Democrats Introduce Climate Change Bill Package

This week, Democrats introduced a new set of bills addressing how the State of Wisconsin can do its part in mitigating the impacts of climate change. These proposals, if passed, would improve the energy efficiency in public school buildings, introduce green banks into the state, and encourage farmers to implement more sustainable agriculture practices.

The next generation of clean energy technology is already here, and it is time Wisconsin seriously invested in a more resilient, green infrastructure. We currently live in a small window of time where mitigation policy can be effective in combating rapid climate change. With every day that we waste, that window shrinks and we can only adapt to a changing world. As one of the largest agricultural states in the nation, it is our responsibility to lead by example and develop innovative solutions.

These bills are well-researched and necessary steps forward in protecting our state’s economy and ecology, and I look forward to supporting these proposals as they make their way through the legislative process.

Back to top

2019 Gun Deer Harvest Lowest in Almost Four Decades

This past weekend, Wisconsin’s annual gun deer harvest wrapped up, meaning the Department of Natural Resources’s (DNR) results on the number of deer harvested, licenses sold, and injuries that occurred are all now open to the public. The DNR estimates that the amount deer harvested this year decreased by nearly 25%, partially due to the inclement weather conditions in much of the state.

However, the amount of licenses sold decreased by only about 2%, so it seemed as though a similar amount of people intended to hunt this year, but the timing and snow and rain inhibited them from doing so. Moreover, Wisconsin held the latest possible season opener this year, meaning that deer were less active as the fall rut had largely abated. All told, this was the lowest gun season yield in thirty-nine years, despite an estimated 1.97 million strong deer herd in the state.

Back to top

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Governor Tony Evers has ordered the flags of the United States and State of Wisconsin be lowered to half-mast over all state installations on Saturday, December 7^th to commemorate National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. December 7^th marks the Imperial Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack claimed the lived of over 2,400 American service members, including fifty-four Wisconsinites. The U.S. officially entered World War II on the side of the Allies the next day.

Back to top

 Blue Books and State Maps Still Available

Back to top

Wisconsin Fun Fact

The Heil Rail Joint Welding Company was created in 1901 in a small building in Milwaukee, as the welding process was introduced as a new technology. Heil wished to apply welding to railroads in the Midwest, and by World War II, the process had evolved to include automotive vehicles and engines.

During the Second World War, many women who had been accustomed to domestic home life, found themselves contributing to the war effort by entering the work force. One woman of note during this period was Enola O’Connell, a 32 year old widow and mother from Milwaukee. She was the only female welder at Heil, and spent her days between the late 1930s and early 1940s creating gasoline tanks for the U.S. Army during the war. This was her first working position outside of her home. She is a true testament to the roles women took on during WWII. As Wisconsin’s “Rosie the Riveter,” I proudly have her photograph hanging in my office in the Capitol!

Back to top