October 13, 2017

Working for you!

Pooling UW Resources

On Wednesday, UW System President Ray Cross proposed merging the system's thirteen two-year campuses with larger bachelor degree granting institutions. Instead of having administrative support and control from Madison, these community based campuses will now have a closer relationship with neighboring institutions. In our own area, UW-Fond du Lac and UW-Fox Valley will be matched with UW-Oshkosh.

Ray and I had a chance to chat last week and I’m confident this restructure will allow UW System to better support employees, Wisconsin communities, and students without increasing the cost for Wisconsin families.

I served on a committee that discussed the feasibility of merging our two-year campuses around the state with our technical colleges. I had reservations about that plan. What the current plan has going for it, is that it has been developed by UW System, instead of being foisted on them as a state mandate and I think that gives it a much better chance of success.

Any effort to maximize the use of university resources is something that I support. I’m looking forward to hearing feedback about the proposal from University of Wisconsin students, employees, and constituents before the Board of Regents adopts it.

Go Titans!

This past weekend my wife Lynn and I had the opportunity to watch the UW-Oshkosh Titans football team maintain their perfect record this season by beating the UW-Stevens Point Pointers 49-14 in the annual homecoming game.

Recreation Listening Session

The Department of Natural Resources is holding a public open house meeting to gather input on outdoor recreation opportunities.

Wednesday, November 1, 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Fox Valley Technical College – Bordini Center, 5 Systems Dr, Appleton, WI 54914

This meeting is part of DNR’s Recreation Opportunities Analysis process, which will examine existing outdoor-based recreation opportunities and future recreation needs throughout the state. The process will identify future opportunities for providing high-quality recreation experiences and the potential role of DNR properties in helping to meet those needs. This round of meetings will focus on the Mississippi River Corridor Region, the Western Sands Region, and the Lake Winnebago Waters Region.

On a related note, a bill I have introduced would allow the non-profit organization, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Inc. to raise additional funds for the Winnebago System sturgeon management program and other sturgeon management and research projects by annually raffling off five Upriver Lakes lake sturgeon spearing certificates called “Governor’s Tags.”  The certificates include a sturgeon spearing license and an applicable carcass tag. You can learn more about my bill and track its progress here.

Capitol Visitors

Members of the Wisconsin Association of Nurse Anesthetists visited my office yesterday:

Students from Fox Valley Technical College also stopped in yesterday:

Request a Wisconsin 2017-18 Blue Book

The new almanac of Wisconsin state government is now available and I’m dropping off as many of the books as possible in person, so if you request one, you might just get a visit from me as well.

Random fact from the Blue Book: One page 495 you can read about Wisconsin’s history. On Oct 7, 1774 Wisconsin became part of Quebec. Under the “Quebec Act,” enacted by King George III of England, French civil law was imposed on the region. This action became known as one of the “Intolerable Acts,” sparking the American Revolutionary War.

To request a complimentary copy, visit my webpage and fill out the Blue Book request form. The book will also available online soon.

Wisconsin Capitol 100th Anniversary Gala

This year marks the 100th anniversary of our beautiful State Capitol building. In honor of this anniversary, the Wisconsin Historical Foundation is throwing a once in a lifetime gala to benefit the Capitol Restoration Fund. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets by clicking on the image below:

Check out other upcoming events near us by visiting the Wisconsin Tourism website, and if you run into me while you’re out and about be sure to stop and say hi!

"Like" Representative Murphy's Facebook Page

I use Facebook to update constituents more frequently on my work in Madison and the 56th Assembly District. I look forward to using this as another way to connect with constituents and encourage you to follow it and watch for regular updates.