Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to check out this week's e-update. It has been another great week representing the folks of the 87th Assembly District.
Tomorrow is the 78th commemoration of the 1941 attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which resulted in the deaths of 2,403 American citizens and pulled the United States into World War II. I encourage everyone to take a moment and reflect on this event in our past which continues to live on in infamy.
As always, if you would like to share your thoughts or concerns on any state issues, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I look forward to hearing from you.
On the Job: At Foxconn
As I mentioned in my last e-update, my staff and I recently took a trip to southeastern Wisconsin to see first-hand the work Medford-based James Peterson Sons, Inc. has been doing on and around the Foxconn construction site in Mount Pleasant. It was great to hear from the company's president, Jeff Peterson, and project manager, Ryan Peterson, about the positive impact that the Foxconn investment is having throughout the state, even up in the Northwoods. Instead of talking about it, I figured it would be best to just show you. Click on the photo below to watch a video we've put together from our tour.
Click on the photo above to watch a video from Rep. Edming's site visit.
The 87th District Brings Christmas to the Capitol
I am proud to share with you that the 2019 State Capitol Christmas Tree is from the 87th Assembly District. The tree was provided by Meyer's Castle Tree Farm in Medford. The 30-foot balsam fir was delivered to the State Capitol prior to Thanksgiving by Prochnow Trucking of Medford and is now the center of attention in the Capitol rotunda. Each year, people from around Wisconsin travel to Madison to check out the amazing decorations in and around the Capitol. It is wonderful that the centerpiece of these decorations this year was provided by some of the hardworking folks from the 87th District.
Today, the tree-lighting ceremony was held at the Capitol. Unfortunately, family commitments prevented me from attending, but I heard that both the Medford High School Concert Choir and Medford's Take Note Acapella Group gave outstanding performances. The ceremony was recorded by Wisconsin Eye. If you would like to watch the ceremony it will be available on their website in the coming days.
CNA Shortage Relief Bill Vetoed
Currently, Wisconsin is experiencing a shortage of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). Earlier this year, the legislature passed legislation to help address this problem, Assembly Bill (AB) 76. AB 76 was approved by the Assembly with bipartisan support and by the Senate on a voice vote. Unfortunately, Governor Evers chose to veto this bipartisan legislation.
This bill would simply change the required hours of instructional programs to train CNAs to align with federal training requirements and the requirements of many surrounding states, such as Minnesota. Wisconsin currently requires 45 more hours in instructional training than the federal standard and 16 more hours of clinical training, placing state facilities at a huge disadvantage. By aligning Wisconsin's instruction and training requirements with the federal requirements, we would be taking a step forward in CNA retention, keeping the state at a competitive advantage with neighboring states that adhere to the federal standards, and helping qualified CNAs to enter into the workforce sooner to meet the need for skilled nursing in our state.
In the governor's veto message, he stated that this bill would reduce the quality of training programs and care that patients receive, which is simply not true. While AB 76 would reduce the minimum number of training hours required, individual programs could still opt to provide higher standards in excess of the federal minimum. This bill also would not make any changes to the final exam administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Therefore, all CNAs would still have to pass the same exam, which involves a written and skills competency testing.
There is a critical need for more CNAs, especially in rural areas of the state, like the 87th Assembly District. I was disappointed to see the governor veto AB 76. If you would like to share your disappointment with Governor Evers, as well, feel free to contact his office at (608) 266-1212.
Upcoming Events Around the 87th
Check out the following events happening around the district:
Do you know of any events in the district that I missed? Contact my office and let me know, so I can include it in a future e-update and try to attend myself.
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.
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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
