Merry December! |
Happy Holidays, everyone! The E-News has returned, after a long
hiatus due to campaign laws. (State
Statute 11.33 prohibits elected officials running for
re-election or seeking another office from distributing 50 or
more pieces of identical material starting April 15th.)
Beginning in January, I'll send a regular E-News to keep you
posted on legislative activity in Madison and events in our
district. I wish you health and happiness during this season
and in the coming year. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year! |
Committee Chairs for the 2015-16
Legislative Session |
Speaker Robin Vos announced the standing committees and
committee chairs for the next legislative session. I will be
chairing the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities and
serving as the Assembly co-chair of the Joint Survey Committee
on Retirement.
Last session, I was the vice-chair of Colleges and
Universities. Wisconsin's higher education institutions play a
key role in spurring economic activity, producing cutting-edge
research, and training a skilled workforce. I look forward to
continuing to work with my colleagues in the legislature and
college and university leaders across the state on higher
education matters.
The Joint Survey Committee meets when the needs of the system
require legislative action. I'm interested to learn more about
our retirement system. We have a high performing system, and I
want to ensure it remains one of the best in the country.
In addition to chairing the above committees, I will also be
a member of the following Assembly committees: Education (K-12),
Financial Institutions, Housing and Real Estate, and Workforce
Development. |
Upcoming Budget |
Last week, Representative-Elect Mike Rohrkaste
(Neenah) and I had a productive budget discussion with Governor
Walker. When I talk with those of you in my district, I
understand that you feel strongly that the property tax burden
is too high. We worked hard on this last session, and as a
result many Wisconsinites recently received decreased property
tax bills. I want to continue that trend into next session. We
also talked about workforce development to address the skills
gap. We need to create reliable pathways, like Dual Enrollment,
from K-12 to our technical colleges and universities so students
can earn credits at a reduced cost and graduate sooner. We also
need to look at all facets of job creation and retention,
including funding transportation projects like Highway 41.
The state agencies have submitted their requests
to the Governor. Once Governor Walker announces his proposed
budget in January, the legislature will begin processing the all
areas of the budget requests. Please feel free to let me know
your thoughts on the budget, as we will work on it for several
months. |
Eagle Scout John David Arteman |
I had the privilege of attending the
Eagle Scout Court of Honor for John David Arteman of Greenville
in December. Achieving this rank is a truly impressive feat.
Thank you for all you do for our community, and best wishes for
continued success in your future endeavors!
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Honor Flight |
My good friend, Dave Olmstead, is a Vietnam Era veteran who was
able to participate in Honor Flight this year. I'm so happy for
him, and I am always proud of the service he rendered to our
country. Thank you, many times over, for enabling us to enjoy
the freedoms we cherish today, Dave!
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Congratulations to the 8th grade girls who
achieved Girl Scout Silver awards! Thank you for inviting me to
learn about your wonderful accomplishments. We got together at
Lord of the Lakes in Winneconne, and I saw how hard working and
dedicated these scouts have been throughout their scouting
careers. Well done, ladies!
Big congratulations to Baylee Watson, Hayley Morgan, Gwendolyn
Hanke, Samantha Lasee, Isabella Hanke, Roree Taff, Britney
Adolf, Rae Shaw and Lilianna Fox! Keep up the great work! |
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Welcome!
I live in Greenville, but have an
office at the State Capitol in Madison. If you are in
downtown Madison, please feel free to stop by and say
hello! Just go to the information desk in the rotunda,
and they can direct you on how to find my office, 318
North. At the bottom of each e-news, you'll see my
office contact information.
If your school or group plans to tour the Capitol
building, please let me know in advance. I'd
love to visit with you for a few minutes and take a
group photo.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
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