Taking
Action on Net Neutrality
This week, my Democratic
colleagues and I sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in support of maintaining current rules governing net neutrality.
Net neutrality requires that internet service providers (ISPs) treat all
content equally and do not give preference to specific digital content
providers. This means that you can load websites, apps, videos, etc.,
without interference, regardless of where the content is hosted. For
example, an ISP cannot charge more for sites that stream movies or
promote a specific agenda. This is also referred to as the open
internet.
Unfortunately, the Federal government has posed new threats to net
neutrality. In May, FCC Chair Ajit Pai suggested removing the
classification for ISPs as a public utility, which would overturn the
net neutrality rules put in place under the Obama administration. This
could allow your Internet Service Provider to charge you more to access
certain websites.
The Internet is first and foremost an information service, and I support
the current FCC rules that require Internet service providers to treat
all web content equally. Internet access is crucial to students,
businesses, families, and nearly anyone in Wisconsin to access and
exchange information. It has become part of our daily lives, and it is
unconscionable to consider limiting or obstructing its access just so a
few big corporations can profit at the expense of everyone else.
Budget:
Three Weeks Past Due
This week, Senate
Republicans held a press conference to discuss their position on the
proposed budget. In addition to changes already made by the Joint
Finance Committee, Senate Republicans propose a number of items authored
by individual Senators. These ideas have been developed behind closed
doors, outside of the traditional budget process. Meanwhile, Senate and
Assembly Republicans continue to fight amongst themselves, leaving the
state budget 3 weeks past due.
Under the typical budget process, agencies formulate their budget
requests and submit them to a Governor; the Governor provides the
legislature with a budget proposal; and then the Joint Finance Committee
holds public hearings. Next, the Finance Committee meets in a series of
Executive Sessions to consider and vote on the budget one piece at a
time. When that work is complete, the budget is considered by both
houses before returning to the Governor for his signature and vetoes.
Instead, Republicans are negotiating behind closed doors – out of the
view of the public and without public input – leaving the state without
a budget as the Joint Finance Committee’s work sits stalled.
Wisconsin deserves better than the current dysfunction at the hands of
the majority party. While Wisconsin government does not shut down
because of the budget delay, our schools are left without critical
funding increases and road repairs face delays. School districts and
local government are unable to plan their own budgets for the upcoming
year without knowing state funding levels, and crumbling infrastructure
projects may stall. It is time the Republican leadership in the
Legislature stop playing politics and start getting serious about the
business of running our state.
Fighting
Climate Change
I am pleased to
co-author legislation which would require our state to comply with
greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the Paris climate
agreement.
Since President Trump chose to withdraw from that agreement, a growing
coalition of states and territories have made commitments to honoring
the Paris climate agreement. I believe Wisconsin should joint
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and
Washington by honoring the Paris agreement as well.
In Wisconsin, the impact of climate change is plainly evident. We are
seeing more extreme weather events and crop losses due to temperature
changes. Some regions of our state are dealing with the aftermath of
flooding for the second time in 10 years due to rainfall totals we used
to expect to see once every 100 years.
President Trump has apparently accepted the misguided notion that
honoring the agreement and taking steps to protect our environment will
harm our economy. History says otherwise. In 1910, Wisconsinites made a
commitment to the environment by approving a constitutional amendment
promoting forest and water conservation. In the century that followed,
Wisconsin became a leader in manufacturing and developed one of the
strongest, most vibrant middle classes in the nation. As our commitment
to the environment and conservation grew stronger, so did our economy
and so did our middle class.
Honoring the Paris agreement and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is
right for our environment and right for our economy. Rather than sending
billions of dollars out of state each year to pay for fossil fuels, we
can invest in renewable energy and support Wisconsin companies that
produce solar panel components and wind turbines and install geothermal
systems. Honoring the Paris agreement is a win for Wisconsin.
New
Computer Science Standards
Wisconsin’s Department
of Public Instruction (DPI) recently adopted standards for computer
science, making us one of only nine states to have established academic
standards for this increasingly important subject area.
DPI’s standards define Computer Science as "an academic discipline that
encompasses the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including
their principles, their hardware and software designs, their
applications, networks, and their impact on society."
DPI outlined the following four goals of the new standards
-
Introduce the fundamental
concepts of Computer Science to all students, beginning at the
elementary school level.
-
Present CS at the secondary
school level in a way that will be both accessible and worthy of a
CS credit, or as a graduation credit.
-
Offer additional
secondary-level CS standards that will allow interested students to
study facets of CS in depth and prepare them for entry into a career
or college.
-
Increase the knowledge of CS
for all students, especially those from under-represented groups in
this field.
Click here to view a copy of the new Computer Science Standards.
In Wisconsin, all state standards serve as a model. Authority to adopt
academic standards is up to locally elected school boards. The Wisconsin
Standards for Computer Science were the first set of academic standards
developed through Wisconsin’s standards review process adopted in 2016.
Public
Input Sought on Academic Standards
As part of the ongoing
standards review and revision process, public comment is now open on
updated standards in music, science, and information and technology
literacy, as well.
While there are no more public hearings scheduled, comments on the three
sets of standards are still being collected through the Department of
Public Instruction’s academic standards website.
Click here to view the
standards and submit comment.
During the public comment period, the standards will also be reviewed by
both the Assembly and Senate Education committees. The standards will
then be submitted to the state superintendent for approval and
publication through the Department of Public Instruction.
Facing
Flood Damage? Don't be Left High and Dry by Storm Chasers
Last week's torrential
rains brought devastating flooding to Wisconsin, specifically in the
Southeast. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection (DATCP) reminds affected property owners of storm damage to
seek trusted local contractors for repairs and to be on the lookout for
transient contractors (or "storm chasers").
Always use caution in your interactions with storm chasers, never let
them into your home, and do not give in to their high-pressure pitches.
Start your search for help with a storm repair project by researching
trusted local contractors. Seek references from friends, family members,
local home builder associations and co-workers, and contact DATCP's
Consumer Protection Hotline (800-422-7128) to find out about complaints
against particular businesses.
Consider these additional tips if you are seeking help with a home
repair following a major storm:
-
Ask contractors if they are
subcontracting your job. If they are, find out who the subcontractor
will be and check them out as well.
-
Get lien waivers from anyone
you pay for home repairs. Lien waivers protect you if the person
collecting the money does not pay the suppliers or workers.
-
Get a written contract with a
start and completion date and warranty information. Also, make
certain that the contract states exactly what work is to be done and
what materials are to be used. Never rely on a verbal commitment.
-
Have someone watch the work
being done. Check with your local building inspector to see if the
work requires a permit. Make sure an inspector visits the job site
before you make a final payment.
-
Request a copy of the
contractor's certificate of liability insurance.
Local door-to-door solicitation
rules vary by municipality, and there are legitimate businesses that may
knock on your door with a sales pitch. A good practice to follow is to
request a business representative's permit to operate if your
municipality has a door-to-door sales ordinance.
For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer
Protection Bureau at
www.datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an e-mail to
datcphotline@wisconsin.gov
or call the Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at 1-800-422-7128.
Fun
Wisconsin Fact
John Bardeen was an
American physicist and electrical engineer who was born and raised in
Madison. Bardeen attended UW-Madison for both his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in electrical engineering, and he later attended
Princeton University to earn his doctorate in mathematical physics.
Bardeen is the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice.
He was first awarded the Nobel Prize in 1956 with William Shockley and
Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor; and again in 1972
with Leon N Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer for a fundamental theory
of conventional superconductivity known as the BCS theory.