Forward Fridays: October 8th, 2021

Welcome to my latest e-update. Here is a summary from the past week as your State Representative.

Bills I Co-sponsored This Week

Here is a look at some of the bills I signed onto as a co-sponsor this week!

Reaching Higher for Higher Education Bill Package

LRB-4161: freezes tuition for the University of Wisconsin System and fully funds the freeze by increasing funding for the University of Wisconsin System general program operations by $16,800,000 in the fiscal year 2021-22 and by $33,600,000 in the fiscal year 2022-23.
LRB-4162: requires that all future tuition freezes for the UW System be funded, ensuring our educators have the resources they need so students won’t wait for courses to graduate.
LRB-4165: increases state support to Wisconsin technical colleges and district boards by $50 million.
LRB-4166: invests in need-based financial aid for UW System and technical college students by increasing HEAB’s biennial appropriation for Wisconsin Grants for UW students by $2,300,000 in each year of the 2021-23 fiscal biennium and for technical college students by $11,800,000 in each year of the 2021-23 fiscal biennium. It also meets our state's Maintenance Of Effort requirements by investing in special education aids.
LRB-4158: remits UW undergraduate student teachers’ academic fees for the semester they are student teaching.
LRB-4163: expands the Tuition Promise program to UW System institutions. In order to be eligible for the program, new incoming students must be enrolled in their first bachelor's degree whose household federal adjusted gross income is equal to or less than $60,000 a year and must be enrolled in an on-campus program at a UW System institution other than UW-Madison. It also meets our state's Maintenance Of Effort requirements by investing in special education aids.
LRB-4168: This bill provides $16.6 million in additional funding for the University of Wisconsin System under its general program operations appropriation, based on UW System's request in the budget. It also meets our state's Maintenance Of Effort requirements by investing in special education aids.

Personal Property Tax Repeal Op-Ed

Over the weekend, my op-ed on the personal property tax repeal bill was in the Waukesha Freeman.

Read the full op-ed HERE.

Governor Evers' Diverse Business Investment Grant Announcement

Governor Evers announced this week two new competitive grant programs totaling $75 million to support diverse business investment in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The $75 million investment will be split into two programs: half will go to the Diverse Business Assistance Grant program, and half will go to the Diverse Business Investment Grant Program:

The Diverse Business Assistance Grant program will provide $37.5 million to support chambers of commerce and other collaboratives that provide technical assistance and other services to businesses owned by members of communities disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Diverse Business Investment Grant program will provide an additional $37.5 million to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to provide grants to micro-businesses with 10 or fewer employees that are owned by members of communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Governor Evers also announced an open application period for the previously announced $50 million Equitable Recovery Grant program. The previously announced Equitable Recovery Grant program will provide a total of $50 million for community-based organizations working to increase equity and eliminate disparities. Grants up to $1 million will be provided per eligible nonprofit organization, and applications will be accepted through Nov. 5, 2021. Grant program criteria for the Equitable Recovery Grant program, upcoming informational webinar, and Q&A submissions are available on the program website.

Read the full announcement HERE.

Health Committee This Week

The Assembly Committee on Health met yesterday for a public hearing on nine bills. We will be voting on these bills in an executive session next week.

Committees Next Week

The Assembly Committee on Children & Families will meet for a public hearing on Wednesday, October 13th at 10am.

The Assembly Committee on Health will meet for an executive session on Thursday, October 14th at 9:30am.

Monday is Indigenous Peoples' Day

Monday, October 11th is Indigenous Peoples' Day. This date is officially recognized in Wisconsin since 2019, with a proclamation from Governor Evers.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

As of October 8th, 6,407,249 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin and 57.1% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose, with 54.2% fully vaccinated.

If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is a critical time to get your vaccine. The vaccine protects individuals and communities from getting seriously ill or dying of COVID-19, including the variants. Currently, Wisconsin is seeing a rise in cases as the Delta variant spreads among the unvaccinated. The Delta variant spreads more easily and can cause more severe illness. Find more information of COVID-19 variants HERE.

En español, AQUI. ¿Tiene preguntas sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19? Llame al 844-684-1064 (llamada gratuita)

For more information about where you can get a vaccine, visit the DHS website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in Waukesha County, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Wauwatosa, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Milwaukee, visit their website HERE. En español AQUI.