My Day in Medford

One of the best parts about serving as your state representative is traveling around the 87th Assembly District and hearing from the people I am honored to serve. On Monday I spent the day visiting folks in Medford for my first Around the 87th District Day.  I enjoyed meeting with my constituents and learning their ideas and opinions on issues facing their community and our state. 

I started my day by meeting with James Peterson & Sons, Inc. to talk about transportation funding and other issues important to the transportation building industry.  This 5th generation, family-owned business works on construction projects all across Wisconsin, including a road expansion project near the Foxconn site in the southeastern part of the state.

For lunch, I stopped by the SOAR Program's Village Cafe at Marilyn's Fire Station and Catering for some pizza. As a former pizza manufacturer, believe me when I say this pizza was delicious.  Each Monday during the school year the SOAR students are partnering with Marilyn's to help run the restaurant and serve a pizza buffet from 11 am - 1 pm.  All proceeds are being donated to the all-inclusive Village Playground. If you are in Medford on a Monday I encourage you to stop by for lunch.

After lunch, I headed over to Medford City Hall for a meeting with city leaders. The biggest concern the city shared was regarding the dark store issue.  This concern is not unique to Medford and I have heard from local leaders around the district about this issue.  I have co-sponsored legislation to fix the dark store loophole in current law and I will continue to do everything I can to get this important legislation to the governor's desk.

My next stop was the Taylor County Courthouse where I met with Chief Deputy Corey Dassow.  We discussed issues facing Taylor County, including upgrades to the county's 911 system. Chief Deputy Dassow also gave me a tour of the Taylor County Jail and Dispatch Center.  Thank you to the people of the Taylor County Sheriff's office for the important work you do for the people of Taylor County.

Rep. Edming with Chief Deputy Dassow and Deputy Kree in the Taylor County Dispatch Center

That evening, I attended the Medford School District's Annual Legislative Meeting, where myself and other legislators sat on a panel and discussed topics involving the start of the school year, the state budget, school safety, and more. I appreciated the questions that were asked of us and look forward to continuing the conversations with the people of the 87th Assembly District.

Rep. Edming, Sen. Tom Tiffany, Rep. Romaine Quinn

My staff and I enjoyed our district day in Medford and are in the process of planning future days around the 87th District.  Do you have a suggestion of a place I should visit on a future district day?  If you do please contact my office and share your suggestion.  It very well might be a stop on my next day Around the 87th.

Good News on Gray Wolf Management

Earlier this week, the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior David Bernhardt indicated that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose new rules to delist gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act. I look forward to the federal government returning this authority back to the State of Wisconsin and being able to manage our wolf population on our own.

Once the Fish and Wildlife Service proposes the new rules in the coming days, there will be a public comment period. I encourage my constituents to attend these sessions where they can voice their support for these new rules. I appreciate Congressman Sean Duffy, and Senator Ron Johnson, for fighting for Wisconsin on this issue.

Under the Dome

Caregiver Day at the Capitol

On Tuesday afternoon, I met with Nolan from Hayward Health Services and Dawn from Rib Lake Health Services as a part of Caregiver Day at the Capitol.  I enjoyed hearing from them about their industries and their priorities for the state budget and legislative session.

Wausau Area Builders

Later that afternoon, Sen. Petrowski, Rep. Snyder, and I met with the Wausau Area Builders to discuss issues impacting the construction industry in north central Wisconsin.

Biker Day at the Capitol

Last week, I met motorcycle advocates from ABATE of Wisconsin during their annual Biker Day at the Capitol. We discussed the reclassification of autocycles, legislation which I have recently co-sponsored. Currently, autocycles in Wisconsin and across the country are registered as motorcycles and drivers need a motorcycle license to legally drive them on local roads. However, these autocycles do not meet the actual definition of a motorcycle due to their use of a steering wheel, seat belts, and gas and brake pedals. Autocycles are also much heavier than motorcycles. This bill will clarify the definition of autocycles so that Wisconsin can be in a better position to address future technologies and the impact these vehicles will have on state roads. It will also open up the market to all motorists with a regular driver's license.   

A Visit from Shiloh Christian School

One of my favorite parts of my job as your state representative is meeting with school groups both in the district and in Madison.  On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to welcome a group from Shiloh Christian School in Conrath to the State Capitol and show them around my office.  Thanks for visiting!

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