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Governor
Walker Delivers State of the State Address
This week Governor Walker delivered his annual
State of the State Address. In his address,
Governor Walker emphasized Wisconsin's growing
economy and increasing employment rate. Budget
reforms reduced the tax burden felt by Wisconsin
taxpayers by nearly $2 billion over the past
four years. The state of Wisconsin is strong and
the priorities Governor Walker outlined in his
address including government reform and
improving education will allow Wisconsin to
continue growing. You can view the full address
by visiting
WisconsinEye.
Assembly
Committee on Education: Public Hearing
The education committee met to hear testimony
related to
Assembly Bill 1,
a bill aimed at providing a plan of action for
improvement for schools that continually show
low performance. The hearing drew much public
input and revealed that changes to the original
bill, including the removal of the Academic
Review Board, are already in the making.
Joint
Audit Committee: Public Hearing
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held a
hearing on
Audit Report 14-14:
Government Accountability Board. An audit
released in December revealed the GAB had not
completed certain statutorily required duties in
a timely fashion and that there were
inconsistencies in the handling of campaign
finance, lobbying, and ethics laws violations.
Assembly
Committee on Judiciary: Public Hearing
Last week the Assembly Committee on Judiciary
held a public hearing on a number of bills
including
Assembly Bill 8,
which would make the act of "upskirting" (taking
photos of another's private areas without
consent) a Class I felony. Judiciary also heard
testimony on
Assembly Joint Resolution
1, relating to the second
consideration of a constitutional amendment that
would direct the supreme court to elect the
chief justice for a two year term. Each bill
passed through the committee during an Executive
Session this week.
In Other
News...
WPS
Foundation Offers Scholarships
Students living in the WPS service area who plan
on attending technical or four year college
programs can apply for a number of WPS
scholarships. Application deadlines are fast
approaching. Click
here
for more information.
Fish for
Free!
The Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources would like you
remind you that this weekend, January 17-18 you
can fish anywhere in Wisconsin without a license
or trout stamp. Visit the
DNR website
to learn more about rules that may apply and
free fishing weekend events.
Energy-Saving Tips
Wisconsin's
Focus on Energy
program offers a number of energy saving tips to
help keep your energy bill low this winter.
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Install a
programmable thermostat to automatically
control temperature
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Change furnace
filters seasonally
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Insulate your
cold/hot water pipes at the water heater
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Install Energy
Star certified furnace, heat pump or boiler
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Leave your
shades open during the day to let the sun
help heat your home
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