CONSIDINE CONNECTS

Capitol Updates from State Rep. Dave Considine

March 25, 2015

Dear friend,

I hope you have been enjoying your spring - or what little we had before the cold weather moved back in this week! While March Madness makes its way through Wisconsin,  my colleagues and I in the Legislature continue to focus on hearing your thoughts, questions, and concerns on the state budget. Below, you'll find information on upcoming budget hearings in and around the 81st District, as well as an update on our Save SeniorCare petition drive and more. As always, please feel free to call, email, or write me with any questions or concerns! I am here to serve you, and your input is extremely valuable to me.

Sincerely,

In this issue:

• Joint Finance Committee State Budget Hearing in Reedsburg: March 26th

• Democratic State Budget Listening Sessions

• SeniorCare Petition Deadline - March 27th

• Wisconsin Grassroots Festival - March 28th

• Annual Maple Syrup Festival at the MacKenzie Center - April 4th

Joint Finance Committee State Budget Public Hearing: March 26th

This Thursday, March 26th from 9:30 AM-4:00 PM at the Reedsburg High School CAL Center Auditorium (1100 South Albert Ave, Reedsburg), the Joint Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on the state budget. If you are able, I strongly encourage you to attend this hearing. While reaching out to your legislators is also very welcome and highly important, speaking in person to the members of JFC is one of the best ways to make your opinions known on the budget.

However, my colleagues and I understand that these JFC daytime hearings can be inconvenient for people with busy work and family schedules. That is why we are hosting a series of alternative budget listening sessions at more widely accessible times (see details below).

Democratic State Budget Listening Sessions

As you know, your input on the state budget is extremely valuable. In order to hear from as many Wisconsinites as possible, my Democratic colleagues and I have scheduled a series of budget listening sessions in locations across the state. These sessions, which are being held in the evenings and on weekends, are designed to accommodate the busy schedules of working families and individuals who may not be able to attend daytime hearings. If you have comments you would like to share with the Joint Finance Committee but are unable to attend a hearing or listening session, please feel free to send them to me at Rep.Considine@legis.wisconsin.gov, PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708, or by phone at (608) 266-7746. I would be happy to forward them on your behalf.

The nearest listening sessions to the 81st District are below. Please also see the attached schedule for even more dates and times.

Saturday, March 28th

Platteville Common Council Chambers

75 N Bonson St, Platteville, WI 53818

Monday, March 30th

UW-Oshkosh Reeve Union

Room 213

800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI 54901

Tuesday, March 31st

Dodgeville Common Council Chambers

100 E Fountain St, Dodgeville, WI 53533

SeniorCare Petition Deadline - March 27th

THANK YOU again to all those who have participated in our petition drive to Save SeniorCare. Due to overwhelming support for the SeniorCare program, we previously extended the petition deadline. The final deadline to turn in SeniorCare petitions is now this Friday, March 27th. If you have circulated petitions but have not yet returned them to my office, please do so by this Friday. You can also sign online via my website. I truly appreciate your extraordinary help and cooperation!

7th Annual Wisconsin Grassroots Festival - March 28th

The seventh annual Wisconsin Grassroots Festival will be held at Wisconsin Heights High School in Mazomanie this Saturday, March 28th. Included in the program are presentations from Congressman Mark Pocan, Mike McCabe, and many state legislators and local leaders. Registration costs $20 and begins at 8:00 AM, with presentations starting at 9:00 AM. For more information, visit the Wisconsin Grassroots Network's website: http://www.wisconsingrassroots.net/festival2015.

Annual Maple Syrup Festival at the MacKenzie Center - April 4th
This year's Maple Syrup Festival at the MacKenzie Center in Poynette will feature a whole day of fun activities, including demonstrations on how to tap a maple tree and make syrup, guided tours of the sugar bush, live old-time country music, and horse-drawn wagon rides. In addition, the Center's wildlife area and historic exhibits will be open to participants. The festival runs from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM on Saturday, April 4th at the MacKenzie Center, located 2 miles east of Poynette on County Road CS/Q. For more information, visit the DNR's website at http://dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "MacKenzie".

March Photo Update

Check out these photos and more on my legislative website and Facebook!

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/81/considine