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I recently had the opportunity to attend
the
2018 skills competition hosted in West Bend by Associated Builders
and Contractors of Wisconsin, where top apprentices in trades such as
carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC demonstrated their knowledge
and skills in hopes of representing Wisconsin later this spring at the
national level. There are some very fulfilling career
opportunities available to hardworking candidates such as those who
competed in West Bend last week! They really demonstrated some
fine work;
click here to check out some of the media coverage of the event.
As always, I encourage you to follow
my updates on
social media or contact
my office directly with your questions. Best wishes on your
weekend!
Record-High Investment
Lately I've
been seeing some graphics making the rounds on social media and elsewhere
that aren't telling the whole truth about Wisconsin's record-high state
funding for public education. I want to set the record straight.
The 2017-19
state budget law, now in effect, increased state aid for K-12 education by
$639 million, bringing the total amount of state funding for both fiscal
years to $11.5 billion. That's a record high. This
particular budget targeted some of the increase toward specific needs such
as access to technology, rewarding excellence in teaching and improvements
in mental health care for students. Other parts of the funding
increase applied equally to every student in the state; a typical classroom
of 20 students received more than $12,000 in new funding from the
"per-pupil increase" alone.
And we're not
done yet. I am a coauthor of
Assembly Bill 835, which passed swiftly through committee in the past
few weeks and is headed soon for the Assembly floor. This bill
provides low-spending school districts (including several in Sheboygan
County) with the ability to increase their own support for their local
schools while still providing taxpayers with the power to keep costs in
check.
Don't be
misled! Even though property taxes are lower today than they
were in 2010, and even though there is no longer any state-level
property tax at all, and even though Wisconsin's overall tax burden
is lower than it has been in more than 50 years, our schools are supported
with more state money than ever before!
Something for Everyone!
The latest Wisconn Valley News
bulletin (an e-newsletter dedicated to the transformational Foxconn
development project now underway) is available online by clicking
here. Of note: many project permit applications have been
received; preliminary road improvements have begun; and the newsletter
states that its next issue will include a schedule of when 2018 bid
opportunities will be available to local businesses. Be sure to
enter your e-mail address at the top of the newsletter page to subscribe to
the Wisconn Valley News directly!
Got the winter blues? Need to get
outside? There are several
candlelight skiing
and hiking events coming up at state parks and other public properties
across the state over the next few weekends. With snow in the
forecast, it might be a great time to give one of these a try!
Tax season is upon us. Did you know
that, of all the identity theft complaints filed in Wisconsin in 2016, fully
75 percent of them involved tax identity fraud? Take steps to protect
your personal data;
report any suspected fraud to the IRS and to the Wisconsin Department of
Revenue (DOR); and use
this
online tool to check instantly with DOR whether a 2017 tax return has
already been filed using your identity.
Apply now for 2018 Specialty Crop grants!
Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
administers federal funds to make grants available for the promotion of
specialty crops such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, herbs and more.
Click here for
program details and application instructions; nonprofit and other
agricultural organizations are encouraged!
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