Since 2011, the legislature has reduced the tax
burden on hardworking Wisconsin families by more than $8
billion. In so doing, Wisconsin raced from 9th to
22nd in overall tax burden, outpacing all but two
states in improving our standing. Wisconsin's overall tax
burden, as a percentage of personal income, is now below the
national average and our ranking against other states is the
highest it has been in more than fifty years.
2017-2018 Wisconsin State
Blue Book now available
Everyone's favorite almanac of state government,
the Wisconsin State Blue Book, is now available.
Published biennially since 1853, the Wisconsin State Blue
Book is the oldest publication in Wisconsin. Initially, the
Wisconsin State Blue Book served as a manual for the
State Assembly, a pocket-size volume of less than 100
pages, and designed for legislators to have information about
state government at their fingertips.
According to the Wisconsin Legislative Reference
Bureau, the principal authors of the venerable publication,
"Over the decades, the Blue Book evolved in size, scope,
and purpose. The Blue Book's many iterations were caused
by the increased availability of information about state
government and the public. By 2015, the Blue Book
exceeded 1,000 pages and was laden with dense statistical
information that history buffs and political junkies would find
engrossing; everyday citizens, conversely, would find this
information uninteresting. The newly-revised State of
Wisconsin Blue Book is designed to provide everyday citizens
with enthralling content about Wisconsin history and government.
Recognizing that the Blue Book was
becoming too lengthy and dense, the Wisconsin Legislative
Reference Bureau undertook a Herculean effort: revamping this
esteemed repository of information about our state and its
history. The 2017-2018 Wisconsin State Blue Book is
intended to serve as an introduction to state and local
government, not the primary source for information regarding
these entities. More substantive and timely information about
state government can be accessed through the Internet than could
ever be accessed by a team of researchers tasked with penning a
treatise. Recognizing this, the 2017-2018 Blue Book
contains biographies of all legislators, descriptions of
executive and judicial agencies, and statistics on Wisconsin
government and elections. It does not, however, reproduce
information that is archaic, or can be more easily obtained and
accurately elsewhere.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the
2017-2018 Wisconsin State Blue Book, please contact my
office with your name and address. My staff and I will make it a
priority to ensure that your copy arrives in a timely manner.
Wisconsin State Capitol Centennial Gala
As many of you are keenly aware, 2017 marks the
one-hundredth anniversary of Wisconsin's third 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. You can learn more about this event
and purchase tickets, if you are interested in attending, by
clicking on the image below:
Listening Sessions
On Friday, October 20, 2017, I will accompany United States
Representative Jim Sensenbrenner at his third round of office
hours for 2017, in the 60th Assembly District.
Representative Sensenbrenner will host two half-hour listening
sessions to respond to constituent inquiries, questions, and
concerns affecting Wisconsin.
Representative Sensenbrenner and I will visit the following
locations on October 20, 2017:
9:00-9:20 a.m.: Newburg Village Hall--614 Main Street,
Newburg.
11:45-12:15 a.m.: Jackson Village Hall--N168W20733 Main
Street, Jackson
Participating in a town hall meeting with Congressman Jim
Sensenbrenner
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