Thank you for taking a few moments of your day to read this week's edition of my e-update. I hope you find this update from the State Capitol informative.
Even though Christmas is only a week away, it was another busy week at the Capitol serving the best Assembly district in the state. I participated in a number of committee hearings again this week and had the opportunity to testify in favor of a couple of bills I've authored. You can read about this and more below.
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.
Getting Legislation Ready for the Floor
An important part of the legislative process is the review of legislation by one of the many committees in each house of the legislature. Not only do committee members learn a lot about the bills that are being considered, but ideas can also be raised by committee members and the public that can help make a bill better before it comes before the full Assembly and Senate.
Earlier this year, I discussed the Sporting Freedom Package that I helped bring forward with a number of my legislative colleagues. This package seeks to improve opportunities and reduce burdensome regulations for Wisconsin sportsmen and women. A number of these proposals have already been approved by the Senate and on Wednesday some of these bills received a public hearing in the Assembly Sporting Heritage Committee that I serve on.
Among the bills that the committee heard testimony on was one that I've authored, Assembly Bill (AB) 677. This bill would increase the number of pheasants that the Department of Natural Resources is required to produce each year at the Poynette State Game Farm and require the department to create a schedule for stocking pheasants around the state. This will help create more pheasant hunting opportunities in our state which is not only good for hunters but also our state and local economies.
The Senate companion bill to AB 677, Senate Bill 609, has already been approved by the full Senate. I hope to see both these proposals scheduled for a vote in committee early next year, so they are available to be considered by the full Assembly during the spring floor period. If you would like to learn more about this bill you can click here to read my testimony.
In last week's e-update, I shared a little bit about legislation (Assembly Bill 635) I've helped to bring forward that helps address a challenge that can arise related to tuition charges for relocated servicemembers and their families. I'm pleased to share that this legislation continued to move forward this week when the Senate Universities and Technical Colleges Committee held a public hearing on the Senate version of this bill, Senate Bill 605. If you missed last week's e-update and would like more information on this bill you can click here to read last week's story or here to read my testimony. It is my hope that this proposal is advanced out of committee early next year and so it is available to be scheduled for votes in both houses during the spring floor period.
First Responder of the Year
On Friday, I had the opportunity to present Sawyer County first responder, Christopher "Chris" Headley with the 2021 87th Assembly District's "First Responder of the Year Award. Chris has served as a first responder for numerous communities around Sawyer County for over 40 years including the City of Hayward, and the Towns of Hayward, Stone Lake, and Bass Lake. In his nomination, it was noted that he is continually the first firefighter on-scene and that he has spearheaded fundraisers for the Sawyer County Fire Association among many other contributions.
The "First Responder of the Year" award was created in 2019 to honor the amazing first responders that serve our communities. State representatives from each legislative district seek nominations from their communities and select one individual who best exemplifies community service, selflessness, and dedication. Once again this year my office received a number of excellent nominations for this award and it was incredibly difficult to choose only one person to be recognized. After reviewing the nominations that were submitted it is clear that the 87th Assembly District is blessed with many outstanding first responders.
I would like to congratulate Chris on being named the 87th Assembly District’s First Responder of the Year and thank him for his many years of service to the people of Sawyer County.
L-R: Hayward Mayor, Charlie Munich; Chris Headley, award winner; Rep. Edming; and City of Hayward Fire Chief Mike Hermann
Stay Tuned for My Christmas Message
Recently, I had the opportunity to check out some of the amazing Christmas decorations around the State Capitol, while I shot my annual Christmas message. Be on the lookout for it on my Facebook page and in my next e-update.
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.
|
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
