Governor Evers' State of the State Address
On Tuesday night, Governor Tony Evers delivered the annual State of the State address, outlining priorities for the year. He spoke of Wisconsinites’ resilience throughout a very difficult year. In addition, Governor Evers called for broadband expansion, unemployment system reform, and the importance of fair maps.
Read my full statement on the State of the State HERE.
Watch the full State of the State address HERE.
Senate Passes Amended COVID-19 Relief Bill
The Senate met this week and passed an amended version of the latest COVID-19 relief bill, Assembly Bill 1. I appreciate the Republican leadership in the State Senate working to compromise and amend Assembly Bill 1, and it is my hope that this show of bipartisanship will continue into further action by the legislature. While I believe this newly amended bill is merely a starting point, if it were brought to the Assembly floor as-is, I would vote for it. This bill leaves out support for small businesses, childcare, and Healthcare Heroes, which I will continue to advocate for.
The amended version of AB 1 includes some important provisions including the extending a waiver on the one week waiting period for unemployment insurance and coverage of vaccinations under SeniorCare. I am disappointed that Republican leadership in the Assembly has immediately rejected the version that passed the senate with strong bipartisan support, and has now indicated there will be no action until later this month.
Paycheck Protection Program Loans Available
Small business owners: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now accepting applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through community development financial institutions (CDFIs). These funds became available through the new federal stimulus package. Lenders can apply through March 31st. To learn more about this program and how to apply, I encourage you to visit SBA’s website HERE.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
The Department of Health Services continues to work with health providers and pharmacies to vaccinate Wisconsinites. As of January 15th, 213,056 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin. This week, DHS enhanced their COVID-19 vaccine data page with a new visualization to show the number of Wisconsinites who have successfully completed their COVID-19 series. In addition, users can now filter the COVID-19 vaccines administered per day graph by county or healthcare emergency readiness coalition (HERC) region.
DHS also announced that they are going to provide a weekly COVID-19 update newsletter moving forward. Every Friday, this newsletter will provide the public with direct information about the COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout. Sign up for the DHS COVID-19 newsletter HERE.
Governor Evers announced today that DHS is launching a mobile COVID-19 vaccination program next week in partnership with the Wisconsin National Guard and health officials. Read the full announcement HERE.
The Assembly Committee on Health met yesterday for a public hearing regarding the state's vaccine distribution plan. As a member of this committee, our office is available to answer your questions related to vaccine distribution.
Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
COVID-19 Update
For daily updated information on COVID-19 in Wisconsin, visit the DHS website HERE.
Statewide
518,251 confirmed cases (increase of 2,269)
28.2% of total tests are positive, by person (for 1/15/2021)
22,923 hospitalizations (4.4% of cases- increase of 119)
485,157 recovered cases (94% of all cases)
2,427,631 negative test results (increase of 5,771)
5,322 devastating deaths (increase of 32)
0 patients at Alternate Care Facility at State Fair Park
14th District Counties
Milwaukee - 91,024 confirmed cases (increase of 423)
Waukesha - 37,343 confirmed cases (increase of 165)
*Changes over day prior
