February Edition - Short Month, Big Decisions

February 13th, 2026

In This Issue:

What's Happening in the State Assembly
New Bills Introduced
Around the Capitol
Constituents in the Capitol
In the District

What's Happening in the State Assembly

With more than 9 months left in the calendar year, and much more work to be done, the State Assembly will likely finish legislative business by the end of this month and will not re-convene until 2027. You deserve better from your full-time legislature. As a member of the minority party, I can’t control what bills are - or are not- on the calendar, but I can keep working on behalf of our constituents and fighting for the issues you care about most.

On Tuesday, the State Legislature came together to listen to the annual State of the Tribes address. This year’s address was delivered by Chairwoman Nicole Boyd from the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The address serves as a powerful reminder of the land our state occupies, and the relationship between our state government and the governments of Wisconsin’s sovereign tribal nations.

On both Tuesday and Thursday, the State Assembly was in session to discuss a slate of bills, here are a few that are of interest to our constituents and our district:

(SB23) Postpartum Medicaid Expansion and (SB264) Gail's Law
Republican leaders are playing games with the health of women and babies. Wisconsin is just one of two states in the country that does not expand Medicaid coverage to mothers and babies for the first year postpartum. Nor do we require insurance companies to cover follow-up breast exams when a mammogram is inconclusive, leaving women to choose between the risk of not detecting potential breast cancer or hundreds of dollars in medical bills. Both of these bills passed the Senate nearly unanimously, and both are co-sponsored by a bipartisan majority in the Assembly - but Republican leaders have refused to bring either to the floor for a vote.

With only a week left to pass both bills, there is no time to waste. When Democrats tried to move these bills to the floor, Speaker Vos blocked the attempt and moved both bills to another committee. When a majority of both chambers support a bill, it deserves a vote. When the lives of women and babies are on the line, it is outrageous that one legislator is single-handedly blocking bills that have the support of a majority of members of the Assembly. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure these important bills become law this session.

(AB974) Wisconsin Eye Funding

WisconsinEye was offline for nearly two months, and Wisconsinites were without access to what’s happening in their State Capitol. WisEye is back - for now - but a long-term solution is needed. This legislation passed unanimously in the State Assembly and is now waiting to be brought for a vote in the State Senate.

You can watch sessions and committee hearings at Live - WisconsinEye

(AB400) Lawsuits Regarding Gender-Affirming Care

This bill places politics in healthcare, creates fear amongst patients in need of care, and threatens doctors with litigation - likely leading to a decrease in care. Wisconsinites already have a civil cause of action for medical malpractice, making this bill unnecessary. Nevertheless, the legislation was passed in both the State Senate and the State Assembly.

(AB501) Free speech and academic freedom at University of Wisconsin System institutions

This bill undermines systems already created by institutions to encourage and safeguard free speech. At a time when the Trump Administration is threatening our fundamental right to free speech and the ability to protest the government, I am committed to ensuring that all members of our community feel safe when exercising their First Amendment rights. Unfortunately, the legislation was passed in both the State Senate and State Assembly.

New Bills Introduced

Strengthening Wisconsin's Drunk Driving Laws

Wisconsin has some of the weakest drunk driving laws in the country, while having some of the highest binge-drinking rates. This is a dangerous mix. On Tuesday, I introduced legislation with Representative Spaude and Senator Larson to address the many loopholes in current state statutes. In 2022 alone, 7,749 crashes were caused by impaired drivers, and nearly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities were attributed to impaired driving due to alcohol.

This legislation closes current loopholes by:

Adding an underage violation of absolute sobriety in WI to the list of prior offenses that must be counted during sentencing.
Expanding ignition interlock requirements to first OWI offenses for which the person’s alcohol concentration is 0.08 or greater.
Increasing penalties for a person who commits a second OWI offence, regardless of the time between the first and second offense

Teaching is a Profession

As an elementary school teacher, I was happy to co-author legislation to support our education workforce. These bills included paid teacher preparation time, funding for student teachers, adding a teacher representative to school boards, creating a new grant program to cover the costs of teacher education, and more. Wisconsin is struggling to recruit and keep teachers in our schools. It is critical that we do everything we can to promote and create pathways to this profession.

Around the Capitol

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, and Friday, February 6th, was Wear Red Day - a special day designed to raise awareness of women and heart disease.

In Wisconsin, Medicaid postpartum coverage ends 60 days after delivery, while some of the most dangerous pregnancy-related complications, such as blood clots and cardiomyopathy, may not surface until months after delivery.

With Wisconsin being only one of two states that don’t provide Medicaid postpartum coverage, it is critical that we pass legislation to ensure women have the coverage and security needed after pregnancy.

Black History Month Celebration

On February 3rd, the members of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus organized a fantastic kick-off to Black History Month in the State Capitol. Every month, not only February, is a great time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Wisconsin’s Black community.

Constituents in the Capitol

Credit Union Advocacy Day

In the last week of January, I had the opportunity to meet with constituents representing credit unions in our district. Each year, around 300 leaders from credit unions across Wisconsin come to Madison to meet with state legislators to discuss the importance of advocating for the financial well-being of Wisconsinites.

Holy Family Parish School

Last week, students from the Holy Family Parish School in Whitefish Bay visited Madison and received a tour of our State Capitol!

Wisconsin Library Association

Leaders from our local libraries visited my office to highlight the positive impact of libraries statewide and the importance of adequate state funding to sustain high-impact services for our communities.

Healthy Climate Wisconsin

District leaders from Healthy Climate Wisconsin - a group of over 1,000 health professionals committed to equitable solutions that address the health impacts of the climate crisis - visited my office to discuss the environmental impacts on our health in Wisconsin. Some top priorities we discussed included creating healthier homes through new technologies, expanding transportation across Wisconsin, and preserving our environment.

Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin

Pharmacists from the district came to the Capitol to discuss their efforts to improve medication use and how they collaborate with healthcare teams to improve the health of Wisconsinites.

FIRST Robotics

I had the honor of meeting with mentors and students from FIRST Robotics Teams from Whitefish Bay, Homestead, and Nicolet High Schools when they visited the State Capitol on Thursday. They came to the Capitol to discuss their impressive Robotics work, the overall importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, and how Robotics programs help prepare young people for our ever-evolving workforce needs.

Wisconsin Historical Society

Constituents representing the Wisconsin Historical Society visited my office this week to discuss the historical sites and resources available to the community within the 23rd District. It was great to hear about the ongoing projects and programs to preserve Wisconsin’s history across the state. They also graciously presented me with an award for being a supporter of Wisconsin history in 2025!

In and Around the District

North Shore Library Opening

Last week, I had the pleasure of celebrating the opening of the beautiful new North Shore Library serving Glendale, River Hills, Fox Point and Bayside. It has a large children’s area, study rooms, and even a drive-thru! Special thanks to library board president Margaret Zitzer, Library Director Rhonda Gould, and Bayside Village President Eido Walny for their years-long, dedicated leadership to make the library a reality.

Milwaukee Delegation visit to Milwaukee Tool

On the last day of January, I joined legislative members of the Milwaukee Delegation in a visit to Milwaukee Tool’s beautiful downtown headquarters. It was great to hear about their work across the United States and beyond.

5th Annual Candlelight Walk in the Woods

On February 21st, the Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club and the City of Mequon are holding a free walk-in-the-woods. I hope to see you there!

Contact Us

There are several convenient ways to share your thoughts, questions and concerns with us:

Call our office at (608) 237-9123
Email us: Rep.Andraca@legis.wisconsin.gov
Visit our website to learn more about constituent services, legislative priorities and to share your comments or concerns

Copyright © 2022, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
State Representative Deb Andraca
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708

Our physical address is:
Wisconsin State Capitol
2 East Main St.
Room 109 North
Madison, WI 53703

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