Two COVID Plans

Both Assembly leadership and Gov. Evers laid out their visions yesterday for further addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.

While each offered different proposals, I am hopeful that both sides will be able to sit down in the near future and work out a compromise that includes the best ideas for lessening the spread of COVID-19 and helping our residents and businesses navigate through the virus.

This should not be a political issue. The disease does not care whether you are a Republican or a Democrat. I have always believed that the best chance we have at combating COVID-19 is to work together while taking a science-based approach, and I am glad we are starting to see more progress in that area.

As for the Assembly’s plan, it includes initiatives that will build a robust testing system, double the number of contact tracers, assist the healthcare industry, help small businesses, ensure the efficient distribution of a COVID vaccine and reform the state’s Unemployment Insurance program.

If you would like to watch the Assembly’s press conference to learn more about the proposals, please click here.

Gov. Evers also announced a package yesterday that will prohibit evictions and foreclosures through 2021, allow workers to claim worker’s compensation benefits related to COVID-19 if they contract the illness at their place of employment, waive student test and school report card requirements for the current year and extend the suspension of the one-week waiting period for collecting unemployment.

To view a summary of the governor’s complete plan, please click on this link.

Our goal is to find a consensus so the Assembly can soon act on a bipartisan package that will permit the state to better utilize our federal CARES Act funding that expires at the end of the year.

Election Investigation

The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections is currently in the process of investigating the Nov. 3 election.

The purpose of the investigation is to ensure that vote totals are accurate and each ballot is correctly counted. No matter what the committee finds in its review, we are hoping that, in the end, everyone will have confidence that the final results are fair and transparent.

If you have evidence of voter fraud, please contact my office. We will take your information and help make sure that you get the opportunity to testify in front of the committee.

You can also file complaints, concerns or allegations directly to the committee by submitting an email to election.complaints@legis.wi.gov. The committee is asking that you include the following in any email:

• Specific and first-hand information regarding potential fraud or misconduct. Hearsay or news reports of non-specific events are not considered useful.
• Particulars of the incident or practice being reported (what, where, when and who).
• Any supporting materials that would be helpful in vetting the allegation. This could include photos or names of witnesses.
• Contact information so the person can be reached for clarification or additional details. If people choose to remain anonymous, that is their right, but it may limit the value of their submission if it is incomplete.

According to Rep. Ron Tusler, the chairman of the committee leading the investigation, more than 3,500 complaints have been sent to his office alone.

Rep. Tusler says he expects the committee to hold its first hearing sometime next week.

COVID Vaccines 

As you may have heard, some rather promising news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic came out earlier this week.

According to multiple media reports, the Massachusetts-based Moderna Inc. is developing a COVID vaccine that is 94.5 percent effective against the virus. Pfizer has also announced that its vaccine is 95 percent effective in fighting the disease. These efficacy rates exceed expectations. So far, the safety data has looked very good as well.

One of the advantages the Moderna vaccine has over Pfizer's is that it doesn't have to be stored in such cold temperatures, which makes it much easier to distribute. Pfizer's vaccine must be kept at about minus 103 degrees Fahrenheit, while Moderna's vaccine must be stored at around minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Medical professionals say that no other vaccines in our country have to be kept as cold as minus 103 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, doctors' offices and pharmacies do not have freezers that go that low. There are several vaccines that can be stored at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, including the one for chicken pox.

Moderna's vaccine can also last in a refrigerated unit for 30 days. Pfizer's vaccine can only be kept for five days.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, both companies say their vaccines will be available to healthcare workers and those at high risk by the end of the year. The vaccines should be accessible to the general public by the second quarter of 2021.

While this is obviously encouraging news, we must still live carefully until the vaccines can be widely distributed to the public. Until that day comes, the best chance we have at limiting the spread of the virus is to follow the CDC's guidelines, which include wearing a mask in public, washing your hands regularly, practicing social distancing and staying home if you feel ill.

For more information on the vaccines, please click here and here.