Welcome to this week's e-update. I hope everyone has been enjoying the warmer weather like me. It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is rapidly approaching and that Memorial Day is next weekend.
Down in Madison work continues on the state budget as the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) continues its work on crafting the two-year spending plan for our state and I continue to advocate for the priorities of the 87th Assembly District with my colleagues on JFC. To help me better advocate for my constituents I recently sent out my spring survey to learn more about what people around the 87th District think about the budget and other state issues. You can learn about this and more below.
Share Your Thoughts
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time over the past couple of months to reach out to me to share your thoughts regarding the 2021-23 State Budget. Whether you contacted my Madison office, stopped by one of my district office hours last month, or spoken with me at other events around the district, your input has allowed me to better advocate for the priorities of the 87th Assembly District as the budget process unfolds.
Another way for you to provide your feedback to me is by completing my spring survey. Paper copies should be arriving in mailboxes around the district over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, due to the mailing cost, I am not able to send it out to every household in the district. However, if you do not receive a paper survey in the mail or if you would prefer to save a stamp, you can also take the survey online on my website, by clicking here or on the picture below. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with me.
Click on the photo above to take my spring survey.
Unemployment Work Search Waiver Ends
Prior to the emergence of COVID-19 last year, employers around the 87th District and across Wisconsin were having a hard time filling all of their job openings. As our economy continues to recover many employers are once again struggling to find enough employees to meet their needs.
According to data from the Department of Workforce Development (DWD), there were nearly 80,000 people who filed an unemployment claim in Wisconsin during the week of May 2nd-8th. Under normal circumstances, these individuals would have been required to search for work in order to remain eligible for UI benefits. However, since March of last year, Governor Evers and DWD waived this requirement through their emergency rule authority.
While this made sense when government-mandated closures and restrictions made jobs difficult to find, it does not make sense to continue to waive this requirement when so many employers are struggling to find workers. In order to keep our economic recovery going, it is critical that every able-bodied individual re-enter our state's workforce. That is why the legislature's Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules voted on Wednesday to reinstate the work search requirement.
Starting on Sunday, May 23rd, UI recipients will once again be required to complete four work search actions per week to remain eligible for unemployment benefits. For more information on the work search requirements, you can visit DWD's FAQ page at https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/ui/worksearch/.
Under the Dome
Talking Campgrounds
I had a visit from the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners on Wednesday. It was great to hear about the positive impacts campgrounds have on our state and local economy and learn about some of the challenges that they face. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Around the 87th
The 87th's Newest Eagle Scouts
This past Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony for Logan Daniels, Edison Marohl, and Brock Thompson in Athens. I was pleased to join with Senator Petrowski to present them each with a citation from the State of Wisconsin and a flag flown over the State Capitol to recognize their incredible achievement. Congratulations Logan, Edison, and Brock on becoming the 87th District's newest Eagle Scouts!
SOAR Graduation
On Thursday I was in Medford to attend the graduation ceremony for my friends with the SOAR Program. I have gotten to know many of these young folks through their advocacy for employment opportunities for people with disabilities. During my time in the legislature, one of my proudest moments was when Governor Walker signed the Employment First Act into law back in 2018. This law made Wisconsin a national leader in promoting community-based employment for people with disabilities and started as an idea at a community conversation in Medford that was hosted by the SOAR Program. Congratulations to all the SOAR graduates!
Upcoming Events Around the 87th District
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 around the 87th District. With more and more events being held once again, I am looking to start sharing information about upcoming community events in my e-updates. Do you know of any upcoming events around the 87th District? If you do, please contact my office and let me know, so I can include it in a future e-update and try to attend myself.
Check out the following events happening around the district:
Sunday, May 30th, 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM - Lublin Park Pavilion - Lublin
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.
If you subscribed to this service over the past couple of years you will need to resubscribe to proposals, committees, and authors for the new legislative session.
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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
