Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 April 28, 2015

 

Contact Me

 

418 North State Capitol

P.O. Box 8953

Madison, WI 53708

 

PH: (608) 266-7521

TF: (888) 534-0078

FAX: (608) 282-3690

 

rep.subeck@legis.wi.gov

On the Web


   

 

Things happening in the district & around Madison

 

Mad City Fire on Ice Hockey Classic

Friday, May 1st-Sunday, May 3rd

 

Madison Ice Arena

725 Forward Dr.

Madison Firefighters Hockey Club will host its fourth annual hockey tournament with games from 4:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday, May 1st;m 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2nd; and 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3rd.

 

There will be plenty of other fun events, including a “Skate with Bucky Badger” hour on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public; all ages are welcome to attend. Visit www.madisonfirehockey.com for more information and a full list of teams and game times.

 


MSCR Learn 2Ride event

Sunday, May 3rd

8:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. (90 minute sessions)

Memorial High School

201 S Gammon Road

 

For ages 4-12 and 13-adult. Free bike helmet, helmet fitting, instruction and practice time. Must bring a bike and adult chaperone. MMAD resident $10/child. Non-resident $15. Preregistration required at www.mscr.org or call 204-3000. Register now.  

 


West Side Farmers Market

Saturdays, April 18th to November 14th 7AM - 1PM

Hill Farms DOT Building Parking Lot

University Ave. & Segoe Rd.

 


Health Insurance  Enrollment and Exemption Application Assistance.

Mondays, March 15th to April 30th Noon - 5 pm

Richard Dilley Tax Center (Atrium)

Villager Mall

S. Park St., Madison

 

Thursdays, March 15 - August 31st

10 am - 3 pm

Dane County Job Center

1819 Aberg Ave., Madison  

 

Consumers can walk-in for assistance or make appointments by call Covering Kids & Families at 608-261-1455.

 
 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

I just got back to my office after a busy morning in the Capitol. I was proud to stand with Representative Melissa Sargent as we introduced legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15. Next, Senator Risser and I had lunch with local elected officials from the 78th Assembly District.

 

In this week’s newsletter, you will find an update on the state budget, a closer look at the $15 minimum wage bill, my visit to the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center, and an introduction to one of the interns working in my office this semester.

 

If you have any questions or need assistance with any matter, please feel free to contact my office. 

 

Sincerely,

Lisa Subeck

State Representative

78th Assembly District

 


Update on the Budget

The Joint Finance Committee met last Wednesday for an executive session on the 2015-2017 budget. Here are a few highlights from their meeting.

 

Joint Finance Committee Democrats offered a motion that would require the Governor’s office to provide the amount of out of state travel costs quarterly to the committee, but the motion failed on a party-line vote. Democrats then stood up for preserving funding for wildlife and fish management at the DNR by requiring the DNR to report back with a plan on how they intend to address the imbalance in the Fish and Wildlife account.

 

Democrats on the committee also spoke out against the proposal in the Republican budget that guts the state conservation program, which passed on a party line vote. There are currently no additional executive sessions scheduled, and the committee will likely not re-convene until next week.

 


$15 an Hour, WI Workers Deserve a Raise

Earlier today, I joined Representative Melissa Sargent to introduce a bill that would increase the minimum wage to $15 in Wisconsin. It is unconscionable that there are Wisconsinites working a full time job but still living in poverty. A full-time worker at minimum wage earns barely $300 dollars a week, not even enough to pay the bills and feed a family.We can and should do better.

 

A $15 minimum wage will put money in the pockets of millions of low-wage workers who will then spend that money right here in our state. This action will give both working families and the overall economy a boost, providing more economic opportunities across our state.

 


Republican Attacks on Struggling Families and Seniors


On Thursday, the Public Benefits Reform Committee will hold a public hearing on AB 177, a bill that  would greatly restrict how families and individuals may use the FoodShare program. The restrictions, proposed by Republicans, would restrict the majority of food purchases by those using FoodShare to foods included in a list provided by the Women, Infants and Children program. In this effort to control those who are already struggling, Republicans ignore the fact that the WIC list is designed to provide specific supplements to pregnant or breastfeeding women and their children under the age of 5. Never mind that the nutrition needs of a senior citizen or a teenage boy are quite different than those of an infant or a pregnant woman.

 

Make no mistake about it: This is nothing more than a Republican attempt to make already struggling families pawns in a political game of who can make the most conservative so-called reforms.

 

The Republican authors of this bill may claim it is about nutrition, but if that were the case, they would certainly use a bit more common sense when choosing what foods to make available and not select a list geared specifically to supplementing the diets of a very limited and specific group representing only one small slice of those enrolled in FoodShare. The USDA specifically recommends against such an approach, suggesting instead that providing nutrition education and increasing access to fresh and healthy food goes a lot further toward improving nutritional outcomes and reducing obesity. That is why I am working on some alternatives that will actually look at how we can get better nutrition and health outcomes without demeaning or creating new barriers for FoodShare participants.  

 

The public hearing will be held in 417 North (GAR Hall) on Thursday, April 30th at 10:00 AM.

 


Visit to Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center

Last week, I visited the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) to see the great work they are doing with some of our most challenging juvenile offenders. The MJTC is a blended correctional/security and clinical treatment facility that provides services to adolescent males ages 14 to 18+. The Center works with juvenile offenders identified as having significant mental health issues to reduce or eliminate the time in security, stabilize behavior, and also engage in treatment, with the ultimate goal being a change in behavior and reduced risk of re-offending.

 


Meet Our Intern, Alex

If you have called or stopped by my office, you may have met Alex. Alex has been interning in our office since January. He is originally from Stockholm, Wisconsin, and is currently a senior at Edgewood College studying Political Science. In his spare time, Alex can usually be found walking, watching TV, or reading. Currently, he is reading Raising Hell for Justice by Dave Obey. An interesting fact about Alex is that he was in a serious car crash when he was 2 years old but only got a bruise on one leg.

 

Alex has been an incredible asset to the office. He is bright, has a great sense of humor, and we are so lucky to have him interning in the office this semester. Thank you for your work, Alex!  

 

 

Click here to unsubscribe