Floor Session

My bill, Assembly Bill 26 relating to the out-of-home placement of a child with a person with a record of a crime against a child passed in a bipartisan, unanimous voice vote.

I am saddened by the need for this legislation and the loss of a young soul. I am hopeful as the Legislature adopted Ethan's Law today. I want to thank Sen. Jacque for his work as the Senate lead as this bill closes loopholes in state law. This loophole lead to the brutal death of Ethan Hauschultz, a Manitowoc boy. Many people in the district are familiar with the shocking and horrific story of the young boy, Ethan Hauschultz. Ethan suffered a pattern of cruel abuse at the home.  County workers lawfully placed him in this home despite a lengthy record of violence by his designated ‘caregiver’. The bill is a simple fix that specifies a licensee cannot have pled no contest or have a charge dismissed or reduced by plea bargain to any of these child-related activities. This bill will prevent any other children from being failed by the system, like Ethan. 

Other bills the Assembly passed yesterday:

AB 44:  makes criminal law changes that both increase the criminal penalties for crimes against elder populations, and removes barriers for elders who are seeking a restraining order by allowing the elder to appear in court virtually (telephone or audiovisual). The changes would make penalties for crimes against elders more closely align with the penalties for crimes against other vulnerable groups. From sexual assault to financial abuse, the intent of AB 44 is to help discourage bad actors from engaging in abuse and exploitation because their consequences will be steeper than they previously were.

AB 45 and AB 46: address financial abuse of elders. AB 45 provides an avenue for professionals to notify DFI, adult protective service agencies, and family or friends selected by the elder about suspected financial exploitation. AB 46 allows financial institutions, mortgage bankers and brokers, check cashing services, and other types of lenders the option to delay transactions when they suspect exploitation of an elder. These tools will put checkpoints in place to help stop financial abuse of elders before it happens, or before it gets out of control.

AB 173: Taking Dark Money Out of Election Administration

Private organizations would no longer be allowed to buy election influence on behalf of a political party by providing money to selected local governments. Confidence in the 2020 presidential election has plummeted, in part due to the influx of “outside” money that helped facilitate certain elections, and notably not others.

With this bill, the state can still receive private donations for elections, but those dollars would have to go through the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) who would allocate the funds to local governments on a per-capita basis. In other words, every local election would get their fair share of the funding. Additionally, anyone who is an employee of issue advocacy organizations would also be prohibited from working as elections officials.

For those interested, the Senate has made a page to see updates on election reform legislation.

https://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/republicans/election-bills 

Listening Session

This week I held another listening session with Rep. Ramthun. Thanks to those who attended as we appreciate hearing the input from constituents. 

For those who couldn't make it please fill out my spring survey as I would appreciate your thoughts.

Spring Survey

Please take a few minutes and fill out my spring survey if you have not received it in the mail or if you simply prefer the online version. Thanks to those who have already returned the hard copy or submitted it online.

As the legislature has begun working on the budget , it is important to me to relay your opinions to my colleagues. I would greatly appreciate your feedback. 

Mental Health Matters!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

As many of you may are aware, I serve as the chairman of the Assembly Committee on Mental Health. It is imperative to note the important work my committee is doing. It is an honor to chair the committee as prioritizing ways to improve mental health for Wisconsinites is of paramount importance. 

Remember to take time out of your busy life to focus on your mental health and be sure to also check on your loved ones- this month and every month. Mental health is just as important as physical health. 1 in every 5 people will experience a mental illness. 

Mental Health Resources

Veteran's Mental Health

This week I would like to share some resources for Veterans' Mental Health:

Wisconsin Veteran's Outreach Brochure

https://dva.wi.gov/Documents/newsMediaDocuments/WDVA%20Toolkit/Brochures/VORP%20Brochure.pdf

VA Tools

https://benefits.va.gov/transition/solid-start.asp

Community Provider Toolkit:

The purpose of this toolkit is to link community providers with information and resources that are relevant to Veteran’s health and well-being.

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/communityproviders/index.asp

UWM Military and Veterans Resource Center (MAVRC): 

https://uwm.edu/mavrc/

The Southeastern Wisconsin Task Force On Veteran Suicide Prevention:

https://www.betherewis.com/home/about-the-veteran-suicide-prevention-task-force/

https://www.betherewis.com/firearm-storage-online-map/

Events in the Neighborhood!

Manitowoc County Recycling Center

• • • • • • • Hazardous Waste Collection 

Newton's First Responders Perch Fry

Please contact Mark Knier with any questions at 920-901-3373.

Tune In 

Listen in next week! Click on the logos to listen in:

I will be a guest on WCUB (980 AM) Monday Morning at 8:15 am

WOMT (1240 AM), "Be My Guest," at 9:30 am.

Good News:

• State Capitol Reopens
• Legislative Leadership to Meet with Gov. Evers
• Re-openings in Manitowoc
• https://madison.com/ct/opinion/column/denise-seyfer-i-almost-lost-access-to-lifesaving-medication-senate-bill-215-would-ensure-that/article_618ed284-b500-5e70-bd3a-5576491d78b9.html 

Links Regarding COVID-19 
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services
• COVID-19 State Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

COVID Vaccine Registry: https://vaccinate.wi.gov/

Stay Connected

As a reminder, we encourage you to follow the representative on social media, including Facebook, and Twitter, for all of the up-to-date information on important issues. His legislative website can be found at: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/25/tittl.