Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last month I was sworn in as your Representative to the State Assembly. Please let me introduce myself to those of you who I have not yet met, with hopes of meeting you soon. My first four weeks in the Capitol have gone by quickly, and I am excited to be sending you my first e-newsletter update.

I will be sending these weekly updates to provide you importation information and to let you know what is happening at the Capitol.

Please do not hesitate to contact my office about issues before the legislature or if you need help navigating state agencies and services. My staff and I are here to help. Feel free to call, email or stop in at your convenience. 

Take your Legislator to Work Day

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining a young man named David at the Westside YMCA where he works each day to keep the facility clean and vibrant for its members. My visit was part of the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities “Take your Legislator to Work Day.”

It was a joy to spend a couple of hours with David and to learn about what he does each day at the YMCA. With the support of a job coach, David has been working at the YMCA for the last few years and is a valued employee of the organization.

As David does his work cleaning equipment in the workout facility, he interacts with YMCA members. It is clear that members and other staff look forward to seeing David and hearing him share his joke of the day. Most importantly, David has the opportunity for independence provided by this work experience, and it is clear that those who interact with David at the YMCA have a better understanding of people with developmental disabilities and their contributions to our community.

Republicans Begin Session with Attacks on Public Education

The very first bills introduced by Republicans in both the Senate and the Assembly were their so-called “school accountability” bills. These bills make a number of changes to how we measure the quality of our schools, propose a misleading grade-based ranking system, offer punitive measures that take authority away from our locally elected school boards, and fail to hold private voucher schools that receive state funding to the same standards as our public schools.

Some changes have already been made to the proposals, as the Senate and Assembly versions of the bill are quite different, meaning there is room for change if the bill moves forward. The bills currently remain in committee, and I will continue to monitor the bills’ progress should they move forward. I remain committed to supporting and providing adequate funding for public education so that our neighborhood schools have the resources they need to provide every child with a great education.

Gearing up for the Budget

Tonight, Governor Walker will give his budget address and release his proposed budget for the next two years. We begin the budget process with a $2 billion deficit and a lagging economy, with Wisconsin ranked dead last in the Midwest for private sector job growth over the past three years.

Facing these significant challenges, now is clearly the time we should be investing in our state to make us competitive in the 21^st century global economy, but so far, all Governor Walker has offered are drastic cuts to higher education. As we prepare for our budget deliberations, I will focus on putting Wisconsin’s working families first and will fight for access to family supporting jobs, access to health care, high quality and affordable higher education, and support for our neighborhood public schools.

Proposed UW Cuts

We do know that the Governor’s budget will include massive cuts to the University of Wisconsin system, cutting $300 million statewide. Over the past several days many of you have shared with me your concerns about these cuts and how they impact our world class university here in Madison. I share your concerns and am disappointed that at a time when most other Midwest states are increasing funding for their public universities, the Governor has chosen to lead Wisconsin down a path toward the most drastic higher education cuts seen anywhere in the midwest.

As a UW-Madison graduate, I know firsthand the value of a degree from a top-notch university. I also understand the critical role the university plays in our economy and what it means to the future of our state. We must preserve the high quality and affordable educational opportunities it provides for Wisconsin families. During the upcoming budget deliberations, I am committed to fighting these cuts and will work to restore funding for the University of Wisconsin. The Governor’s proposed cuts are a clear move in the wrong direction.

Sincerely,

Lisa Subeck

State Representative

78th Assembly District