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(608)266-5780 | State Capitol, Room 307 West, P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708 | rep.billings@legis.wi.gov

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

CONTACT ME:

State Capitol
Room 307 West
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708

Phone:

(608) 266-5780
Toll Free:

(888) 534-0095

rep.billings@legis.wi.gov

Friends and Neighbors,

The holiday season is officially upon us. I spent my Thanksgiving in La Crosse celebrating with family, friends, and of course food! I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving as well, and I wish for the rest of your holiday season remains bright.

With holiday celebrations fast approaching, business in the legislature is slowing a bit. However, there are still a number of issues being debated at the State Capitol, and important changes happening in western Wisconsin. Continue reading this week’s newsletter for more important state and local news.


 

Best Wishes,



Jill Billings
State Representative
95th Assembly District

The WI Capitol Christmas Tree Arrives!

The Capitol Christmas tree arrived in the State Capitol's Rotunda this week! The 46-foot Balsam fir hails from Rhinelander, and was donated by the Kowieski family, who planted the tree in 1984. Starting November 17, the tree made its journey from Rhinelander to the State Capitol, where it is currently being decorated and will be on display for all Capitol visitors through the month of December.

This year, the tree is decorated with student-made ornaments that celebrate Wisconsin sports.

New Marquette Poll Released

In mid-November, the most recent results of a Marquette Law School Poll were released. The poll results contained information regarding Wisconsinites opinions on Presidential and federal Senate races, as well as voters' perceptions of legislators' performance.

Results showed that a majority of respondents disapproved of how Governor Walker is handling his job (58 percent disapproval) and how Republican legislators handle their jobs as well (60 percent disapproval). Unsurprisingly, Wisconsinites are also concerned about the state of Wisconsin's economy, with 57 percent of registered voters saying Wisconsin is lagging behind other states in job creation.

In terms of newly-enacted policies, 61 percent of respondents opposed changes made to campaign finance law. Sixty-one percent would also support the creation of an agency to refinance student loans, yet no action has been taken by Republican legislative leaders to further this initiative.

For more information on the results of the Marquette Poll, visit http://law.marquette.edu/poll/
 

New Deer Hunting Regulations

Two important changes have been made to hunting laws this year. If you are planning on going deer hunting this season, you might want to make note of these changes:

First, there is now mandatory pre-registration. This is a significant change from the more than 60 year tradition of in-person registration at local gas stations, bars, restaurants and small businesses. This year, deer registration will have to occur by phone at (844)GAME REG (426-3734), online at www.gamereg.wi.gov OR by visiting an in-person site with a station to call in or visit the website. Once you submit the information, you will receive a 10-character confirmation number which has to be written on the carcass tag.

In addition, deer will now have to be registered by 5 p.m. the day after it was recovered and tagged. All deer must be registered in the Deer Management Unit of harvest or the adjacent DMU.

Second, there are new carcass tag rules. Each deer license will continue to come with one Farmland Zone Antler-less Deer Carcass Tag, however hunters will have to provide additional information. Under the new system, hunters will have to designate the land type and the Deer Management Unit for the antler-less tag (public/private land, deer management unit county/ metro subunit). This means if you hunt on public and private land, hunt in multiple counties, or both, you'll need to purchase additional antler-less tags for each county and land type.

To help keep this information in order, you can print out and save these handy wallet-size references:

Updated Jobs Numbers

In late November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released new quarterly jobs data showing that Wisconsin ranks 34th in private-sector job creation – which translates to 9th out of 10 in the Midwest – over the past four years, covering March 2011 to March 2015.

The data also shows that Wisconsin is 30th in private-sector job growth, and that Wisconsin's job growth rate is below the national average at 1.72% (nationally at 2.4%).
 

2016 WI State Park Stickers Now Available

2016 State Park admission stickers are now on sale. If you are planning on visiting Wisconsin State Parks, a vehicle admission sticker will be required for all motor vehicles’ entry to state parks, forests, recreation areas and trail parking areas.

You can buy your 2016 sticker in advance online here or when you arrive at any state park. For vehicles with WI license plates, annual stickers are $28 or $13 for residents age 65 and older. For vehicles with out-of-state plates, stickers are $38.

You can also buy state park stickers as part of online gift packages – just in time for the holidays! Read more about state park gift packages here.

Rep. Billings Around the Nation!

It was my honor to present Dave Clements with a legislative citation this week at his retirement celebration. Dave has worked in Wisconsin tourism for 40 years, performing excellent work for our community.

Last week, I attended a Women in Government Healthcare Summit in Washington, D.C. While in D.C. Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) and I stopped by the White House!

This Tuesday was "#GivingTuesday," a global day dedicated to giving back to your community, and donating to causes you are passionate about. I was pleased to share an "UNSelfie" to promote participation in #GivingTuesday.

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