Forward Fridays: August 27th, 2021

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

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

On Monday, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 16 and older. The vaccine continues to be under Emergency-Use Authorization (EUA) for individuals ages 12 through 15 and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

For more information, read the full announcement from the FDA HERE.

Governor Evers announced this week that anyone 12 and older will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card if they get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from a Wisconsin provider now through September 6th. Proof of insurance, citizenship, or ID is NOT required to receive the $100. Sign up to get $100 HERE.

As of August 27th, 6,064,989 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin and 54.3% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose, with 51.1% 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.

$250 Million for Wisconsin Communities

Governor Evers announced this week that $250 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be invested in Wisconsin communities. $200 million will be used for a Neighborhood Investment Fund grant program, which will be used for projects such as workforce and entrepreneur innovation centers, affordable housing initiatives, transit and childcare solutions, or public space development, with a particular emphasis on increasing services for underserved individuals and populations. The other $50 million will go towards the Healthcare Infrastructure Capital Investment grant program which was created to specifically support increasing access to healthcare for low income, uninsured, and underserved communities and the ability to respond to future pandemics response needs. These grant programs will be administered by the Department of Administration (DOA).

Read Governor Evers’ full announcement HERE.

State Fair with First Lady Kathy Evers

I had the honor and privilege to walk and talk with Wisconsin First Lady Kathy Evers at the Wisconsin State Fair!

We discussed our shared interest in and passion for children’s mental health, specifically her initiatives related to social and emotional learning for children ages 0-5 as well as school-aged children. Mrs. Evers works closely with the Office of Children’s Mental Health, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Public Instruction on this topic.

I look forward to more conversations with the First Lady, and working together to improve the mental health and wellbeing for children across Wisconsin.

August 26th - Women’s Equality Day

This year on August 26th, known as Women’s Equality Day, marks 101 years since the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

On this day, may we remember the important work of women to secure their voting rights, and that it was not until 45 years later when the Voting Rights Act was passed that women of color were able to exercise their right to vote.

May we acknowledge how far we have come, while also acknowledging all of those who have been unfairly left behind along the way, and may we fight forward so that *all* women, and all people, live in a more fair, just, and equal world.

Statement One Year After Jacob Blake Shooting

A year ago, on August 23rd, 2020, Jacob Blake was shot seven times and seriously injured by a Kenosha Police Officer. Read my full statement HERE.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul Announces 5 Arrests in Human Trafficking Sting

Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced arrests of five Wisconsin men for solicitation of prostitution following a coordinated undercover human trafficking operation conducted on the evening of Thursday, August 26, 2021 in Fond Du Lac.

Read the full statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice HERE.

Democratic Proposals - August 2021

This August, Democratic members of the legislature have been busy introducing legislation. I wanted to take a moment to share the proposals introduced this month. Here are all the bills introduced by my Democratic colleagues, some of which I have co-authored or co-sponsored:

Wisconsin Campaign Integrity Bill Package

LRB-4220 - Campaign Contribution Limits Act - creates a number of limits to campaign contributions. (Sen. Larson / Rep. Sinicki)
LRB-4221 - Close the PAC Loophole Act - Amends the definition of a Political Action Committee (PAC) for campaign finance purposes (Sen. Larson / Rep. Anderson)
LRB-4222 - places the same financial limits on coordinated expenditures between candidates and groups as are currently in place for direct contributions. (Sen. Larson / Rep. Anderson)
LRB-4223 - No corporate campaign bribes act - prohibits a corporation, cooperative association, labor organization, or federally recognized American Indian Tribe from making a contribution to a segregated fund established and administered by a political party or legislative campaign committee. (Sen. Larson / Rep. Brostoff)
LRB-4225 - Communications Transparency Act - Amends requirements regarding reporting of mass communications (Sen. Larson / Rep. Subeck)
LRB-4226 (Co-Sponsor) - “Ready to Amend Act” - An advisory referendum on an amendment to the US Constitution to say only human beings (not corporations) are endowed with constitutional rights. (Sen. Smith / Rep. Subeck)

Less for RX Bill Package

LRB-2313 (Co-Sponsor) - Creating a prescription drug affordability review board (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Hesselbein / Sen. Smith)
LRB-3315 - Grants for free and charitable clinics (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Reimer / Sen. L Johnson)
LRB-3317 (Co-Sponsor) - Wisconsin drug repository program (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Reimer / Sen. Taylor)
LRB-3319 - Pharmacist continuing education credits for volunteering at free and charitable clinics (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Andraca / Sen. L Johnson)
LRB-3331 - prescription drug importation program (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Meyers / Sen. Roys)
LRB-3332 - Pharmacy benefits tool grants (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Doyle / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3334 - Reimbursements for certain 340B program entities (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Milroy / Sen. Carpenter, Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3335 (Co-Author) - Diabetes medication pilot project (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Vining / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3336 (Co-Sponsor) - Fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Cabrera / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3337 - Pharmacy Services administrative organizations (Rep. Subeck, Rep. S Rodriguez / Sen. Carpenter, Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3338 - Licensure of pharmaceutical representatives (Rep. Subeck, Rep. S Rodriguez / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-3339 - Funding for an office of prescription drug affordability, crediting certain amounts to the general program operations account of the office of commissioner of insurance (Rep. Subeck, Rep. Meyers / Sen. Pfaff)
LRB-3333 (Co-Sponsor) - Insulin copayment cap (Rep. Anderson / Sen. Ringhand)
LRB-4377 - insulin safety net programs (Rep. Subeck / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-4382 - prescription drug purchasing entity study (Rep. Subeck / Sen. Erpenbach)
LRB-4384 - eliminating cost sharing for prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance Program (Rep. Subeck / Sen. Erpenbach)

Other bills

LRB-1962 - Establishing statewide decertification protocol for law enforcement officers that violate an official use of force policy or terminate employment when under investigation for official misconduct. (Rep. Moore Omokunde, Rep. Brostoff / Sen. Larson, Sen. Johnson)
LRB-4361 (Co-Sponsor) - Legalization of Marijuana (Sen. Agard, Sen. Johnson / Rep. Bowen, Rep. Ohnstad)
LRB-2745 (bipartisan) - Changes to Housing Authorities (Rep. Drake, Rep. Haywood)
LRB-4332 (bipartisan) - Innocent Purchaser Protection (Sen. Taylor, Rep. Sinicki, Rep. Brostoff)