The Future of Kimberly-Clark |
I was disappointed to hear the announcement
that Kimberly-Clark will be closing its Neenah and Fox Crossing
plants over the next 18 months.
I spent this week discussing the situation
with the offices of Rep. Rohrkaste and Rep. Steineke, Senator
Roth, and the Department of Workforce Development. In addition
to the work that we’ve done to boost the economy across the
state and bring unemployment to the lowest ever recorded, it’s
critical that we take action to stabilize the paper jobs that
are still here in the Fox Valley, with the understanding that it
is an evolving and consolidating industry.
While stabilization of the paper industry
is important, we also need to tap into growth industries in
order to provide good careers for current and future
generations. The number of companies in Northeastern Wisconsin
that have signed up as potential Foxconn suppliers on
http://www.wisupplychainmarketplace.com/ has already reached
125. New and existing companies in the Fox Valley are also
growing every day, and the state is taking action to support
that growth well into the future.
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
announced the following steps to assist workers at the plants:
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DWD is working with its regional
workforce partners to mobilize a Rapid Response Team to
reach out to the employer and meet with affected workers.
The team will schedule orientation sessions to provide
workers with information about reemployment services,
Unemployment Insurance, and pre-layoff workshops on a
variety of topics such as resume writing and interviewing,
job search strategies, and budgeting.
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DWD will work with regional partners to
identify employers across the region who are seeking talent
with the skills that affected workers have, and help
facilitate connections to fill job openings with qualified
applicants.
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DWD encourages affected workers to
contact their local Job Center to inquire about services by
visiting
www.JobCenterofWisconsin.com/directory or calling
1-888-258-9966.
Rapid Response services are part of the DWD-administered
Dislocated Worker Program, which serves workers who become
dislocated when a business cuts positions or ceases operations
entirely. The goal is to support affected workers and their
families, and help workers find work at new jobs that pay as
well or better than their previous employment.
For more information about the Dislocated
Worker Program, visit:
https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dislocatedworker/ |
Veteran Service Provider
Grant Recipients |
On Wednesday, the Governor announced that
two local non-profit organizations will be receiving grants to
advance their work in supporting Wisconsin veterans and families.
The two local organizations are:
Artists for
the Humanities, Appleton: $25,000 to continue providing
a cost-free environment for military veterans suffering from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma. The grant will
assist in expanding the organization’s group sessions, allowing
it to reach more veterans who can benefit from the program in
its numerous locations across Wisconsin.
Fox Valley Veterans Council, Inc., Appleton: $25,000 to
support programs for veteran students such as a unique book and
tool loan program. The organization ensures Wisconsin veterans
receive temporary financial assistance for their basic needs
amid any setbacks.
From left to right: Rep. Murphy, Rep. Stuck,
Sen. Roth, Gov. Walker, and Tim Mayer of Artists for the
Humanities.
From left to right: Rep. Murphy, Gov. Walker,
Michael Price (president) and Jody Wormley (board member) of Fox
Valley Veterans Council, Inc. |
Medical Records
Modernization |
This week, I introduced the
“Patient Records Modernization Act,” to improve the way our
state handles medical records. The bill:
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Modernizes statutes related to requests for
electronic health records.
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Brings Wisconsin Statutes into line with
federal HIPAA regulations.
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Updates Wisconsin Workers Compensation
medical record fees.
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Clarifies statutes related to access and
release of patient health care records,
as called for in a recent Supreme Court dissent authored by
Justice Ziegler.
|
Doctor Day |
I had the pleasure of meeting with local
doctors on Tuesday, which was “Doctor Day” at the State Capitol.
Drs. Ben Beduhn of Larsen and Beth Menzel, M.D. of Grand Chute
spent time discussing issues important to physicians around the
state. One topic we discussed was a bill I recently introduced
that will lower the cost of doctors to provide quality health
care and allow them to spend more time
with their patients.
|
You're Keeping More of Your
Money Now |
Be sure to check your
paychecks because you may be seeing an increase in your take
home pay now that the new federal tax reforms have gone into
effect. Just a few of the folks I know are taking home $70-100
more per month than they were before this historic tax cut. |
WisConnect Enhancements for
Wisconsin Internships |
The
InternshipWisconsin.com website currently lists over 1,000
internship opportunities and hundreds of potential interns. The
Department of Workforce Development (DWD) launched
WisConnect last summer to create a central hub for
Wisconsin-based internship opportunities. The site has undergone
several updates to make it easier for college students to build
profiles and look for internships, and to help employers find
the brightest student talent for internship openings.
The newest
WisConnect updates improve the user experience and add
resources for college students and employers to help maximize
the positive impact of internships on the state's talent
pipeline. Highlights include:
·
Support for additional file types so students can
add more robust background files to their "My Portfolio" section
·
The option for students to indicate that they are
a veteran and functionality to allow employers to locate
profiles of students who have indicated their veteran status
·
Additional options to enhance matching between
students and employers based skills
·
Numerous improvements to fine-tune the site's
stability, style and quality
With studies showing the value
of internships in attracting, training and retaining college
students during and after graduation,
WisConnect serves as an important tool to support a robust
talent pipeline in Wisconsin.
To get started on WisConnect,
visit InternshipWisconsin.com. |
Heart Month |
February is Heart Month, which
we kicked off at the Capitol with a photo and American Heart
Association reception to discuss the importance of heart health.
|
Nominate a Woman Making a
Difference in State Government |
Nominations are being sought for the
prestigious Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award that
recognizes the contributions and achievements of women in
Wisconsin state government.
Now is the time to nominate women who are
making a difference in state government. Nominations may be made
by anyone, and are accepted through March 30, 2018. Nominees can
be in classified or unclassified service, and from any part of
the state. Limited-term employees and employees of the
Legislature and university are not eligible.
The winner of this year's award receives
$250 and will be honored at the annual Virginia Hart Award Event
in Madison in May.
Virginia Hart was Wisconsin's first woman
cabinet secretary. Friends and colleagues established a fund
after her retirement in 1983 to annually recognize the
contributions of a woman in state government.
To obtain a nomination form, visit:
http://dpm.wi.gov. For more information, contact Dee
Surillo in the Division of Personnel Management at (608)
266-9820 or
dominga.surillo@wisconson.gov. |
Be Aware of Tax ID Theft |
The tax season is an exciting
time for taxpayers and criminals alike. While the vast majority
of consumers will file their taxes and receive any refunds due
without incident, an unlucky few will learn during the process
that returns have already been filed in their names by scammers.
If you run into problems when
you file, you may be a victim of tax identity theft. The
following are indications that someone may have misused your
identity to file a fraudulent return:
-
multiple returns were
filed under your Social Security number,
-
you receive a letter or
refund check regarding a return you did not file, or
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you owe additional taxes
or are facing collection actions for a year you did not file
a return.
The risk of tax identity theft
is very real in Wisconsin. In recent years, tax identity theft
has been a key element of identity theft complaints received by
the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection (DATCP). Notably, tax identity theft was a factor in
75% of the identity theft complaints filed in 2016.
Before you file, you can check
whether a 2017 Wisconsin income tax return has been filed in
your name by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Revenue
website (https://revenue.wi.gov;
click on the "Online Services" link at the top of the homepage).
If you believe that you may be
the victim of tax identity theft, report the suspected fraud by
phone to the IRS (1-800-829-0433) and the Wisconsin Department
of Revenue (1-608-266-2486). DATCP's Consumer Protection Bureau
offers a Tax ID Theft packet online (https://datcp.wi.gov)
to assist consumers with next steps to protect against
additional harm, and callers to the agency's Consumer Protection
Hotline (1-800-422-7128) can inquire about ways to further
protect their identities.
NOTE: The IRS advises
taxpayers to continue paying their taxes and filing their
returns even if they suspect that they may be victims of
identity theft.
Protect yourself when you file
your taxes:
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If filing your return
online, make sure your operating system and antivirus
software are up to date and set up strong passwords for your
tax software login.
-
If you are working with a
tax preparation service and see any questionable practices,
report the suspicious behavior to DATCP.
-
Questionable practices
might include tax returns being filed on your behalf
without your consent, not receiving copies of documents
that you signed, or not receiving copies of documents
that identify the terms of a transition.
-
During the year, follow
these simple tips to protect your personally identifiable
information:
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Limit the personal details
you share online.
-
Avoid giving out sensitive
information in response to unsolicited calls, emails or text
messages.
-
Shred unnecessary
documents that contain personal information.
-
Don't carry cards
containing sensitive details like your Social Security or
Medicare numbers unless you specifically need them (for an
appointment, for example).
-
The IRS, United States
Treasury and Wisconsin Department of Revenue will NEVER call
and threaten you with arrest or legal action about back
taxes. Any phone calls of this nature are scams.
-
Use online security best
practices:
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Learn how to recognize
phishing emails and text messages.
-
Never click on links
that could redirect you to imposter websites that appear
legitimate.
-
Never download
attachments in emails from unknown senders or in emails
that seem suspicious.
For additional information or
to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at
https://datcp.wi.gov, call the Consumer Protection Hotline
at 1-800-422-7128 or send an e-mail to
datcphotline@wisconsin.gov. |
Be Prepared to Vote |
Do you have the ID you need to
vote? Check. If not, start the process for free ID to vote now
The Wisconsin 2018 spring
primary election is weeks away and the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to be sure
people know how to obtain identification, free of charge, which
is valid for voting.
Most people already have valid
identification for voting purposes (driver license,
identification card, military or student ID card, etc.). There
is no separate “voter ID.” Anyone unsure if their identification
meets the requirements should visit the
Wisconsin Elections Commission website to check.
For anyone who need
identification to show at the polls for voting, the DMV offers
free Wisconsin IDs and has a process, called Voter ID Petition
Process, if the required documents needed for an ID are not
readily available. This process, available free of charge, can
be used to quickly obtain a receipt valid to take to the polls
for voting while the remaining documents or verifications are
obtained. A list of the required documents, such as a birth
certificate, are available at wisconsindmv.gov.
Anyone with questions related
to obtaining an ID to vote should call the DMV’s Voter ID
hotline at (844) 588-1069. However, DMV does not have
information regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter
registration information or other election information. The
Wisconsin Elections Commission has the
details.
Start now at
http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/online-srvcs/external/dmv.aspx or at a local DMV Customer Service Center.
To find a DMV, check hours, services and wait times, visit
wisconsindmv.gov\centers. |
Ski or Hike by Candlelight |
More than
20 candlelight events (skiing and hiking) are scheduled at
state park, forest and other DNR properties across Wisconsin
over the next three weekends.
Check out upcoming events near us by visiting the
Wisconsin Tourism website or
https://appletondowntown.org/upcoming-events/
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
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I have a Facebook page so I can continually engage with you on
important topics facing the state. Please like it by
clicking here! 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.
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"Like" Representative Murphy's
Official Facebook Page
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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-update, 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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