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 November 19, 2020

 

 Election Review Resized

 

Republicans and Democrats alike agree that every valid vote must count and that the integrity of our elections is critically important.  As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections is working to document how our recent election was conducted; discover any irregularities; and gather ideas for improving everyone's trust that the system is fair.

 

We have received thousands of emails already from concerned citizens.  If you have specific and actionable information that can help us document what has occurred, please send it promptly to election.complaints@legis.wi.gov.

 

Earlier this week, all 72 Wisconsin counties completed another step in the long road to certifying our state's election results by reporting their official canvass results.  Yesterday, according to the proper timeline, President Trump requested that some counties' ballots be unsealed and counted again; this partial recount will likely require several days, and all parties and any interested persons have a right to be present to witness the work.  When this step is complete, President Trump (or any candidate) would be well within his rights to ask the courts to consider any evidence of unfairness.

 

No matter the outcome of the Assembly committee's inquiry, the recount and/or President Trump's potential legal steps, we will all have greater confidence after these inquiries are made that the system is fair and worthy of our participation in it.

 

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In Case You Missed It


 

SeniorCare vaccination coverage.  In April 2020, the wide-ranging bipartisan law that we enacted in Wisconsin in response to the COVID-19 outbreak expanded the popular SeniorCare program to cover the costs of receiving important vaccines.  But it recently came to our attention that the Department of Health Services took no action for many months to make the benefit available; their delay blocked the efforts of some constituents to receive care, and the delay also affected our state's access to federal funding that supports the benefit.  Earlier this month, the Joint Finance Committee on which I serve raised these serious concerns with the Department; we hope that they share our urgency in enabling access to the full benefits prescribed in the law.

 

Talking Spirits Resized

 

Virtual tour.  The Wisconsin Veterans Museum now offers an interactive virtual tour of Madison's Forest Hill Cemetery that shares some of the rich history of Wisconsin and our veterans.  Over the past 22 years, the museum team has partnered with local actors, usually on one weekend in October, to bring to life our veterans' stories; the weekend is always a hit with school groups and many others; now, the tour is available virtually, with many photos and items from the collection that might not have been available for viewing in years past.  The entire tour will take you an hour!  Explore it here: https://wisvetsmuseum.com/madison-cemetery-tours/.

 

 


Protect Yourself!


 

 

Vaccine scams.  There are real researchers who are recruiting folks to participate in COVID-19 research!  They sometimes even compensate the participants!  There are also criminals who have figured this out and want to attack you.  Legitimate studies will never ask you to provide your credit card information, your Social Security Number or your financial account numbers; be wary also of clicking on links or attachments in emails that you don't recognize.  Here's one link that you can trust: read more about how to protect yourself here.

 

Pet purchase scams.  The holidays are often a time when families adopt a new furry friend.  Unfortunately, there are multiple recent reports in our area of bad guys stealing money from unsuspecting pet purchasers.  Protect yourself by never paying upfront; by verifying the seller carefully; and by simply taking your time and refusing to be pressured to act too quickly.  Read more here about how this scam works and how to spot it.

 

Buy decorations locally.  This one sounds a little odd at first, but it's worth considering: evergreen decorations (i.e., Christmas trees, wreaths, baskets, etc.) can carry invasive pests!  Many of these are not presently known to be in Wisconsin, but some have been found in recent years on evergreen products that were brought to Wisconsin from other states where the pests are more prevalent.  Learn more here, and be sure to check out one or more of our state's 850+ Christmas tree farms who would love to have your business!

 

 


Office of Representative Terry Katsma
State Capitol, Room 306 East
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708

(608) 266-0656
Rep.Katsma@legis.wisconsin.gov |