Representative Lisa Subeck's E-Newsletter


 April 25, 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 Lunch

Thursday, April 27

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.

 


Knitting at the Library

Thursday, April 27

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Meadowridge Library

5726 Raymond Rd.

 

Learn to knit or bring your current project. Supplies provided. Children under 8 must have an adult present.

 


Skills in Computers and Literacy for Employment with Literacy Network

Thursday, April 27

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. Contact Ezi at the Literacy Network, (608)244-3911, ext. 33, for more information or to register.

 


After Dinner Mints: FUTURAMA marathon

Friday, April 28

6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

Alicia Ashman Library

733 N High Point Rd

 

Come to the Alicia Ashman Public Library on the fourth Friday to enjoy films with a message, TV Series Marathons, International Films, or Motion Picture Favorites. 

 


Fair Maps Town Hall-Madison

Saturday, April 29

10:00 am – 12:00pm

Alicia Ashman Library

733 N High Point Rd

 

Town hall on drawing fair legislative maps will highlight problems with the current system ad possibilities of reform so everyone can have a voice.

 


Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Tour

Saturday, April 29

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

UW Arboretum Visitor Center

1207 Seminole Hwy

 

See, smell, and learn about the gardens’ extensive magnolia collection, and other spring flowering plants encountered along the way, with Michael Jesiolowski, Chicago Botanic Garden senior horticulturist. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


More Woodland Wildflowers Walk

Sunday, April 30

1:00pm – 2:30pm

UW Arboretum Visitor Center

1207 Seminole Hwy

 

Every spring unfolds a little differently, but the wildflower blooming sequence follows a predictable pattern. We’re likely to see trillium, bellworts, and trout-lily as we hike our woodland trails. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.

 


West Madison Senior Coalition Free Lunch

Tuesday, May 2

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,

 

It seems that hardly a day goes by without news reports of gun violence. That is why I joined other legislators, advocates and experts yesterday to announce the formation of the Wisconsin Coalition for Gun Safety.

 

In this newsletter, you will also find more information about the gun safety coalition, an update on the state transportation budget, and news of the latest Republican attempt to chip away at access to women’s health care.

 

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

 


Wisconsin Coalition for Gun Safety

Yesterday, I joined fellow state legislators, physicians, social workers, clergy, mothers, advocates and others to introduce the Wisconsin Coalition for Gun Safety (WCGS). The coalition recognizes the importance of bringing people together to end the epidemic of gun violence in our state and our nation. Together, we will focus on reducing gun violence through community engagement, legislative action, policy reform and collaboration.

 

The Coalition announced that its first legislative priority is passage of Assembly Bill 65, a bill that would require universal background checks for all firearm sales.

 

Click here to read more about the coalition.

 


Update: Transportation Budget

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is completing the public hearing portion of budget deliberations and the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau staff will now work on finishing budget papers for the members of JFC. These papers will outline the position of the Governor, and alternatives to the Governor’s proposal, for members of JFC to consider. However, the Co-Chairs of JFC have already announced the transportation portion of the Governor’s budget is not going to advance. 

 

On Monday, the Governor signaled his desire to now use general revenue funds to finance transportation needs in the budget. 

 

The Governor’s latest proposal to use general revenue does nothing to tackle the already astronomical transportation debt our state carries, nor does it create a sustainable option for funding our infrastructure into the future. The transportation fund has two primary sources of revenue, the motor vehicle fuel tax and the motor vehicle registration fee. These funds are placed into the segregated transportation fund and may only be used for transportation related purposes.

Under normal circumstances, a typical highway construction project would be funded using a mix of federal transportation funds, state transportation fund dollars, and bonding, or borrowing, which is paid for using transportation fund dollars. In the past for every dollar raised by transportation fund taxes, a little more than a dime was used to pay for the bonding debt. Under Governor Walker, an increasingly large amount the transportation fund is used for paying interest on bonding debt.

 

We can no longer afford the level of borrowing for transportation we have seen during the Walker Administration. However, placing a greater burden on the state general fund does nothing to solve the long term transportation funding needs of Wisconsin. Using general funds for transportation will also make it far more difficult to fund other budget priorities in the short term and will create funding instability in the future.

 


Chipping Away at Women’s Health Care Access

As a member of the Assembly Committee on Health, I heard testimony on Assembly Bill 128, legislation that would prohibit the Group Insurance Board from contracting for or providing abortion services, thereby eliminating this existing women’s health care coverage for public employees. Currently, women covered by these plans have access to medically necessary abortion care.

 

Tragic complications can, and often do, arise during the course of a pregnancy. Under current law, a woman who is insured under a state insurance plan is able to consult with her physician and receive medically appropriate care and have that care covered under the terms of her insurance plan.  

 

Over the last six years, Republicans have continued chipping away at access to women’s health care, including insurance coverage for reproductive health services. This bill is yet another example of government – and in this case, one’s employer – interfering with health care decisions that should be made by a woman and her doctor. Insurance coverage, along with salary and retirement contributions, is part of the compensation paid to an individual for work which has been performed and should not be micromanaged by the state. 

 


Fixing a Flawed Law

One of the bills I have authored this session received a public hearing in the Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee last week. Assembly Bill 85 (AB 85) would allow elected municipal officials to serve as election officials in their municipalities.

 

Cities, villages, and towns have counted on their local elected officials for years to work the polls on Election Day – only where their own name is not on the ballot, of course. Last year, however, they received new guidance from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Government Accountability Board that this practice is actually prohibited under state statute. This left many municipalities without poll workers they normally relied upon to administer elections. AB 85 is a common sense fix that would allow our local elected officials to once again work the polls in their communities.

 

I am pleased that the bill has received bi-partisan support and also has the support of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and the Wisconsin Towns Association. City of Madison Alders Mark Clear and Barbara McKinney, who previously served as Chief inspectors, were able to attend the hearing to show their support, as well. Thank you to both of them!

 


Civic Engagement for ALL Residents

During the last legislative session, the State Assembly considered a bill that would have impacted immigrants. Many immigrants came to speak at a hearing on the bill, including a large number of individuals who did not speak English or spoke very limited English. I was surprised to learn that no interpreter was available, and we were left to count on a few members of the public who volunteered to step in to translate. It was clear that we should do better to ensure all residents – including non-English speakers and people with special needs – have the opportunity to participate in state government.

 

Last week, I introduced legislation which would establish a process for individuals with special needs, including non-English speakers, those in need of sign language interpreters, and those who need materials in alternate formats to access the resources necessary to participate in public hearings and other meetings. Thank you to my colleagues, Rep. Jocasta Zamarripa and Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, for working with me on the bill.

 

Click here to read more about our bill.

 


National Prescription Drug Take Back

Saturday, April 29 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Saturday serves as a reminder to take your unused prescription drugs to a collection program or event to be disposed of. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s “Drug Take Back” programs happen Saturday and other times throughout the year.

 

Drop off locations can be found all around Madison and across the state, and collection programs and events are held throughout the year.

 

The following items may be safely disposed at a drop off location: controlled and uncontrolled substances, over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, creams, non-aerosol sprays, vials, and pet medications.

 

Two locations in the 78th Assembly District:

Walgreens

7810 Mineral Point Road

Madison, WI 53717

608-833-1222

Hours: 24/7

 

Madison Police Department West District

1710 McKenna Boulevard

Madison, WI 53711

608-243-0500

Hours: M-F, 8:00am-4:00pm

 

Click here to find more information on drug take back locations and events.

 


Fun Wisconsin Fact

In 1903, William S. Harley, along with Arthur Davidson, founded the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Their very first factory was a 10 x 15- foot wooded shed with the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company carved into the door. Later that same year Walter Davidson, brother of Arthur, joined the company. To this day, the company headquarters remains in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

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