I hope everyone had a chance to get out and vote in this week’s spring elections. Congratulations to Dr. Jill Underly, who will serve as Wisconsin’s next state Superintendent of Schools. I look forward to working together with her as she takes the helm at the Department of Public Instruction. I am confident our children, teachers, and families will be in good hands as our public schools recover from the pandemic.
In this week’s newsletter, you will find a full election recap plus a budget update, a look at Wisconsin’s COVID-19 vaccination progress, news of an executive order signed by President Biden to address gun violence, and more.
If you have any questions or need assistance with any matter, please feel free to contact my office.
More than 3.3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Wisconsin to date, and nearly 2.1 million Wisconsinites have received at least one dose. Wisconsin continues to be a leader in the nation in vaccine distribution.
All Wisconsinites age 16 and up are now eligible for the vaccine. It is important to note that 16 and 17 year olds may only get the Pfizer vaccination, as it is the only one currently approved for that age group. Supply of vaccine is growing, but demand continues to outpace the amount of vaccine coming into the state, so please remain patient as our health professionals work to get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible.
On Tuesday, Governor Tony Evers announced that FEMA will provide 26 federal staff and support services to administer the COVID-19 vaccine at the Alliant Energy Center. This will increase capacity at the site.
As a reminder, the Vaccine Assistance Hotline is available. Wisconsinites can call toll-free 844-684-1064 for personal assistance with their vaccine-related questions.
On Tuesday, Wisconsinites voted to elect Dr. Jill Underly as our new State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In Dane County, we reelected Joe Parisi as our County Executive, and elected members to our City Council, school boards, and in some areas to our County Board. Thank you to everyone who put their names on the ballot this spring, and congratulations to those who will have the honor of serving our community in their respective offices. I look forward to working will these elected officials to address the concerns of residents in the 78th Assembly District, the City of Madison, Dane County, and Wisconsin. Thanks again to all who ran for your willingness to serve.
Earlier this month, I was among a a bi-partisan group of legislators to introduced a bill (Assembly Bill 244 / Senate Bill 250) that would change how we elect our members of congress in Wisconsin. Final Five Voting would improve our system, bringing more fairness and competitiveness to these races. Our proposed system has been implemented successfully in other states, with Maine using this ranked choice method in both its Congressional and Presidential elections. Alaska has passed a bill to do the same for all of its statewide elections.
First, our proposal would replace partisan primaries with a single ballot of all candidates for that office, and the candidates who are the Top Five vote earners will move onto the general election. Then, the general election would use ranked-choice voting, which will allow voters to rank the candidates in order of preference.
Finally, to be elected, a candidate must earn over 50% of the vote. If any candidate receives a majority of the first-choice preferences cast, that candidate is elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice preferences for an office or seat, the name of the candidate receiving the least number of first-choice preferences is dropped, and the second-choice preferences of the voters who preferred that candidate, if any, are then added to the first-choice preferences received by the other candidates. This continues until ultimately the candidate with the widest appeal to the greatest number of voters wins.
Governor Tony Evers is holding a series of virtual budget listening sessions to give Wisconsinites the opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on his Badger Bounceback agenda. The most recent session covered What’s Best for Our Kids.
The Joint Finance Committee, which is the state’s budget committee, has begun holding their biennial public budget hearings around the state. The first was today at the Young Auditorium on the campus of UW-Whitewater. Future sessions include:
I will also be holding budget listening sessions in late April or early May for residents of the 78th District. We are still ironing out the details and the format for these virtual events, so please watch for more details in my upcoming newsletters.
This week is National Public Health Week. This is a time to thank all of the public health officials who have worked hard to keep us safe and healthy during the pandemic. Our hardworking doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and others working in public health have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful for their efforts to make Wisconsin and the country safer during this challenging time.
Yesterday, President Joe Biden issued a series of executive orders to curb gun violence. While there is a great deal of work to do, his orders are a critical first step to addressing this important issue. Our nation’s decades-long epidemic of gun violence coupled with the most recent mass shootings have highlighted the need for common sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of people intent to do harm.
Specifics of the executive action include:
The Justice Department will issue a proposed rule to help stop the proliferation of kit guns without serial numbers, also known as “ghost guns.”
The Justice Department will issue a proposed rule to clarify when a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short barreled rifle subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.
The Justice Department will publish model “red flag” legislation for states.
The Administration is investing in evidence-based community violence interventions.
The Justice Department will issue an annual report on firearms trafficking.
The President will nominate David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Everyone has the right to feel safe, whether at work or home, in school, at the grocery store, or out in our community. President Biden’s leadership on curbing gun violence is a welcome change, and I hope these are just the first steps toward making our communities free from gun violence.
Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin is April 12 - 16 with statewide tornado drills held on Thursday, April 15 at 1:45 pm and 6:45 pm. Note that in the event of inclement weather, the drills will be postponed to April 16. Wisconsin frequently experiences thunderstorms in the summer and averages 23 tornadoes annually. This is why it is important to plan for what you will do in the event of a weather emergency.
To stay safe from severe weather, ReadyWisconsin encourages you to do the following:
Create an emergency plan and practice it. Know where designated shelters are located at home, work, and school, and be ready to go there when a tornado warning is issued.
Have multiple ways to receive alerts about approaching severe weather. Outdoor warning sirens, a NOAA Weather Radio, local media, and smart phone apps are all important tools. Don’t rely on any single source for important life-saving alerts.
If you have a mobile device, make sure it is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts. On many devices, that option is available in the settings menu.
Keep up to date on the daily forecast for your area. It can help ensure you are ready for potential severe weather threats.
Create an emergency kit for your home, with supplies such as food, water, a flashlight, and first aid kit. Find tips for building a kit at https://readywisconsin.wi.gov
There are a few changes to this year’s tornado drills. Weather alert radios will not issue a live test of the Emergency Alert System; television and radio stations can opt to address the drill during their regular news programming; and some communities may choose to test their outdoor warning sirens during their regular testing schedule instead of during the designated drill time.
Located in Riverview Park in Cadott, Wisconsin, you will find a large billboard erected by the Cadott Lions Club signifying the 45th Parallel, a line of latitude halfway to the Equator and halfway to the North Pole. While the actual geographic line is 3 miles north of the sign, Cadott takes pride in its location.
Travel an hour east to Marathon County, and you will find the tiny hamlet of Poniatowski. Just northeast of town, you will be at the junction of the 45th north latitude and the 90th west longitude. A short walk on a path on the edge of a field, constructed in 2017, will take you to the exact center of the northwestern hemisphere. This is the most accessible 45x90 point in the world, as one is located in the mountains of northwestern China, and the two others are underwater.
Jt. Finance Committee State Budget Public Hearings
The Committee on Joint Finance has announced the following dates and locations of their upcoming public hearings.
Friday, April 9, 2021 (UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI)
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 (The Hodag Dome, Rhinelander, WI)
Thursday, April 22, 2021 (UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI)
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 (Virtual)
In-person public hearings will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. The format will be similar to past hearings and attendees will be asked to fill out a form upon arrival to be added to the queue to testify. Venue management will monitor capacity, spacing, etc.
Pre-registration will be required for the virtual hearing. The registration process and details are in development and will be released as soon as possible via the new JFC website, which is also a portal for constituents to provide input: www.legis.wisconsin.gov/topics/budgetcomments. The JFC has also developed a dedicated email address for input only: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Governor Evers's Budget Listening Sessions
Badger Bounceback Live Session Justice Reform & Marijuana Legalization
Wed., April 14, 2021, at 6 p.m. Register to attend here.
The Badger Bounceback Live Session on Justice Reform & Marijuana Legalization will cover topics such as addressing racial disparities in our justice system, legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, investing in treatment, rehabilitation, and other alternatives to incarceration, and programming to support safe community reentry.
Badger Bounceback Live Session Climate Change & Our Environment
Wed., April 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. Register to attend here.
The Badger Bounceback Live Session on Climate Change & Our Environment will cover topics such as investing in stewardship and making public lands more accessible, addressing lead poisoning prevention, keeping our water clean, addressing climate change and the climate crisis, and protecting our state’s natural resources.
