The Non-Solution for Affordable Housing

Last week’s floor session included a number of bills proposed by the GOP that purported to address the high cost of housing. (Note: The only bills that get to the floor are sponsored by the GOP. The “Vos-Rule” is that all Democratic bills are DOA.)

Two of the proposals would be particularly harmful to Madison residents. One would strip Madison oversight bodies such as the Planning Commission of much of its authority and instead make it subject to rules established by the state. Another would drastically change how commercial property is assessed for tax purposes. The bill would likely result in major reductions in taxes for many commercial properties. That in turn would shift the property tax burden to residential properties. Increasing taxes on residential property whether it is rented or occupied by the owner will result in housing becoming less affordable.

I will continue to work on real solutions to Wisconsin’s affordable housing crisis. Unfortunately, many of the Republican proposals only worsen the problem that they say they are addressing.

Abortion Rights

With the most significant abortion rights case in 50 years now pending before the US Supreme Court, this issue has never been more important in our state. Wisconsin’s existing law prohibits abortion but Roe has made our law unenforceable. Given this momentous pending court decision, the Assembly passed a number of bills that infringe on the rights of women or that duplicate existing law on medical practice. It is likely that the Governor will veto all of bills.

It is interesting to note that none of these bills were introduced when Gov. Walker was in power and there was a Republican majority in the Assembly. Why are they coming up now? The only plausible explanation is that they are simply throwing “red meat” to a section of their base and they are counting on the Governor to save them from themselves.

Redistricting

The GOP finally introduced their proposed redistricting map. Not surprisingly, it is very similar to the current map, which has given them a big majority in seats despite winning only a minority of voters. (In 2018, they won 53 seats in the Assembly with only 38 % of the statewide votes.)

Law firms in Washington DC and Wisconsin drew the current map as well as the 2011 map. It was introduced without a single public hearing and provided only a website where, for a few days, people could submit comments.

A majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court has said that they are ready to draw new maps but unfortunately, we know how that will turn out. It seems the only way that we will get fair maps in Wisconsin is if a federal court takes action.

First Responder

Last Tuesday was a great day to be in the Capitol as the Assembly honored first responders from around the state for their service.  It was my privilege to recognize Officer Cindy Thiesenhusen of the Madison Police Department's North District as District 48’s First Responder of the Year.  North District Captain Kelly Donahue nominated Officer Thiesenhusen for her work with the unsheltered members of our community, particularly those at Reindahl Park. It was an honor to recognize Officer Thiesenhusen for her work improving conditions at local hotels for the unsheltered and for consistently going above and beyond in her everyday interactions with the community. Officer Thiesnhusen, a 26-year veteran of MPD demonstrates what community policing looks like.

Sandhill Cranes

Of all the bills introduced in the Assembly this month, my office received the greatest number of constituent letters about a Republican proposed bill that would authorize a Sandhill Crane hunt in the State.

Seventy years ago, Sandhill cranes were on the verge of extinction in Wisconsin due to excessive hunting.  However, as a result of wildlife protection, Sandhill’s have been brought back to a healthy population. Now GOP lawmakers are hoping tamp down on that progress. I will not be supporting this bill.

Blue Books

As I mentioned last month Blue Books are available. My office still has a limited number available for residents of the 48^th district. Blue Books include information about the state’s government, economy, political officials and agencies. This year’s addition includes a special article entitled “Dueling Governors, How the Wisconsin Supreme Court Resolved the State’s First Political Crisis”.  If you live in the district, and want ta Blue Book, fill out the form in this link.

District 48 Survey

I place tremendous value on the values and opinions of my constituents. Knowing how my constituents feel about issues helps me to better represent your views. I have created a survey in order to give you the opportunity to express your thoughts on the issues that affect your life.  The results of these surveys are calculated and used to help me determine my legislative priorities. Please help me better represent you by completing the survey. The link to the survey can be found here.

Sponsored and Authored Bills

Despite being in the legislative minority, I believe that it is important that we continue to put forth specific legislative proposals that are consistent with our values and vision for the state. In the past month, I’ve co-sponsored legislative proposals that would:

• Freeze tuition for undergraduate state residents. This bill would provide an increase in state aid to account for the loss of tuition revenue due to a tuition freeze. The state now has the largest surplus fund in history- literally billions of dollars- so we can afford forgoing this revenue source.
• Aid for middle and low-income students. This bill would make up the difference between the cost of tuition and fees and the scholarship and grants for students whose families earn under $60,000 per year.
• Require background checks through a federally licensed firearms deal when purchasing firearms.
• Allow the use fentanyl testing strips. Last year, over 1500 people died from drug overdoses in Wisconsin. Experts say that most of those deaths were from the opioid fentanyl added to whatever they thought they were buying. Test strips to identify fentanyl should be legal and available to drug users. This has been used in other states and reduced the number of deaths.

Contacting My Office

My Capitol office is here to help you with general inquiries as well as questions and concerns regarding legislative matters. Feel free to contact me or my staff. We are always ready to assist you in your needs. Please visit my website for press releases and other Capitol updates.