Welcome to this edition of my e-update. It has been a busy week serving the hardworking folks of the 87th Assembly District and I look forward to sharing a bit about it with you below.
This week I’m excited to inform you about a new package of legislation that will help strengthen our state's sporting heritage, provide an update on legislation I've brought forward to help more of our disabled veterans, and some great events around the 87th Assembly District. Also, if you know of any upcoming events that were not included please feel free to share them with my office so we can include them in a future edition of my e-update.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any thoughts on issues before the legislature or if you need assistance with a state agency.
Sporting Freedom
Hunting, fishing, trapping, and other forms of outdoor recreation are Wisconsin traditions. This is even more true across the Northwoods including communities around the 87th Assembly District. As a lifelong resident of northern Wisconsin, I can say that we live in a pretty awesome place to enjoy our state's sporting heritage. Not only is outdoor recreation a part of Wisconsin culture, but it is also an incredibly important part of the economy in many parts of our state. Unfortunately, the number of folks that participate in our state's sporting traditions like hunting, fishing, and trapping has been on the decline in recent years. A part of this decline has been a decrease in hunting and fishing opportunities, as well as increased regulation which has discouraged Wisconsinites from participating in these activities.
On Wednesday, I joined a number of my legislative colleagues as well as folks from the sporting community at a press conference to announce the introduction of theSporting Freedom Package. This package seeks to reverse the decline in sporting participation by increasing opportunities for Wisconsinites to hunt and fish and removing barriers like burdensome regulations. We were joined at this press conference by hunting advocate and rock legend Ted Nugent. I truly appreciated his enthusiasm for outdoor recreation and for getting more of our young people interested in hunting and fishing.
Many of the bills in this package, including the bill I am authoring with Senator Rob Stafsholt to increase pheasant stocking in Wisconsin, have been scheduled for a public hearing in the State Senate next week. In my next e-update, I will share some more information about my bill and others in the package so be sure to be watching your email inbox. If you would like to read a little more about this package of bills now you can click here to check out the Sporting Freedom Package website.
Helping Our Disabled Veterans
On Tuesday, I had the honor of appearing before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee to speak in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 245. This important proposal I've authored with Senator André Jacque will expand the eligibility for the Disabled Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit to more of our deserving disabled veterans. Under current law, a veteran must have a service-connected disability rating of 100% in order to qualify for this tax credit. AB 245 expands the eligibility for this tax credit to veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% and above.
Due to their injuries, many disabled veterans live on a fixed income and struggle to pay their property taxes. Because of the way the tax credit is structured now, a veteran who has a service-connected disability rating of 80% or even 90% does not qualify for the tax credit even though they still face significant barriers to paying their property taxes. By expanding the eligibility for this tax credit, we are providing needed tax relief that will allow more of our disabled veterans to stay in their homes.
I was honored to be joined by veterans from around the state who made the trip to the Capitol to support this legislation. It was an awesome sight to see a hearing room full of veterans many of whom came not because they would personally benefit from this legislation, but because it would help their veteran brothers and sisters. If you would like to learn more about this legislation you can click here to read my testimony.
Veterans Job and Resource Fair
On Wednesday, October 27th, Congressman Tom Tiffany will be hosting a veterans job and resource fair in Hayward. This event will help veterans who are searching for employment or for ways to get involved in the community. I am grateful to Congressman Tiffany and his staff for putting this event together. For more information on this event click here to visit the event website.
Upcoming Events Around the 87th
One of my favorite parts about serving as your state representative is getting out and interacting with constituents at many of the wonderful community events across the 87th District. Check out some of the upcoming events around the district below. Also, if you know of any other events, please contact my office and let me know, so I can include them in a future e-update and try to attend myself.
Check out some of the events coming up around the district:
One of the best ways to stay up to date with what is going on in Madison is to sign up for the legislature's notification tracking service. This service allows you to follow legislative activity in Madison. Once you create a free account you can sign up to receive notifications about specific bills or committees as well as legislative activity pertaining to a subject area (i.e. agriculture, veterans). You can sign up for this service at notify.legis.wisconsin.gov.
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If you have any thoughts regarding the subject of this E-Update, please feel free to contact me.
State Capitol Room 109 West - PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0087 or (608) 266-7506 Email: Rep.Edming@legis.wisconsin.gov
