Celebrating International Friendship

On Tuesday, the Assembly welcomed Mexican Consul Julian Adem to the Capitol to meet with lawmakers for the first time since the consulate office opened last summer.

Wisconsin was the only state in the nation without a Mexican consulate prior to 2016. In 2013, Gov. Walker recognized the need for a consulate in Wisconsin and reached out to the Mexican government for assistance.

With support from Sen. Ron Johnson and Congressman Sean Duffy, the Mexican president agreed to send Consul Adem to Milwaukee after successfully running an office in Las Vegas for three years.

Wisconsin’s relationship with Mexico is important for our state’s economy. Mexico is the state’s second largest trading partner accounting for 15 percent of total exported goods and more than $3 billion in exported value in 2016. Total trade between Mexico and Wisconsin was approximately $5.6 billion.

During the floor session, the Assembly presented Consul Adem with a citation celebrating the strong relationship between Wisconsin and Mexico.

Prioritizing Treatment and Awareness

Late this week, the Assembly passed my resolution to bring prominence to Birth Defects Day. Assembly Resolution 7 declares March 3, 2017, as Birth Defects Day in Wisconsin. Birth defects are often costly, increasingly more common and decrease the likelihood of healthy birth outcomes.

According to the March of Dimes, birth defects are one of the leading causes of infant death accounting for 23 percent of all infant deaths and cost $2.6 billion per year in hospital costs.

By raising awareness for this issue, families and lawmakers can understand the potential causes of birth defects thereby reducing them and leading to healthier birth outcomes.

On Tuesday, the Assembly passed two key pieces of legislation. Assembly Bill 69, coined “Right to Try” legislation allows individuals facing a terminal illness to try investigational medical treatment options as a last resort. Sen. Ron Johnson proposed similar legislation at the Federal level and 33 states have passed Right to Try legislation. AB 69 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

In addition, the Assembly considered AB 49, legislation that allows parents with children who have seizure disorder to obtain cannabidiol otherwise known as CBD oil. CBD oil is a derivative from the marijuana plant but is stripped of its hallucinogenic properties that create a high. The non-psychoactive treatment has proven effective at treating seizure disorders in children. The bill passed unanimously in the Assembly and already cleared the Senate. The bill now heads to the governor for his signature.

I am proud to have supported both of these bills, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to eliminate regulatory barriers that will allow families to access the treatment they need.

Have a great week!

Thanks for Visiting

On Wednesday, students from Deerfield Elementary in Oak Creek stopped in Madison for a tour of the Capitol. It was a pleasure to greet them prior to the their tour. Thanks for visiting!