Time for Life

I am pleased to share that a number of pro-life proposals received a public hearing earlier this week in the Assembly Health Committee. While I feel all of these bills are important, the one that really hits home for me is Assembly Bill (AB) 6, the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act.

Contrary to what opponents of the legislation say, this bill does not place any restrictions on abortions. It simply protects children who are born alive after a failed abortion procedure. Currently, the law is not clear on what health care providers should do if a child survives an abortion. This legislation clarifies for healthcare providers that they must exercise the same amount of professional skill and care for a child who survives an abortion as they would any other patient. I support this bill because I believe that whether a child is wanted or not, once it is born alive that child deserves the same medical care as any other person.

In addition to AB 6 other pro-life bills that received a hearing this week include,

• AB 593 - requires certain information to be provided to a woman prior to receiving an abortion by an abortion-inducing drug regimen, and increases the information reported to the Department of Health Services after an induced abortion takes place
• AB 594 - requires parents of a child diagnosed with a congenital condition to be provided with educational resources that can help establish context and provide support
• AB 595 - "Shield the Vulnerable Act" would make it illegal to terminate a pregnancy based on a child's disability, race, or sex

These proposals have been scheduled for a vote in committee next week and I hope to have the opportunity to vote in favor of them on the Assembly floor soon.

Under the Dome

Blue Books Have Arrived!

Taylor the Bear is pleased to announce that the 2021-2022 edition of the Wisconsin Blue Book has arrived! The Wisconsin Blue Book contains a wealth of information about our state. This ranges from our elected officials and gubernatorial board appointments to state symbols and statistical data about our state. First published in 1853 as a manual for state legislators, today it is a useful resource to have on hand for all Wisconsinites.

If you would like to request a complimentary copy of the 2021-22 Blue Book please fill out the Blue Book Request Form on my website by clicking here. If you requested a copy when you completed my spring survey earlier this year, my staff is currently working on getting one sent out to you. You should expect them to arrive within the next couple of weeks.

Also, my office currently has limited quantities of both the 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 Blue Books available. If you would like a copy of these editions too please indicate that on the form as well.

Draw Your District Deadline Approaching

Every ten years after the completion of the US Census the state legislature is charged with drawing new maps for legislative and congressional districts for our state. As I shared in my e-update a few weeks ago, the legislature has launched a website for members of the public to participate in the map-drawing process and submit their proposals. The deadline for proposals to be submitted is quickly approaching. Submissions will be accepted until next Friday, October 15th, 2021. You can visit the website at drawyourdistrictwisconsin.com.

Fall Color Report

The fall colors are nearing their peak across the Northwoods and it's a great time to travel Wisconsin. Fall is an awesome time to see some of the amazing beauty of our great state.  If you would like to make seeing the fall colors a part of your fall trip, be sure to check out the Fall Color Report from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.  This interactive map of Wisconsin shows you where the leaves have started to turn and when is the best time to check out the fall colors in an area of the state.  You can view the Fall Color Report by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of TravelWisconsin.com (Sawyer County)

Around the 87th

Bruce Fire Department's Charcoal Chicken Dinner

Last Saturday I enjoyed an awesome meal at the Bruce Fire Department's Charcoal Chicken Dinner. Thank you to everyone who came out to support some of our outstanding first responders!

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:

• Medford Harvest Days
  • October 29th - 31st - Medford
• Weyerhaeuser VFW Post 5780 Annual Fundraising Raffle and Open House
  • Saturday, November 6th - VFW Hall - Weyerhaeuser

Stay Up to Date

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.