Fighting for our Rights

On Tuesday, the State Assembly joined the State Senate in passing four important bills, listed below. I am proud to have supported these bills.  

Assembly Bill 23 (AB 23) prohibits the Department of Health Services (DHS) from requiring that individuals receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, which they have the power to mandate under current law. Under federal law, however, the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is purely elective, which this bill aims to keep that way. It’s important that each Wisconsinite is able to make these decisions based on their own healthcare needs in collaboration with their healthcare provider. Right now, the vaccine is widely available throughout the state.

Assembly Bill 24 (AB 24) prevents local health officers from closing or forbidding gatherings in places of worship in response to COVID-19 or its variants. In times of crisis, people naturally turn to their faith for comfort, strength, and guidance. While this may not be the case for all, access to places of worship can be critically important to mental health and spiritual well-being. Just as we come to expect that grocery stores and home improvement centers take the necessary steps to keep their customers safe, we have every confidence that houses of worship will take the necessary precautions to keep their parishioners safe.

Similar to Assembly Bill 23, Assembly Bill 25 (AB 25) prohibits employers from requiring a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or proof of having received such vaccination of their employees. People have various reasons for choosing to receive or not to receive the vaccine and their livelihoods should not be threatened because an employer opts to make it a condition of employment. 

Assembly Bill 89 (AB 89) requires that the governor create a plan for all state employees to return to in-person work. After a year of the pandemic, public and private sectors alike have figured out ways of returning to work safely and it’s time that our state employees do the same. Unfortunately, Governor Evers vetoed AB 89 on Friday, March 26^th. 

Now, AB 23, AB 24, and AB 25 will go to Governor Evers’ desk for his signature or veto.

Congratulations UW Women’s Hockey

Congratulations to the Badger women's hockey team on winning their sixth national title last weekend!

Save the Date

As mentioned in a previous e-update, I will be holding Budget Town Halls in April to give you an opportunity to share your thoughts on our 2021-23 budget and other state-related issues. With the Town Halls quickly approaching, I wanted to give you the opportunity to save the date –

In-Person

Monday, April 12

Noon-1:30pm

AND

5:30-7pm

Virtual

TBD

The in-person Town Halls will be held at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) – Oak Creek Campus, and necessary safety measures will be put in place by the venue and enforced by my office. Please stay tuned for the registration link in future updates.

Happy Passover to those celebrating!