Redistricting Update: Republicans Propose Gerrymander 2.0

Earlier this week, Republicans released their legislative and congressional redistricting proposals. You view interactive maps of their proposals here.

Unfortunately, these maps from the Republicans are just a minor retooling of the current maps, which are considered some of the most politically gerrymandered maps in the country. The newly proposed maps were clearly drawn by Republican leaders with the intent of consolidating and maintaining their own power for the next 10 years.

Republicans will do anything to hold onto power and insulate themselves from the accountability of democracy. No political party should be able to rig the maps to stay in power, but that is what Republicans are trying to do. People should choose their elected officials, not the other way around.

A Joint Public Hearing will be held on the bills that would enact these new maps on Thursday, October 28 at 9:00 AM in Room 412 East in the Capitol.

Governor Evers reacted to the maps proposed by Republican leadership indicating that he will not sign any such gerrymandered maps into law. He previously put together the People’s Maps Commission to allow citizens and experts to draw fair maps without political influence. The Commission’s latest proposed maps may be found here. Assuming Republicans do not make changes and the maps are vetoed, it is likely that either a state or federal court will draw the final maps.

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Input Sought on Clean Energy Plan

Governor Evers is leading efforts to develop Wisconsin’s first Clean Energy Plan. The plan will serve as a guide to meeting the Governor’s goal of carbon-free electricity generation by 2050 and to meeting the state’s commitment to cut at least half of all greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade.

Wisconsin's Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy has already held two public listening sessions on the Clean Energy Plan and will be holding two more on October 26.

• Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. -- Transit & Transportation: Decarbonization strategies, pathways and programs to achieve clean and efficient transportation, balancing costs and prioritizing equity.
• Oct. 26, 6 to 8 p.m. -- Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency: Potential programs, policies, and support for clean energy generation, transmission, end-use renewable energy consumption, and innovation ranging from batteries and storage to community solar, carbon capture, and energy efficiency.  

Visit www.go.madison.com/clean-energy-plan to register for either or both of the sessions, which will be streamed via Zoom. Those without internet access can participate by dialing 1-877-873-8018 (conference code: 248199). Sessions will also be streamed on the state Department of Administration's YouTube channel.

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Assembly to Meet Twice Next Week

The State Assembly will be meeting on both Tuesday and Wednesday. You can find Tuesday’s agenda here, and Wednesday’s here.

At the beginning of session on Tuesday, we will honor First Responders of the Year from each Assembly district. We will be announcing the name of the 78^th Assembly District’s First Responder of the Year on Monday and will have more about the recipient of this year’s award in next week’s newsletter. Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations.

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Community Health Center State Grant Champion Award

This week, I was honored to receive a Community Health Center State Grant Champion Award from the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association. This award recognizes my work to advance access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care to the uninsured and medically underserved communities across our state.

The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association serves Wisconsin's seventeen Federally Qualified Health Centers, also known as Community Health Centers. Community Health Centers serve some of our most vulnerable neighbors throughout the state and have been deploying every tool available to continue providing care to patients throughout the pandemic. I was thrilled to support and help pass legislation to ensure they have the resources they need, especially at this challenging time.

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Committee Update

This week, two of my committees held meetings. The Energy and Utilities committee held a public hearing, while the Health Committee voted on bills in Executive Session.

Two bills were heard at a public hearing in the Energy and Utilities Committee:

• Assembly Bill 588: Allows persons to charge fees for the use of electric vehicle charging stations and the installation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations by the Department of Transportation or a political subdivision.
• Assembly Bill 504: Makes changes to requirements for water supply service area plans for public water systems.

Follow the links to each bill to learn more.

The Health Committee also met and passed 17 bills. While there were some bills that passed unanimously, the hearing was dominated by proposals to limit or impede access to abortion services. Rather than focus on issues that help Wisconsinites recover from the greatest health crisis in a century, the Republican-led Health Committee is instead trying to advance an extreme anti-choice, anti-women’s health agenda.

Bills passed out of the health committee include:

• Assembly Bill 6: requirements for children born alive following abortion or attempted abortion and providing a penalty.
• Assembly Bill 36: permitting pharmacists to prescribe certain contraceptives, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
• Assembly Bill 128: requires informed consent before performing a pelvic exam on a patient who is under general anesthesia or unconscious.
• Assembly Bill 262: induced abortion reporting.
• Assembly Bill 281: registration of pharmacy technicians.
• Assembly Bill 290:  reimbursement of pharmacist services under the Medical Assistance program.
• Assembly Bill 292: composition of local boards of health.
• Assembly Bill 295: licensing and regulation of pharmacies and remote dispensing sites under the pharmacy practice law, the practice of pharmacy.
• Assembly Bill 296: funding for free and charitable clinics and defining telehealth.
• Assembly Bill 337: use of epinephrine prefilled syringes and standing orders for epinephrine.
• Assembly Bill 358: regulates the sale of items that are qualified medical expenses below cost.
• Assembly Bill 493: certification of abortion providers under the Medical Assistance program.
• Assembly Bill 528: certification of abortion providers under the Medical Assistance program.
• Assembly Bill 539: prohibits discrimination in organ transplantation on the basis of disability.
• Assembly Bill 593: informed consent regarding a certain abortion-inducing drug regimen and reporting requirements for induced abortions.
• Assembly Bill 594: congenital condition educational resources.
• Assembly Bill 595: sex-selective, disability-selective, and other selective abortions and providing a penalty.
• Assembly Bill 539: prohibiting discrimination in organ transplantation on the basis of disability.

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COVID-19 Update

Dane County remains under its Face Covering Emergency Order until November 5. Face coverings are required for people ages two and older when in any enclosed space open to the public where other people, except for members of the person’s own household or living unit, are present and while driving or riding in any form of public transportation.

The CDC has recommended that people 65 and older and certain populations who are at high risk of COVID-19 who have received the a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine receive a booster shot at least six months after the completion of their vaccine primary series. This decision follows authorization by the FDA.

DHS recommends that the following populations SHOULD receive a booster dose of Pfizer at least 6 months after receiving their second dose of Pfizer in order to further strengthen their immunity:

• People 65 years and older
• All residents in long-term care
• People ages 18 and older with certain underlying medical conditions

DHS also recommends that anyone 18 years of age or older who received a one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine receive a booster at least 2 months after receiving their first dose in order to further strengthen their immunity.

For more information, view the DHS news release on COVID-19 booster shots.

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Wisconsin Ends Fiscal Year 2021 with $2.58 Billion Positive Balance

Wisconsin concluded Fiscal Year 2021, which ended on June 30, with a positive balance of $2.58 billion.  In addition, the state increased its Budget Stabilization Fund (“Rainy Day” Fund) to a record-high $1.73 billion according to the new Annual Fiscal Report released by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA).

Noteworthy items from the Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Fiscal Report include:

• The state’s undesignated general fund balance at the end of Fiscal Year 2021 was $2.58 billion, more than double the prior year’s balance of $1.17 billion in Fiscal Year 2020.
• Wisconsin transferred excess revenues of $967.4 million to its Budget Stabilization Fund, more than doubling the prior year balance. The current Budget Stabilization Fund balance now totals roughly $1.73 billion, the largest in the state’s history and more than five times larger than the balance at the end of Fiscal Year 2018.
• State general fund tax collections in Fiscal Year 2021 increased by 11.6% over the prior year and exceeded the most recent estimates by nearly $319 million.

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Wisconsin Fun Fact 

Celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month

“Leaping La Crosse News” was a monthly newsletter that was published in La Crosse from 1979-2007. The newsletter was a source filled with information centered on Lesbians living in the La Crosse area. There were many topics covered in the newsletter, such as national, state and local news of legal cases, entertainment and events, as well as social and political activities of the La Crosse area lesbian community. These newsletters also included book reviews and GLAAD news briefs. There are collections of this newsletter that can be found today online or in many libraries. The newsletter published roughly 317 separate issues.

Although the newsletter no longer exists, it was a revolutionary resource in history for the LGBTQIA+ Community. It was a catalyst for contemporary newsletters and media catered toward the LGBTQIA+ community.

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