Please join me in congratulating Sheboygan Police Officer Alicia Rotier on her selection to receive the 2021 Wisconsin State Assembly First Responder of the Year Award.

Officer Rotier is in her fourth year serving with the Sheboygan PD.  In nominating her to be recognized with this honor, Sheboygan Police Chief Christopher Domagalski acknowledged her leadership within the department as well as a specific instance earlier this year in which her decisive actions saved the life of the victim of a traumatic vehicle crash.  In a special ceremony this week, the State Assembly convened to recognize her and several dozen more men and women who work every day across our state to keep our communities safe.  Officer Rotier is pictured above with Chief Domagalski, Rep. Tyler Vorpagel and me just outside the Assembly chambers; pictured below are all the award recipients, receiving a well-deserved standing ovation from an appreciative Legislature.  Thank you and well done, American heroes!

In addition, the Assembly was in session twice this week to address several key issues.  On Tuesday, the Assembly took a series of concrete steps aimed at easing our state's housing shortage.  Wisconsin's median age for a first-time home buyer has risen to 33, and we have a lower homeownership rate for households age 25-34 and 35-44 than all but one of our neighboring states.  Our package of ideas reduces some of the regulatory burdens that slow new development, updates appraisal practices and incentivizes local workforce housing initiatives.  Rents are high; demand is high; construction costs keep rising; so it's the perfect time to advance real solutions that will have immediate impact.

Wednesday was a day on which Assembly Republicans took a renewed stand to protect the unborn.  After eight years of decline, abortions right here in our state have risen for the third consecutive year (to 6,511 in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available), and Democrats both here and elsewhere have recently proposed to weaken the laws that protect unborn children.  Instead, I voted proudly yesterday in favor of four bills that increase protections for our most vulnerable population.

Wisconsin Republicans have been fighting for life repeatedly over the past decade.  Our biggest recent victories include banning taxpayer-funded abortions for state employees (2017 Act 191); prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, when children are capable of experiencing pain (2015 Act 56); defunding Planned Parenthood and preventing it from receiving Title X funding (2015 Act 151); requiring an ultrasound prior to an abortion (2013 Act 37); and prohibiting coverage of abortions by health plans sold through federal exchanges in our state (2011 Act 218).  But we still have more work to do.

Thanks for reading.  Best wishes on your weekend!

Great News!

In July, Republicans passed a new state law that permanently reduces both income taxes and property taxes.  As a result, a typical Wisconsin family stands to save nearly $1,200 over just the next two years.  Our budget also changed tax withholding rates so that folks' paychecks would automatically incorporate the new lower tax rate.  (In other words, under our plan, most people's take-home pay will be higher because less tax is being deducted from each paycheck.)  Unfortunately, Governor Evers vetoed that part of the plan; basically, he was going to make you pay in more taxes than necessary all year long and make you wait until every April tax filing season to get your money refunded to you.

Thankfully, and sensibly, the Evers administration this month has relented and reversed course on this.  Effective this coming January, Wisconsin employers will generally withhold less income tax from employees' paychecks.  AND: the property tax cuts will also begin showing up in this December's tax bills.

At a time when Democrats in Washington are bent on plowing ahead with their tax-and-spend policies, Wisconsin Republicans have instead returned more of your money to your pocket rather than growing government.

New History Museum Coming in 2026

The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce that a new state history museum is coming soon!  The society has met and exceeded its requirement to raise $30 million in private contributions; the project now moves into the design and construction phase.

The existing state history museum is no longer serving our people well.  The building is decades old and falling into disrepair.  It is too small to display more than a fraction of the artifacts that deserve to be enjoyed.  Governors Tommy Thompson, Jim Doyle, Scott Walker and Tony Evers (and, of course, a series of legislatures) have participated in planning its replacement, and the progress is now picking up speed.

You may learn more about the museum reconstruction project, or the numerous resources and programs available to you through the Wisconsin Historical Society, online here.

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|  |