Cup of Joe Volume 3

Hello and welcome back to my bi-weekly newsletter! It has been a busy two weeks, and I have a lot to update you on.

The Assembly Committee on Workforce Development, Labor, and Integrated Employment had it’s first public hearing this week, and I was excited to get to work supporting Wisconsin’s workforce. It was a great chance to have some of my questions answered on a number of bills before the committee that would affect how unemployment benefits work in Wisconsin. 

Yesterday, my colleges and I introduced a joint resolution to place an advisory referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot. If approved, voters would decide on whether they think Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation should support a U.S. Constitutional amendment aimed at overturning the landmark 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C. that opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate spending in elections. After the last few months, it has become clear that we need to take action on corporate money that is spent on elections here in Wisconsin. We just had the most expensive Supreme Court election in the nation’s history, where both sides accepted large amounts of money from corporate donors. It is time we give the people of Wisconsin a chance to say whether or not the flow of corporate money into our elections is something they support.

Last week, I joined the Sheboygan Hmong Mutual Assistance Association for their weekly Luncheon. The Hmong community is an important part of Sheboygan's rich local culture. Maybe next time I will do a little better at bingo!

This week, President Trump announced tariffs of at least 10% on practically all goods coming into the United States. He imposed higher rates on dozens of countries with highest trade deficits with the U.S., but has since paused some of these increases. I was saddened to see this take effect, as so many of the conversations I have had in the past few months have been about the high cost of living in the United States. This reckless trade war will drive up costs for American consumers, with the economic burdens primarily falling on middle and lower income families. I will continue to keep you informed about changes at the federal level, and will continue to support policies that support middle and lower income families and eases the cost of living.

Tomorrow, April 12th, we will be having our next State Budget Listening Session from 3-4:30 in the Loft at the Mead Public Library. We are blessed to once again be joined by Representative Andraca who serves as a member on the state’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. We will discuss the State Budget process, give you an overview of Governor Evers' draft budget, and answer all your questions about what has been happening in Madison. See you there!

That’s all for now! Please reach out to my office if we can ever help you in any way. I will be in touch again soon.

Yours in service,

Joe Sheehan

State Representative

26th Assembly District