End of Year Wrap Up!

December 19th, 2025

As we close out 2025, I would like to thank you for the privilege of serving as your state representative. In this newsletter, we look back at the year, provide an update on the issues we hear about most from our constituents, and invite you to submit a survey to help guide our work in 2026. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and wish you all the best for the holiday season!
 
In This Issue: 

  • New Staff

  • 2025 By the Numbers

  • In the Capitol

  • Around the District

  • Working for WI Survey

New Staff

We are excited to welcome Rachel Roberson as a Legislative Assistant in our office! Rachel comes to our office from the Lieutenant Governor’s office as the former Communications Director. Having spent 2 years in the Capitol, she is ready to use her knowledge to help District 23! Read more about Rachel on our web page.

2025 By the Numbers

In our last newsletter of 2025 I like to take a moment to look back at all that we have accomplished for the 23rd District. 


Number of Bipartisan Bills Signed into Law: 6

I am a cosponsor of six bipartisan pieces of legislation that have been signed into law this session. These include expanding access to affordable healthcare, ensuring public safety, and providing vital assistance to emergency medical services providers both in the North Shore and across the state.
Number of In-District Constituent Office Hours: 60
Listening to constituents is the most important part of my job. Most Fridays you can find me in local coffee shops where you can schedule a time to meet or drop in and talk about what is on your mind. 
 

Number of In-Office Constituent Meeting Hours: Over 100 hours

Outside my in-district constituent office hours, I had over 100 hours of meetings with constituents and groups in-district and in my Madison office. It is always great to meet and learn from the fantastic organizations in our district. 

Joint Finance Committee (JFC) Public Hearing Hours: 28

State Budget Committee Hours: 65

As a member of the Joint Finance Committee, I participated in public hearings, budget listening sessions, and committee hearings from March through June to listen to constituents all over the state and advocate for your top priorities. During that time, we had approximately 65 hours of meetings as a collective Joint Finance Committee. 

The members of the Joint Finance Committee also participated in four listening sessions around the state, which totaled approximately 28 hours. These were held in Kaukauna, West Allis, Hayward, and Wausau. My Democratic JFC members and I also held our own listening sessions in different areas of the state to ensure all constituents had an opportunity in their area to speak about what matters to them most. Over approximately 13 hours, we visited Appleton, Mequon, Dodgeville, Whitefish Bay, West Allis, Sheboygan, and Whitewater. 

Top Issues From You and What We’re Doing!

We hear from constituents about all kinds of issues, but the ones we heard most from you were gun safety, education, Knowles Nelson Stewardship, data center accountability, and Gail's Law. 

Where is it now?

  • Gun Safety: This session, I authored many pieces of legislation to address gun safety in Wisconsin. These included closing the background check loophole, creating a 48-hour waiting period, creating an extreme risk protection temporary restraining order (ERPO), banning ghost guns, creating a suicide prevention program, creating training requirements for a license to carry a concealed weapon, and more. Despite overwhelming public support, most of these bills are still sitting in their respective committees and have not been given a public hearing. 
  • Education: There are several bills that have been introduced that prioritize our public schools and provide funding that is reliable, flexible, predictable and indexed to inflation. Most recently, I authored a package of public education bills to increase general school aid, index revenue limits to inflation, require property taxes to disclose the impact of voucher programs, and ensure that every student in Wisconsin gets a nutritious breakfast and lunch.

  • Knowles-Nelson: Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee removed Knowles Nelson funding from the 2025-27 budget. I am a proud co-sponsor of legislation that reauthorizes the program through 2031-32 and provides $72 million annually in bonding authority. It also makes long-overdue updates to ensure the program can better meet today’s conservation and outdoor recreation needs. In 2026, I hope we can find a bipartisan path forward to preserve this successful and widely popular conservation program.  

  • Data Center Accountability: If we are going to have data centers, we must have regulations that protect consumers and our Great Lakes. I am a co-author on a bill package that will improve transparency and accountability for data centers' energy and water use, protect Wisconsin's water resources, protect and support workers, promote sustainable, energy-efficient designs, and expand access to clean energy. 

  • Gail’s Law: I am a proud co-sponsor of Gail’s Law, which removes financial barriers to supplemental and diagnostic breast cancer screenings. Stories like Gail Zeamers who faced late-stage diagnoses due to dense breast tissue or prohibitive costs serve as powerful reminders of the importance of this bill.

In the Capitol

Maple Dale School Capitol Visit

Last week it was fun to join students from Maple Dale School in Fox Point for a tour of the State Capitol. If your class is coming for a visit we would love to meet you too! 

One Year Since Abundant Life Shooting

Tuesday, December 16th marked one year since the horrific shooting at Abundant Life Christian School. It has been one year since we lost teacher Erin West and student Rubi Vergara. It is an undeniable fact that we must change our gun laws here in Wisconsin to ensure that every Wisconsinite can go to school and work without the fear of losing their life. 

At the end of last week, I sent a letter to every current legislator who was a member  of the 2019 Speaker’s Task Force on Suicide Prevention. In this letter, I provided a list of the many bills that were introduced this session that would address gun violence in Wisconsin. I urged my colleagues to look at the bills, reach out to me to discuss and consider a bipartisan effort to solve our gun violence crisis as we reflect on the horrific and deadliest shooting in Wisconsin history. 

Around the District

Illuminate Ozaukee

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit, Illuminate Ozaukee is lit! Take a drive through Herman Zeunert Park just outside of District 23 in Cedarburg to enjoy the festive lights. They will be open Saturday, December 20th, Sunday, December 21st, Monday, December 22nd, and the bonus night on December 23rd. 

 

Fox Point Winter Beer Garden
This Saturday, head out to enjoy the Longacre Pavilion Ice Rink and Winter Beer Garden! From 12-7pm, enjoy the warm fire in the pavilion, do some skating, and enjoy a good beer!

 

Working for WI Survey
It’s the end of the year and soon to be the end of the legislative session, and it’s been a privilege to advocate for you here at the Capitol. As your state representative, I want to continue fighting for what matters most to you and your family. Assembly Democrats need your input to inform the work we do and develop our future legislative agenda. 

You can share your priorities by visiting WorkingForWISurvey.com. Please share the link with others and contact my office if you have any questions!
 

Let’s continue moving our state forward! 


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
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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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