Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 May 27, 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

 

Edi Rey Y Su Salsera

Friday, May 29

9 pm-midnight

Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.

 

Salsa band playing genres of Latin music including Salsa, mambo, merengue, cumbia y cha-cha-cha. Enjoy the sweet sounds of music out on the Memorial Union Terrace!

 


Early Summer on the Grady Oak Savannas and Greene Prairie

Sunday, May 31

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Meet at Grady Tract parking lot (SE corner Seminole Hwy & W Beltline Frontage Rd), UW-Madison Arboretum

 

Explore the mosaic of grasses dotted with color from phlox, blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass and up to 30 other species in the Grady Tract. Learn more about Wisconsin natural habitats while enjoying the beautiful outdoors weather.

 


Isthmus Food Cart Fest

Sunday, May 31

2 p.m.-6 p.m.

1156 Olin-Turville Ct

 

Join us for Isthmus Food Cart Fest (previously Isthmus a la Carts) at Olin Park! Are your lunch hours plagued with not wanting to commit to an entire serving from that delicious smelling cart outside? Or perhaps you work too far from where carts congregate to make the lunch hour commute plausible? We've got you covered. Enjoy all-you-can-sample food cart fare, live music and a selection of local craft beer on the lakefront. Fest gates open at 2 p.m. and close at 6 p.m.

 


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.

 Thursdays, until August 31st

10 am - 3 pm

 

Dane County Job Center

1819 Aberg Ave., Madison  

 

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

 
 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend. As soon as we returned from the long weekend, Republicans announced plans to move forward with repealing prevailing wage in the Assembly.

 

In this week’s newsletter, you will find the latest budget update, a detailed summary of the Republicans’ latest attack on our public schools, and more on Governor Walker’s scandal-plagued Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.  

 

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

 


Defunding Public Education

Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee pushed through a proposal last week that makes sweeping changes for our public schools. The plan, passed in a late night meeting of the Joint Finance Committee, takes $48 million dollars directly from our neighborhood public schools and gives it to private and parochial schools through an expansion of the private school voucher program. This includes a new and dangerous special needs voucher program which would send $12,000 a year per student to unaccountable private schools without requiring them to provide any additional services or specialized curriculum to serve these children with special needs

 

The Republican plan also allows for a takeover of Milwaukee’s lowest performing public schools by an appointed commissioner who would be given the decision making authority that currently rests with elected school board members. Language in the provision also allows puts Madison and Racine schools in danger of such a takeover. Not only is this bad for our schools, but it undercuts the core of our democracy by replacing elected bodies with appointed administrators.

 

The Republican’s plan also requires every student to pass a 100 question civics test before graduation. Students must answer 60 out of 100 questions correctly in order to pass the test and graduate from high school. The entire Republican education proposal, after hours of debate, was passed by Joint Finance on a party line vote, with all Democrats voting against the damaging proposal.        

 


                                                                 Walker Fired as WEDC Chair

The Joint Finance Committee took action last week, voting to remove Governor Walker as the chair of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s board of directors. Even Republicans have serious concerns about Scott Walker’s leadership of the scandal-plagued WEDC.

 

This action comes after weeks of WEDC being in the news for an audit that showed gross mismanagement at Governor Walker’s centerpiece economic development agency and a Wisconsin State Journal investigative report revealing that a $500,000 loan was given to one of Governor Walker’s major campaign contributors after top Walker aides pushed for the loan to be granted.

 

This has led to WEDC’s Democratic board members, Representative Peter Barca and Senator Julie Lassa, calling on Attorney General Loretta Lynch and U.S. Attorneys to investigate. Currently, Dane County District Attorney Ishmael Ozanne is reviewing the audits regarding WEDC and is determining whether to open an investigation, as well.

 


         Other Budget Updates

The Joint Finance Committee had its hands full with changes to WEDC and K-12, but there were several other items taken up last week, too. Here are a few highlights:

  • Republicans, on a party line vote, passed a motion to double the costs of health care deductibles and out of pocket expenses for nearly all state workers.

  •  Democrats introduced a proposal that would provide an increase in funding for the Government Accountability Board in order to improve systems for tracking campaign finance, lobbying, and statements of economic interests. Republicans voted down this proposal on a party line vote.   

  •  The Republican budget, as proposed by Governor Walker, would have eliminated SeniorCare as we know it, increasing healthcare costs for 90,000 Wisconsin seniors. Democrats were able to save SeniorCare after delivering more than 14,000 signatures to Republican leaders on behalf of our constituents who count on the program for affordable prescription drugs. Please click here to read my full statement on SeniorCare.


                                                                Update on Prevailing Wage Repeal

Just as Wisconsinites are reading about all the bad news in this Republican budget, it is time for another Republican distraction. The bill to repeal Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law was back in the news yesterday as Assembly Republicans announced that the Labor Committee would hold a public hearing on the bill today.

 

Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law sets a minimum amount that must be paid to workers on publicly funded construction projects. Most public projects are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, and establishing a minimum rate for construction workers on these projects helps to level the playing field, guaranteeing that contractors compete based on skill and productivity rather than how little they pay their workers.

 

The Assembly Committee on Labor held a hearing on the repeal of prevailing wage (AB 32) today and then immediately voted on the bill which passed.

 


       Higher Ed, Lower Debt

I have joined many of my fellow Democrats to co-sponsor the “Higher Ed, Lower Debt” Bill. This bill would create a tax deduction, allowing student loan borrowers to deduct their student loan payments from their income taxes. Loan borrowers could also refinance their student loans at lower interest rates with this legislation.

 

Besides putting hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of Wisconsin students and graduates, the bill would also provide parents and students with detailed information and counseling about loans so they have the information they need to make prudent financial decisions.

 

By lowering student debt, this bill will provide a better future for the entire state of Wisconsin.

 


                                                                       Minimum Wage Update

I was proud to join Representative Melissa Sargent to announce that our bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 now has more than 20 cosponsors. The need for an increased minimum wage is more important than ever for Wisconsin residents.

 

As I told the media at a press conference yesterday, With our minimum wage where it is at now, people can work 40 hours a week or more at a minimum wage job and still live in poverty. This means they can't afford their homes. This means they can't afford to feed their families. This means that every month they have to sit down and decide which bill doesn't get paid this month.”

 

Everyone who puts in a hard day’s work deserves a fair shot at achieving the American Dream. The first step toward ensuring economic opportunity is available for all hardworking Wisconsinites is to raise the minimum wage.

 

Click here to hear to watch Channel 27’s coverage of yesterday’s press conference.

 

Click here to read more about the bill.

   

 

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