Welcome to the latest edition of my e-newsletter. This week’s update comes to you on Monday due to technical issues with the legislature’s newsletter server that kept us from sending it on Friday. This week’s update includes information related to our special session on the state’s Unemployment Insurance program, the latest on vaccines, and more.
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
Last month, Gov. Evers called a special session to modernize our unemployment insurance (UI) system. Last week, the Republican leadership finally decided we would meet after months of inaction. Meanwhile, hardworking Wisconsinites who became unemployed through no fault of their own during the COVID-19 pandemic were left waiting for assistance.
The legislation we passed last week is just a start and includes short-term solutions. It eliminates the 1-week waiting-period until March 13 and allows the governor to request funding from the Legislature for the modernization of our aging UI software and infrastructure. I remain hopeful that the legislature can work together for long-term solutions by approving the Governor’s proposed investments in our UI infrastructure during the upcoming budget process.
Holocaust Education Bill Moves Through Legislative Process
This past week, I testified before the Senate Committee on a bipartisan bill I coauthored (Senate Bill 69) that would require that the Holocaust and other genocides be included in state social studies curriculum. Last year, we came close to passing the bill, but it stalled in the Senate due to the pandemic. Holocaust education is important to ensure such atrocities are never repeated. Recent research indicated that 22% of millennials have never heard of the Holocaust, a statistic I find chilling. Another study indicated that 63% of respondents under the age of 40 did not know 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. At a time when anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise in our state and nation, it is time to add Wisconsin to the growing list of states that require Holocaust education to be taught in our schools.
Forward Wisconsin is a project of the Wisconsin Assembly Democrats aimed at lifting the voices of Wisconsinites who believe our state budget should work for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for Wisconsin families and small businesses, and now is the time to invest in an economic recovery that benefits all of us. Forward Wisconsin will be organizing across the state and hosting virtual meetings so legislators can hear your feedback on the state budget.
Meeting Dates/Topics:
March 3 at 7 pm: Criminal Justice Reform and Democracy (register here)
March 10 at 7 pm: Education and Childcare
March 17 at 7 pm: Climate, Environment and Equal Rights
March 24 at 7 pm: Healthcare
March 31 at 7 pm: Economy and Infrastructure
Click here to sign up for updates and event invitations.
As of February 28, over 1.4 million Wisconsinites have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
This week, the Department of Health Services (DHS) introduced a map to help eligible people find COVID-19 vaccination location (see map here). On March 1, DHS is rolling out a statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Registry, which will help connect people with available vaccines, provide a central place to let people know where and when they can get vaccinated, and help with appointment scheduling. This service recently launched in Dane County. If eligible, you can sign up here.
Congratulations to all of the candidates who successfully came through the primaries earlier this month. The names will appear on the ballot for the Spring Election on April 6. The only statewide race on the April ballot is the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Also on the ballot, you will find races for local offices like Dane County Executive, City Council, School Board, and in some instances, Dane County Board.
If you have not already requested your absentee ballot, you can visit myvote.wi.gov to do so today. You can also find where you vote, what is on your ballot, and other important information there.
Wisconsin Fun Fact Celebrating Black History Month
In 1917, Paramount Records was founded and operated by the Wisconsin Chair Company, which manufactured phonograph cabinets. In order to drum up business, the company produced records that were free with the purchase of a phonograph.
In 1922, the company began producing music by black artists for black customers. In 1929, Paramount built a recording studio in Grafton. Black artists from around the country came to record their work, mostly the blues and jazz genres, in the Grafton studio. Due to the economic conditions of the era, the studio folded in 1935, and many of the master recordings from the Grafton studio were sold as scrap metal.
Today, the Village of Grafton embraces its musical past with a plaza in their downtown featuring an entertainment stage, water fountain, and a unique set of piano keys painted on the sidewalk.
