All veterans and their families are invited to attend an upcoming Listening Session with Wisconsin Dept. of Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos on Wednesday, August 28.  I will be holding a town hall meeting with Sec. Scocos, along with my fellow legislators Sen. Tom Tiffany and Rep. Rob Swearingen.  We are inviting all area veterans to attend and share their input on veterans issues, benefits, and services.

The meeting will be 10:00 am – 12:00 noon on Wednesday, August 28^th at the Veterans Center in Rhinelander, located at 1002 Coon Street.  Please attend if you are able. Sec. Scocos is the chief advocate for the nearly 400,000 veterans in Wisconsin and this will be an excellent opportunity for candid conversation. 

If you are unable to attend, please send me your comments (hyperlink) and I will ensure that your issue is addressed.  You can also learn more about other veterans’ events by visiting www.WisVets.com/Events or by calling 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).

On August 5^th, Governor Walker signed Senate Bills 117 and 120 into law, two pieces of veterans’ legislation. The bill signing ceremony occurred at the Department of Military Affairs, where he was joined by the Adjutant General of the Wisconsin National Guard, Major General Donald Dunbar, Wisconsin National Guard officers, and National Guard family members.

Senate Bill 117 – relates to the payment of travel expenses of National Guard members who are on state active duty.  Under current law, National Guard members who are called to state active duty and incur reimbursable travel expenses are reimbursed using the state employee reimbursement limits which includes mileage, lodging, and meals.  In some instances, Wisconsin National Guard soldiers and airmen are activated in state active duty and will serve with federal active duty military personnel whose travel reimbursement is calculated under federal regulations. 

This bill reimburses members of the Wisconsin National Guard who are called to state active duty at the federal rate for travel expenses instead of the state rate.  Reimbursement will be at the rate of an officer or enlisted member of equal rank in the corresponding branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Senate Bill 117 passed both the Senate and Assembly on voice votes.  Senate Bill 117 is Act 44.

Senate Bill 120 – relates to financial aid for service members and their immediate families.  The 2009 – 2011 Biennial Budget created an income tax check-off to collect contributions for providing financial assistance to the families of service members of the United States Armed Forces or the Wisconsin National Guard who are serving on active duty and are residents of the state.  The program is administered by the Department of Military Affairs and provides up to $2,500 to immediate families of active duty military personnel facing a financial emergency.  This bill expands eligibility to include the service members and removes the requirement that the service member be on active duty.

Senate Bill 120 passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously.  Senate Bill 120 is Act 45.

The new Wisconsin State Blue Book  is expected to be available early in September. The Blue Book is the one-stop shop for all information about Wisconsin state government, including profiles of the current members of the legislature, district maps and demographics, and information on both the Executive Branch and State Supreme Court.

Blue Books have proven to be very popular in the past, and are a great tool for staying in touch with your elected officials.  My office will be happy to provide you with a copy.  Please respond to this email with “BLUE BOOK” noted in the subject line, and include your address for delivery.  You can also call my office to order a copy, at 608-266-7694 or toll-free 888-534-0035.

I am honored to have been appointed to the Board of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.  This is Wisconsin’s statutory commission on the status of women and girls, and was first established in 1983. 

The Council promotes initiatives that empower women, serves as a clearinghouse for information on women’s programs, and promotes unique partnerships to address issues affecting Wisconsin women.  It is governed by a 15-member board that is appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, and includes members with both public and private sector backgrounds.  For more information, visit http://womenscouncil.wi.gov.