Photo Courtesy of TravelWisconsin.com (Taylor County)
Thank you for taking some time to read this week's edition of my e-update. The leaves are beginning to change color outside and the temperatures are dropping. Winter seems to be just around the corner for the 87th Assembly District. I hope to attend some fall activities around the district soon and I look forward to updating you on those as they come about.
As always, if you would like to share your thoughts or concerns on any state issues, please contact my office and let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.
Seeking New Solutions to Address Suicide
It is no question that suicide is a problem in Wisconsin and throughout the nation. In 2018, 886 Wisconsinites died by suicide. This is an issue that both sides of the aisle can agree on that we need to do more. Earlier this year, Speaker Vos created the Speaker's Task Force on Suicide Prevention. This bipartisan task force led by Representatives Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) traveled the state looking to evaluate the resources we currently have in preventing suicide in Wisconsin, identify more opportunities to bring awareness to the issue, and further assist at-risk individuals in a bipartisan way.
After holding six public hearings across the state, the task force released their interim report on Wednesday. This report provides a short recap of the public hearings and recommends a number of legislative proposals. After reviewing these recommendations and the proposed legislation, I decided to sign on as a co-author of these proposals. Examples of some of the legislation in this package include, providing grants for peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs in high schools, providing farmer tuition assistance grants for low-income farmers who enroll in a course on farm and business management techniques offered by a technical college, and requiring certain health professionals to complete at least two hours of suicide prevention continuing education every two years in order to renew their credentials. My hope is that this proposed legislation will be a step in the right direction to reducing suicides in Wisconsin and provide help to those who need it. If you would like to read the full task force report you can do so by clicking here.
If you or someone you know needs help right now, please don't hesitate to contact someone. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support. You can also contact the Center for Suicide Awareness by texting "HOPELINE" to 741741 for text-based emotional support service. Both services are available 24/7/365.
Check Out the Fall Color Report
Fall is a great time of year to travel Wisconsin and 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)
Sawyer County Farm Bureau Meeting
Last Saturday, I attended the Sawyer County Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting and updated folks on things my colleagues and I have been working on in Madison related to some important issues in the agriculture industry. It was a pleasure to address the group, and I look forward to continuing to support the 87th District's farming community.
Upcoming Events Around the 87th
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
