Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 February 7, 2017

 

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

Website

 

Things happening in the district & around Madison


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches

Thursday, February 9

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Meadowridge Library

5726 Raymond Rd.

 

Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older. The meal is served at noon and participants must arrive on time. The suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but participants are encouraged to pay what they can afford. Transportation to the meal is available with an additional $1.00 donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.

 


Skills in Computers and Literacy for Employment with Literacy Network

Thursday, February 9

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Meadowridge Library

5726 Raymond Rd.

 

This is a course in computer and employment literacy for adult students who want to improve their reading, writing and general communication skills. Each student will have an individual lesson plan created for them and will work through the semester on completing that plan. Skills learned will help with job searching and applications, completing the GED and improving skills on the computer. Please register for the entire series, January 26-May 11. Contact Ezi at the Literacy Network, (608)244-3911, ext. 33, for more information or to register.

 

These classes are funded through the Literacy Network with computer support from Madison Public Library Foundation. Find more literacy classes at http://www.litnetwork.org

 


Craft Lab -- Marbling Fabric with Amy Mietzel

Saturday, February 11

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Alicia Ashman Library

733 N High Point Rd

 

The Library will provide the materials and equipment; you bring your enthusiasm for trying something new.

 


Life in Winter

Sunday, February 12

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

UW Arboretum Visitor Center

1207 Seminole Hwy.

 

We will look for clues about how animals survive Wisconsin winters. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


Animal Tracks

Sunday, February 12

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

UW Arboretum Visitor Center

1207 Seminole Hwy.

 

Animal tracks are easy to spot in the snow and mud. If neither are present, we will look for trails animals make through the vegetation. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunches

Tuesday, February 14

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Meadowridge Library

5726 Raymond Rd.

 

Nutritious meals are offered to those 60 and older. The meal is served at noon and participants must arrive on time. The suggested minimum donation is $4.00 but participants are encouraged to pay what they can afford. Transportation to the meal is available with an additional $1.00 donation. Meal and bus reservations or cancellations should be made by noon the preceding day by calling 238-0196.

 


Visiting the Capitol

Whether you are planning a visit to the state Capitol as part of a large group, small gathering, or just by yourself, our office can assist you in scheduling a free guided tour of the Capitol building during normal business hours.

 

Free tours are offered daily, year round. Tours depart from the ground floor Information Desk Monday through Saturday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 am and 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm; and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 pm. A 4:00 pm tour is offered Memorial Day through Labor Day. The sixth floor museum and observation deck are also open during the summer months.

 

 
 

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

I am proud to represent an Assembly District where diversity is celebrated and appreciated throughout the year. As February is Black History month, I am going to highlight the past achievements of African American men and women in Wisconsin. Their dedication to fulfilling their dreams and perseverance in the face of adversity will provide us all with an example to follow at a time where many wish to move our state and country backward.

 

This week, the Assembly will be on the floor for the Governor’s budget address. Based on the information being released by the Governor prior to his budget address, it seems he is hopeful state residents are suffering from collective amnesia and we will all forget the devastating cuts he has made to public schools, the University of Wisconsin System, the Earned Income Tax Credit and other programs.  

 

In this week’s newsletter, you will find information on early voting in the upcoming spring primary election, important updates regarding the High Point Road bridge construction, and serious concerns about backlogged rape kits in the Department of Justice.

 

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

 


Early Voting Is Underway

The Spring Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, February 21, but you do not have to wait until then to cast your ballots. In-person absentee voting for the election has begun in Madison, and will continue through Sunday, February 19, at the Madison City Clerk’s Office and additional locations throughout the city. To learn more about in-person absentee voting, including locations and times, please click here.

 

Absentee ballots are also available by mail. Everything you need to know to receive a ballot by mail is available via the Madison City Clerk by clicking here.

 

Remember: You must present an acceptable photo ID card to vote in Wisconsin. Click here to find out if you have the correct identification and to get information on how to obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card for voting purposes.

 

Click here to see what is on your ballot.

 

Click here to read the “Candidates’ Answers” on the League of Women Voters of Dane County website.

 

Note: If you vote outside of the City of Madison, you will need to contact your local city or village clerk’s office for absentee voting locations and times.

 


Misplaced priorities in the Wisconsin Department of Justice

I am deeply troubled by the lack of progress being made by the Wisconsin Department of Justice in the testing of backlogged rape kits. In 2014, it was determined that 6,000 rape kits had not been tested. In September of 2015, the state secured grant funding to cover the cost of testing the kits. To date, testing has only been completed on nine of these backlogged kits.

 

Somehow Attorney General Brad Schimel has time to oversee having 10,000 coins minted with his “kick ass” slogan to hand out as souvenirs. Somehow he has time to meddle in directing which medical procedures should be covered through state employee health insurance – depending on whether or not those procedures violate his own personal beliefs.  Somehow he has time to defend a blatantly unconstitutional redistricting scheme. Yet, he has not found the time to do his real job and ensure that rape kits are tested so criminals can be put behind bars and victims can attain a small degree of closure.

 

Most troubling is his Trump-like propensity to make use of alternative facts in this matter.   When initially interviewed about the progress on the backlogged kits, he falsely stated that a few hundred kits had been tested in an apparent effort to highlight a degree of progress.   However, when asked about the lack of progress, he attempts to provide himself with political cover by equating a quicker resolution of the backlog as driving “a bulldozer over the rights of survivors.”

 

Prosecutors across our state need this evidence processed to convict criminals. Law enforcement officers need this evidence processed to develop leads, solve cases that may have gone cold, and take serial rapists off the streets. It is critical that the credibility of this evidence is not compromised or called into question due to the Attorney General not being forthright when discussing the lack of progress being made to address the backlog in processing.

 


Redistricting Update

On November 21, 2016 a panel of federal judges ruled Wisconsin’s current state legislative district boundaries were unconstitutional. The maps were drawn in secret by law firms that had been hired by Senate and Assembly Republicans. There was no public input and the Republicans legislators who were granted the ability to see their districts were obligated to sign a secrecy pledge. The Republican gerrymander has already cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than $2 million.

 

While the federal court has ruled that we must have new maps in place by November 1st of this year for the November 2018 election, any hope of the process being done in the open with public input went out the window last week.

 

Last Thursday, Republican lawmakers voted on a motion behind closed doors to give a blank check to hire two law firms - one of which routinely bills more than $800 an hour - in a legal battle over Wisconsin’s gerrymandered and unconstitutional legislative maps.  Democrats in both houses called for a public hearing, as well as offering amendments to the motion. However, the motion was approved along party lines in both the Senate and the Assembly.

 

In the meantime, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and law firms being paid for with your tax dollars will continue to pursue efforts to have the United States Supreme Court overturn the federal court ruling and find the present maps constitutional.

 


High Point Road Bridge Replacement

The good news is that the bridge which carries High Point Road traffic over the beltline will be replaced. The bridge will be wider in order to accommodate bike lanes in each direction.  Sidewalk will be constructed along both sides of High Point Road, including on the west side of the road between the bridge and D’onofrio Drive.

 

The bad news is it will take until September of this year to complete construction on the project.    While High Point Road will be closed to traffic from Watts Road to D’onofrio Drive for the duration of the project, a signed detour route will be in place using Mineral Point Road, South Junction Road, and Watts Road.

 

In order to safely complete the project, we can expect occasional nighttime single lane closures on the beltline. There will also be limited overnight full closures of the beltline to remove the existing bridge and set beams for the new bridge. When these closures occur, a signed detour route will be posted using South Gammon Road and Mineral Point Road. Throughout the construction process access to all the local businesses you currently patronize will be maintained.

 

The bridge replacement and sidewalk addition will be great improvements for the safety of bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. Thank you for your patience and understanding during construction.

 

For more details or if you have any questions about the construction you can visit the project’s Department of Transportation website by clicking here.

 


2017-2018 Official State Highway Maps

My office has received the new 2017-2018 official state highway maps. If you would like one, please feel free to stop by my office, call, or email your request. If you can’t get to our office to pick yours up, we are happy to mail maps to you.

 

 


Fun Wisconsin Fact

In honor of Black History Month, all of February’s fun facts will be about African American contributions to Wisconsin’s history.

 

William T. Green was one of the first black graduates of the UW-Madison’s Law School in 1892. One of the most famous cases he litigated was Howell v. Litt, which went all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Green was the first African America attorney to argue a case before the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. This lawsuit led to the creation of the state's Wisconsin Civil Rights Act of 1895, which Green helped draft. The act put an end to discrimination in saloons, restaurants, inns, barbershops, and most other public locations.

 

Click here to unsubscribe