Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 

Last week, the State Assembly considered the Governor's proposal to provide $3 billion in corporate welfare and to waive environmental laws that protect our air, land, and water for Foxconn. I voted against the bill, as it is a bad deal for the taxpayers of Wisconsin and puts our environment in jeopardy. The bill passed the Assembly and now awaits action in the Senate.

In this newsletter you will find a budget update, information about a bill that would repeal Wisconsin’s mining moratorium law, and more on efforts to undermine professional licensing in Wisconsin.

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

Budget Update
While the Governor has claimed that a deal has been reached on key parts of the budget, Republican leaders in the legislature are saying that is not the case. Yesterday the Joint Finance Committee did resume its work after weeks without any action, but the committee has still failed to address key issues of funding for education and transportation.

Agency budgets voted on this week include the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Public Defender Office; Department of Revenue; Department of Corrections. However, portions of the Department of Natural Resources budget up for a vote have raised the most concern.

In addition to concerns with a proposed reorganization of the Department, many I have heard from many of you with your concerns about the proposed elimination of the Forestry Mill Tax. This tax appears on your annual property tax bill. While it was created to help regrow our forests and woodlands after they were clear-cut statewide the previous 50 years, the fund is now used to assist with forest management efforts, help with fire prevention expenses, and provide financial assistance for urban forestry programs.

In place of the Forestry Mill Tax, the Governor proposes funding Wisconsin’s approximately $90 million annual forestry programs with general purpose revenues derived primarily from income and sales taxes. The problem is that as there is more competition for limited general funds in future budgets, the funding for forestry programs will be at risk of cuts.

New Effort to Repeal Wisconsin’s Mining Moratorium
Wisconsin’s mining moratorium is simple: If a company wants to open a mine in Wisconsin, it must prove that a mine using similar technology has operated safely elsewhere. The law is sometimes referred to as a "Prove it First" law. In Wisconsin, it is vital that we have these protections in place because the copper, gold and other metals that may be mined here are found in sulfide ore bodies. When the ore is exposed to water and air – this enables a reaction to occur that creates acid drainage.

Our current law was enacted due to attempts to locate an underground mine near Crandon, Wisconsin in close proximity to the Wolf River. In the case of the proposed Crandon mine, waste from mining operations would have been stored on site and large quantities of water seeping into the mine would have needed to be pumped out and then discharged. The potential for devastating acid drainage was simply too great to be ignored.

Now, Republicans have introduced legislation to repeal this law. The authors of the repeal cite the Flambeau mine which operated near Ladysmith, Wisconsin – as an environmentally successful mine. The statement that the Flambeau mine was environmentally successful is untrue and absolutely not supported by science. As of last year, copper levels in the Flambeau River tributary impacted by the mine were above the acute toxicity criterion of 12 parts per billion (ppb). Earlier levels have registered as high as 88 ppb. The standard set to protect fish is about 4 ppb.

We should keep in mind that the Flambeau mine was a relatively small open-pit mine that operated for only four years. Other potential mining sites in northern Wisconsin are far larger and carry substantially greater risk.

In an April, 2017, report documenting surface and ground water contamination at Flambeau authored by Dr. Robert E. Moran, a world-renowned hydrogeologist, the doctor stated, “I know of no metal-sulfide mines anywhere in the world that have met the criteria of Wisconsin’s 1998 moratorium on issuance of permits for mining of sulfide ore bodies without degrading the original water quality, long-term.”

Given the willingness of Republicans to waive environmental standards to increase profits for Foxconn, it should come as no surprise that they are now proposing rolling back laws that keep our water safe to pave the way to profits for big mining companies. I will continue fighting for people before profits and will work to stop this attempt to repeal Wisconsin's "Prove it First" law.

Professional Licensure Targeted
There are many occupations that are licensed in Wisconsin through the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Because of this licensing, consumers can confidently seek out the services of a licensed professional and know that the individual has received the education and training necessary to safely and competently provide a service.

We are also able to draw people to these professions by ensuring that if an individual invests the time and money in learning an occupation and becoming licensed, that they will be able to earn a good income and not face competition from people with questionable credentials.

Yesterday, the Assembly Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform and the Senate Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations held a hearing on legislation that may set the groundwork to undermine professional licensing in our state.

Licensing structure and oversight of occupations by professional boards should change over time, but changes ought to be driven by the need to protect the public and by members of each profession. These bills would serve to devalue these professions and place the public at risk.

Women’s Equality Day
Tomorrow is Women's Equality Day, marking the 97th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. As we celebrate this occasion, women still face significant challenges in gaining full equality. In the workplace, women still earn just 78 cents on the dollar compared to men. And women are still grossly underrepresented in elected bodies locally, as well as on the state and federal levels. We have come a long way since the days of the Suffragettes fighting for our right to vote, yet we have much work to do.

New Joining Forces for Families Office on Southwest Side
Last week, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced the opening of an additional Joining Forces for Families office on Madison’s Southwest Side. The new location will be at the Elver Park Neighborhood Center, 1201 McKenna Blvd. The new office will reach more families, strengthen services, and help maintain healthy neighborhoods on the Southwest side of Madison.

The Joining Forces for Families organization works with residents of our neighborhoods to address the needs and priorities of the community. The types of programs they have and are working on include mentor and reading programs, afterschool activities, community get-togethers, parenting classes, and support groups. This will be a great new addition to the Southwest side.

Identity Theft 101: Protecting Yourself on Campus
With a new school year set to begin, college students statewide are heading to campus with armfuls of computers, mobile devices and personal documents. In the wrong hands, any of these items could be a gold mine for an identity thief. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection urges students to study up on ways to minimize the threat of identity theft.

By acquiring just a small amount of information, identity thieves can recreate and misuse a person’s identity, destroying the victim’s financial reputation and causing endless stress on the victim and their family members. An identity thief can damage a victim’s credit and tax records, severely hindering the victim’s ability to land a job, buy a car, or secure student loans. Identity theft costs consumers millions of dollars in fraudulent charges each year, and a victim’s recovery can take years and cost thousands of dollars.

Personally identifiable information (PII) that can be used to steal and reuse your identity includes any combination of the following: your name, address, phone number, and date of birth, ATM pin codes, Social Security number, mother’s maiden name and financial account numbers. Documents that contain these sensitive elements should be locked away or shredded when they are no longer needed.

Students can minimize the risk of identity theft by following these simple tips:
Don't:

• Carry your Social Security card in your wallet.

• Shop online or pay bills on a public computer, through an unsecured website, or on an unsecured Wi-Fi network.

• Give solicitors any personal financial information or your Social Security number.

• Post personal details on social media.

Do:

• Keep your room locked and keep documents containing PII out of sight, preferably in a lockbox.

• Make sure that your devices are set to require a passcode or fingerprint to login.

• Shred pre-approved credit card offers and any unnecessary bills and paperwork that contain PII.

• Put mail directly in U.S. Postal Service mailboxes instead of unsecured campus mailboxes.

For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at datcp.wisconsin.gov, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or e-mail datcphotline@wisconsin.gov.

Fun Wisconsin Fact
The statue atop the State Capitol is often mistaken for "Forward." The sculpture at the highest point of the Wisconsin’s State Capitol building is officially named “Wisconsin” but has also been nicknamed the “Golden Lady.” “Wisconsin” was sculpted during 1913 and 1914 by Daniel Chester French of New York City. He is more famously known for sculpting the Abraham Lincoln statue for the Lincoln Memorial. “Wisconsin” is a nod to the Greek goddess, Athena. The figure’s outstretched right arm is said to symbolize the state motto, “Forward” and points to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C..