Your Cup of Joe

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. 

On Saturday, April 12, my wife and I attended the 120th anniversary at Wigwam in Sheboygan.  Employees provided a tour of the facility, explaining in great detail and with much pride how the socks are manufactured. It was great to see many Wigwam retirees coming back to reminisce. It was clear that Wigwam’s success was due to it’s people. Congratulations and thank you for being a vital part of Sheboygan’s history.

On Tuesday, my colleagues and I voted on Assembly Bill 166 relating to academic and career planning services provided to pupils and requiring the reporting of certain data on college student costs and outcomes. AB-166 builds on the incredible work we are doing in your Sheboygan Area School District. While this bill isn’t perfect, it opens the door towards providing helpful resources to our kids in deciding which path is the right path for them. This bill expands career & college ready programs throughout the state. I came to Madison to work together and bring my experience as an educator to make decisions that benefit our students. I plan to continue the work of ensuring that every student is prepared for life after high school, whether that’s higher education or entering the workforce. I broke from my caucus in voting on this bill along with a few of my fellow Democrats. I understand my colleagues’ concerns with the details of this bill and I hope we can continue working together to support our students.

This week, Democrats introduced the Abortion Rights Restoration Act. This bill seeks to restore the rights and freedoms of citizens in Wisconsin to make their own healthcare decisions without political restraints. In light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and reversing a fundamental right established for 50 years, this legislation restores the power of individual choice for those making decisions about pregnancy. Keeping in mind the best interest of a mother during pregnancy is of the utmost importance as pregnancy can be complicated and dangerous. No political entity should be the one to decide what’s in the best interest of a mother. No doctor should face any potential punishment for providing the healthcare a patient needs. Supporting the Abortion Rights Restoration Act is critical to ensuring women across Wisconsin have both bodily autonomy and access to adequate healthcare.

The Wisconsin Medicaid Member Experience Counsel (MMEC) is looking for new members! It consists of a group of people with experience using Medicaid that can use their expertise to voice opinions on what is working and what can be improved. Other topics that members may discuss include quality of services, access to services, how services work together, and more. MMEC is looking for individuals who currently have Medicaid or their caregivers, or have had Medicaid in the last two years or their caregivers. If you are interested in applying to MMEC to become ambassadors, the deadline is May 12th which can be done via online application or paper form. For help applying, email DHSWIMedicaidProgram@dhs.wisconsin.gov or call Member Services at 800-362-3002 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On April 12th, Representative Andraca came up to Sheboygan to help out at my second budget listening session. Beforehand, we stopped for a brat at the Northwestern, and had a great conversation with Ian about the business’s history and his philosophy on what makes their model so successful. The love for the community they have fostered is incredibly evident, and you can almost taste it in every bite.

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