December 1, 2017

State Representative Janel Brandtjen

The 100th Anniversary of the Most Beautiful Building in Wisconsin

In my opinion, the Wisconsin State Capitol is the most magnificent and breath-taking building in the state of Wisconsin. From the outside, the white granite of the four wings and dome make it a remarkable sight, able to seen all across Madison. In fact, the dome is one of the largest granite domes in the entire world. The statue that stands proudly atop the dome, appropriately named "Wisconsin", perfectly embodies our state motto, "Forward", with her right arm outstretched towards the horizon.

When you walk inside, you are greeted by marvelous marble and granite floors, walls, and columns. Standing in the center of the rotunda, you can look up and see the dome mural painted on the ceiling, which has representations of the natural resources of our state. Between the four arches of the Capitol interior are four beautiful glass mosaics. "Legislation", "Government", and "Justice" represent the three branches of the state government, and "Liberty" represents one the core values of our great nation.

I believe the Capitol building itself reflects the value of the great state of Wisconsin and the people that live here, and has done so for 100 years now. Our state has a natural beauty that rivals any other, and we as a people are committed to the ideals of freedom and self-governance represented in the artwork on display in the building. If you ever get the chance to come visit and see the awe-inspiring sights of our Capitol, I urge you to do so. After all, as a citizen of Wisconsin, it belongs to you. It's splendor cannot be accurately described with words alone, and a true appreciation can only be achieved in-person.

In addition to an in-person visit, an online virtual tour of the Capitol building is available here. With it, you can view the Rotunda, Assembly Chambers, Senate Chambers, the Governor's Office, the Supreme Court, and many more locations in the building.

Governor Signs "Right of Way Bill"

Yesterday, Governor Walker signed into law AB 201, also known as the "right of way bill". Over the past few months, I worked closely with ABATE of Wisconsin, members of law enforcement, the insurance industry, and the Department of Transportation to improve how right of way (ROW) violation are treated in Wisconsin. The product of this collaboration was AB 201.

Under this bill, there is now consistency in how ROW violations are treated. All violations, whether they be failure to yield at a stop, failure to yield at a traffic light, or any others, now require the driver to take a roadway user's safety course. While all offenders now have to take this course, the bill eliminates the automatic suspension of a person's drivers license for a violation that results in only minor injuries. A person's license will still be automatically suspended if the violation results in great bodily harm to another.

I would like to thank Governor Walker for signing AB 201 into law. I would also like to thank Senator Olsen and his staff, ABATE of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Bikers Association, the Wisconsin Sheriffs Association, the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, the Wisconsin Troopers Association, AAA Wisconsin, and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin for their support of AB 201, and the role they played in helping me draft this legislation. 

God Bless Wisconsin!

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Governor Walker Signs AB 201 "The Right of Way Bill"

My many thanks to ABATE for their commitment to making our roads safer.