Encouraging New Leadership with Term Limits

Traveling around the 87th Assembly District I get to talk with a lot of folks about the issues that are important to them.  During my time as your state representative, one of the things I have heard about the most is the need for term limits for our elected officials.  While there is not a lot we can do in Wisconsin to place term limits on our federal officials, we can work toward term limits for our state elected officials.

Our state is made better by those who make the commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin in elected office.  As members of the legislature, my colleagues and I understand the tremendous honor that our fellow citizens have bestowed upon us by entrusting us to be their voice in the State Capitol. We also understand first-hand the sacrifices one makes when serving in elected office.  However, as I often hear from folks around the 87th, serving in elected office should not be a career. Implementing term limits would encourage new leadership in Wisconsin and bring new perspectives to state government.

That is why earlier this week, I joined with my colleagues Representative Dittrich and Senator Stroebel to introduce a proposal to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to establish term limits for members of the legislature and constitutional officers.  Under this proposal, members of the legislature would be limited to 12 years of service in each office and constitutional officers (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction) would be limited to 8 years in each office. Time served in a different office would not count towards the 8 and 12-year limits nor would time served in an initial part term.

As this proposal would amend the Wisconsin State Constitution, it must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions, and then be approved by the people in a referendum before taking effect. This proposal is currently circulating for support in the legislature and I am looking forward to seeing the support grow in the days ahead.

The Next Round of Broadband Expansion Grants

Improving access to reliable high-speed internet is one of the top concerns shared with me by the people of the 87th District.  The lack of high-speed internet in our area limits educational opportunities, hurts economic growth, and reduces the quality of life. When I hear from folks about this issue I know where they are coming from as I have experienced this lack of access first hand.  Because of the concerns I have heard from folks around the district, improving access to high-speed broadband in underserved areas of the state has been a priority of mine during my time in office. Because of the importance of this issue to my constituents, I was proud to join with my Republican colleagues in the legislature to pass the WISCONSIN Budget earlier this year which invests $46.2 million into the state's broadband expansion grant program over the course of the next two years. This funding is the most in the program's history.

Earlier this week, the Public Service Commission announced the opening of the application period for the next round of grants totaling an initial $24 million, which is more than all seven previous grant rounds combined. In order for a grant to be awarded in an area, a provider must apply for one. If you would like to see improved internet service in your area I encourage you to reach out to your providers and encourage them to apply.

Grant application materials are available at https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/BroadbandGrants.aspx. If you would like to learn more about the process in applying for a broadband expansion grant or if you have any other questions regarding broadband in your area, please feel free to visit the Wisconsin Broadband Office's website or reach out to their office at (608) 267-2160 or by email at PSCStatebroadbandoffice@wisconsin.gov.

Under the Dome

Small Business Development Committee

I was in Madison on Wednesday for a public hearing in the Small Business Development Committee. We listened to speakers testify on Assembly Bill (AB) 26, relating to direct primary care agreements. Direct primary care (DPC) is an option for consumers to pay for primary health care services through a flat monthly membership fee. Under a DPC agreement, a patient can see their doctor as often as they need to without having to pay for each visit. This legislation clarifies state law that DPC is healthcare and not health insurance, and it makes it easier for patients to utilize this form of care in our state. After hearing the testimony during the hearing, I felt that this legislation will help improve healthcare in our state, so I signed on as a co-author of the bill. If you would like more information about AB 26 you can click here for more information.

Letter in Support of the USMCA Agreement

Earlier this week, my Republican colleagues and I on the Agriculture Committee sent a letter to our state's congressional delegation in support of the new United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement. The current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) framework has hurt our state's farmers with Canada and Mexico treating U.S. farmers unfairly. The USMCA brings NAFTA into the 21st century and addresses new technology in the agriculture industry. We need to create a level playing field for everyone involved and ratification of the USMCA will help accomplish that. I hope that our state's congressional delegation will reach out to Speaker Pelosi and urge her to bring this agreement to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives as soon as possible. Click here to read our letter to our congressional leaders.   

Click on the photo above to read the full letter to our congressional leaders.

Upcoming Events Around the 87th

Check out the following events happening around the district:

• Youth Musky Hunt at Mystic Moose Resort - (Hayward) - September 19th-21st
• Superhero 5K Walk/Run - (Hayward) - September 21st
• Walk to End Alzheimer's - (Medford) - September 21st
• Leaf It To Rusk Fall Festival - (throughout Rusk County) - September 27th-29th

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.