COVID Relief Package

On Tuesday, the Assembly passed the Covid-19 Relief Package after restoring some of the elements that the Senate had initially removed. The bill once again prohibits employers, the Department of Public Health Services (DHS), and local health officers from mandating the vaccine. The provision barring DHS and local public health officers from closing places of worship has also been added back into the bill. The section that made it more difficult for local school boards to choose to teach online has been removed.

Any time we attempt to reach a compromise, no one will be entirely happy with every item. I believe that with this new version of the package, we are closer to achieving a compromise that reflects the interests of all Wisconsinites.

I think it’s important to point out that any package we eventually agree on will not have the same impact on our daily lives as any legislation that is brought forward by Congress.

We cannot print money like the federal government and must follow our state budget, so we will not be able to give residents direct payments or issue large subsidies to businesses.

That is not to say that nothing can be done on the state level, but that our efforts must prioritize filling the gaps the federal government cannot address, such as loosening up restrictions to make it easier to combat COVID-19 infections.

Some examples in our state legislation include allowing credentialed health service professionals from other states to practice in Wisconsin, extending prescription orders and requiring that pharmacies are reimbursed for providing any COVID-19 vaccine or test covered by Medical Assistance.

These are but a few of the many ways in which we as a state can improve our response to the corornavirus and I will continue to fight hard to ensure the Legislature passes a comprehensive package as soon as possible.

Government Transparency

As I have always said, a more transparent government is a better government.

To that end, I wanted to take a few moments to provide you with some online resources that will help make it easier for you to follow along with what my colleagues and I are doing at the state Capitol in Madison.

If you are looking for information about me, the best resource would be my legislative website. There you can read my press releases, sign up for my e-updates, access my social media pages and learn more about constituent services offered by the state. You can also keep tabs on all the bills I am working on this session by clicking here.

Legislation from all other Wisconsin lawmakers can be found by using the search menu on the following page.

Members of the Assembly and Senate are expected to meet numerous times over the next two years for session days and committee meetings. To view the calendars for these session days and committee meetings, please click here and here, respectively.

Most session days and committee meetings are recorded live by WisconsinEye and can be viewed by clicking here.

Because legislative procedures can oftentimes be difficult to follow and understand, you can learn more about how everything works by reading “How a Bill Becomes Law” and “A Citizen’s Guide to Participation in the Wisconsin State Legislature.”

If you find yourself having trouble with navigating through any of these sites, please contact my office. My staff or I will be happy to walk you through the process.

Assembly Citations 

I recently had the privilege of presenting an Assembly citation to Nickolas V. Smith, of Boy Scout Troop 1140 Voyager District, to recognize his accomplishment of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

As part of his service project, Nickolas took it upon himself to build bat houses to help protect these mammals from white-nose syndrome, which is devastating the populations of many bat species. He also built wood duck houses in Southern Door County to help educational efforts in the area.

Nickolas is a wonderful example of what happens when young members of our district embrace the concepts of selfless service and civic engagement. I am certain he will go on to do great things.

If you know of anyone who, like Nickolas, has gone above and beyond to support our community and would like to see them receive the recognition they deserve, please feel free to reach out to my office and we will take your request under consideration.

I am always happy to present our fellow residents and local organizations with an official Wisconsin State Assembly Citation to commemorate their achievements.