature is scheduled to end our 2023-24 legislative session by the end of March. This may seem like a long way off, but I am well aware of how quickly time passes and the many steps that legislation must take in order to move all of the way through the legislative process. This is why my team and I have hit the ground running in 2024 to move our bills and do the work that needs to be done as we near the 2024 finish line.
This is not to say that our work ends in March. There is still a lot of committee work, especially for the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC), which I co-chair. We also continue to provide world-class constituent services to answer your questions, clear obstacles and assist you with state-related matters. We will be sending you a spring newsletter to outline my work for you in April and I am planning to be out-and-about connecting with constituents to understand the unique needs, ideas and priorities of the 17th Senate District. We will also be researching and drafting plans for the next state budget and legislative session.
Please join me for a listening session. Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and I held listening sessions in Richland Center and North Freedom before Christmas, but I am hoping to reach other parts of the district as well. Following is our schedule:
Monday, January 15, 2024, 3-4 p.m.
Hildebrand Memorial Library – 1033 Wisconsin Ave., Boscobel
Monday, January 29, 2024, 1-2 p.m.
Blanchardville Village Hall – 208 Mason Street, Blanchardville
Friday, February 2, 2024, 10-11 a.m.
New Lisbon Library Community Room - 115 W Park Street, New Lisbon
Monday, February 12, 2024, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Platteville Public Library – 225 W Main Street, Platteville
If there is inclement weather on any of these dates, please call our office at 608-266-0703 or check my Facebook page for cancellation information.
I am also re-launching a new round of Hire Howard job-shadow experiences and I am looking for ideas and invitations! Will you “hire” me for a half-day to job shadow you, your team or someone you know? Throughout my tenure as your State Senator, Hire Howard experiences have provided me with first-hand knowledge and connections in all different kinds of industries. For example, I have job shadowed the Reedsburg Utility Commission as they installed broadband fiber in the Town of Spring Green! I have shadowed Marvin Joles and blacktopped a driveway with his team. I planted Mothers’ Day flowering pots at Northwoods Orchard in Mauston. I shadowed the Iowa County Highway Department for a mill and overlay. I helped with x-rays at Dr. Thomas Hughes’ Dental Clinic in Cassville…among many other great experiences.
If you have an idea – or invitation – for a Hire Howard experience, please send me an email to Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. We are hoping to begin scheduling these experiences in April!
Again, 2024 is beginning with a bang. I am off and running. I hope you will join me for a listening session, share your Hire Howard ideas and continue to communicate with me. As always, please do not hesitate to connect with me to provide input, ideas or to seek assistance. Send an email to Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0703. I want to hear from you.
|
