Neubauer News - August 2021

August 16, 2021

Dear Neighbor, 

With summer winding down, I hope you’ve been staying cool and healthy! After the busyness of June and July in the legislature, August has provided an opportunity for our office to check-in with ourselves and with you to make sure that we’re serving in the best way possible. Even though the legislature is not on the floor this month, there are still plenty of updates from Madison to share with you.

This e-update includes highlights from the last month, along with upcoming events, bills in development, and more! Below, you’ll find:

✔️ Beyond the Classroom Grant Winners

✔️ Office Staffing Update

✔️ COVID-19 Vaccine Information

✔️ Exciting Bill Highlights

Thank you for reading along and keeping up-to-date on my work in Madison and Racine! I am continually grateful that you are staying informed in our state and local affairs, supporting our neighbors, and helping to build a better future for our community. Check out our update below and don’t hesitate to reach out and share any questions or concerns that you may have.

In Solidarity,

Greta Neubauer

State Representative

66th Assembly District

Beyond the Classroom Grant Winners 

We are very excited to announce that Governor Tony Evers has selected multiple Racine organizations to be recipients of the 2021 Beyond the Classroom Grant! We are incredibly proud of the amazing work that our community organizations accomplish, and we applaud them for stepping up and earning this award.

The Beyond the Classroom Grant Program was established to support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide virtual and in-person programming for school-aged children with appropriate funds to help increase enrollment capacity, provide additional learning opportunities, and increase mental health support for children during the 2021-2022 school year, as well as the summer months of 2021 and 2022. SAFE Haven, Village of Hope, Urban League, and the Racine YMCA have all been selected by the governor to receive these grants!

The program allocates funding of up to $1.5 million per organization for the 2021 summer and up to the same amount for the upcoming school year and the summer of 2022. We are looking forward to seeing what amazing opportunities our community organizations are going to put together with this well-earned funding.

This funding is possible through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which helped provide funding for a myriad of important services, as well as stimulus payments to many Americans. We are continually grateful for the work that our president and federal legislators are doing to make sure that we can continue to expand important community services.

Staffing Update

Many of you got to know Robby from my office over his last two and a half years staffing my Capitol office. Last week, Robby ended his time with our team to attend graduate school! Both of my summer interns, Sammy and Heidi, also have finished up their time with us this summer and are heading back to school for the fall. Please join me in wishing them good luck!

This month, our office was excited to welcome a new member, Adam Wigger, as our new legislative aide! Adam recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in journalism and political science. With interests in climate policy, labor history, and equitable infrastructure, we are thrilled to see what Adam brings to the office.

Get Vaxxed! COVID-19 Vaccines Available

Wisconsin continues to make progress in our fight against COVID-19, but the work is not done yet. While you may not be able to get a free cream puff for getting vaccinated anymore, there are still plenty of reasons to get out there and get the shot. As of May 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine is available to all adults, teenagers, and pre-teens aged 12 and up.

With the rise of the extremely contagious delta variant, it is important that we all do our part in protecting the health of our communities. Get the shot, even if you’ve had COVID-19 before.

COVID-19 vaccines do not require insurance, ID, or payments - they are completely free.

Visit vaccinateracine.org to look for locations to receive a free vaccination, or visit one of the free pop-up clinics happening across the city this month. No appointments are necessary, and the bus ride to get vaccinated is free!

Upcoming Pop-Up Clinics:

Saturday, August 21 - 10am to 2pm
Locations: Humble Park
Our Youth Their Future Inc. Back to School Event

Saturday, August 28 - 10am to Noon
Wayman AME Church

Saturday, August 28 - 1pm to 4pm
Dr. John Bryant Center
Urban League of Racine & Kenosha
1st Annual Wellness Fair

Policy Corner: Updates on Exciting Bills

Thousands of bills are introduced in the legislature every biennium – here in the policy corner, I like to highlight some of the most interesting, important, or controversial bills that have recently crossed my desk!

Legalization of Cannabis (2021 LRB-4361)

Lead Authors: Sen. Melissa Agard 

Am I a cosponsor or author? Yes

What it would do: Joining thirty-five other states and the District of Columbia, this bill would legalize, tax, and regulate recreational and medical cannabis in the state of Wisconsin. In much the same manner as we regulate alcohol, cannabis would be available to all Wisconsinites over 21 years of age. This plan would also provide a path for medical cannabis users to access the product without paying retail taxes.

Why it’s important: The math is clear — if we were to legalize recreational and medical cannabis in Wisconsin, we could see more than $165 million in additional state revenue every year. This bill would see that over half of the dollars the state earns from sales goes back into the state to be reinvested in underserved communities, equity grants, and sparsity aid. This bill would also address the racial disparities in our communities that have grown due to the prohibition of cannabis. Currently, African Americans use cannabis at roughly the same rate as white Americans, but get arrested nearly four times as often for it. With this bill, we can take important steps towards fixing historical wrongs.

Main Street Bounceback Grants

I was honored to welcome Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes to discuss the Main Street Bounce Bank Grants program in Racine on August 4th. Photo from our wonderful visit to Plush Clothing in downtown Racine! To learn more about the Main Street Bounce Back Grants program, which provides $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profit organizations moving into vacant properties in Wisconsin’s downtowns and commercial corridors, click HERE.