Earlier this week, Gov. Tony Evers delivered the annual State of the State address before a joint session of the legislature. The state of our state is strong, a credit to years of responsible budgeting and investments in the areas important to the people of Wisconsin.
In addition to $400 million of income tax cuts provided in the biennial budget, a bill I authored (AB 251) with my colleague Sen. Dale Kooyenga provides an additional income tax reduction for our Wisconsin middle class families. Finally, we eliminated the Miller Park Tax which will reduce the sales tax burden in parts of Southeastern Wisconsin. With income tax season quickly approaching, Wisconsinites will experience more tax relief and keep more money in their pockets.
Savings aside, we made historic investments in our roads and schools. We doubled the funding for school mental health programs, and we built up our rainy-day fund to $649 million (the largest in state history).
I look forward to supporting policies that serve the needs of the people of Wisconsin.
Continuing the fight against opioids
Just this Tuesday, we approved six bills aimed at preventing substance abuse and providing more support for those who suffer from addiction. These bills are part of an ongoing legislative effort called the Heroin, Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Agenda. Since 2013, the legislature has passed 30 laws aimed at combating the ongoing opioid epidemic. In 2018, we saw a 10% decrease in opioid-related deaths, which shows us that our reforms are working. The six bills we passed on Tuesday do the following:
Expand access to safe and reliable recovery housing
Remove barriers to recovery coaches
Extend the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Expand access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in our corrections settings
Ensure State employees are protected while undergoing MAT
Extend the 911 Good Samaritan Law (which grants limited immunity to “aiders” who seek help for people experiencing an overdose), repealing the three-year sunset.
All six bills passed the State Assembly with broad bipartisan support. I look forward to seeing them receive the same bipartisan support in the State Senate.
PFAS
In our session on Tuesday, we also passed AB 323, which prohibits the use of certain Class B foams that contain intentionally-added perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Class B foams are used widely at airport hangers, such as Mitchell International and the 128thAir Refueling in Milwaukee County, to suppress flammable liquid fires. Firefighting foam containing PFAS is one of the primary sources of PFAS environmental contamination at sites across Wisconsin. This legislation aims to reduce the negative impact of these chemicals in non-emergency firefighting operations.
Thanks for Visiting!
ABATE members from Milwaukee County visited the Capitol building yesterday during their “Biker Day at the Capitol.” The Milwaukee County Legislative Officer, Ed “Seven” Cassel, happens to be a constituent from South Milwaukee! Thank you all for coming to the Capitol and sharing your ideas about motorcycling in our state.
Lions Club Winter Blood Drive – Wednesday, March 18 from 2pm-6:30pm – South Milwaukee City Hall, South Chambers
Bet on the Arts! Game Night – Saturday, March 28 at 7pm – Pat’s Oak Manor, South Milwaukee – All proceeds benefit the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center https://southmilwaukeepac.org/event/fundraiser/
Rep. Rodriguez State Capitol, Room 204 N PO Box 8953 Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0021 or (608) 266-0610 Rep.Rodriguez@legis.wi.gov| Read Online |
