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Seniorcare letter
Today Governor Walker
authorized the Secretary of the Department of Health Services (DHS),
Dennis Smith, to request a federal extension on Wisconsin’s SeniorCare
waiver. The current waiver is slated to expire on December 31, 2012.
“Today’s action is a continuation of my ongoing support for SeniorCare,”
said Governor Walker. “I voted for the creation of SeniorCare while a
member of the Legislature and preserved the state portion of the funding
for it in the budget I signed into law earlier this year. The federal
government needs to take action so our state can continue to
cost-effectively provide prescription drug coverage to our seniors.”
SeniorCare is a prescription drug assistance program for Wisconsin
residents who are 65 years of age or older who meet the eligibility
criteria. With a $30 annual enrollment fee, co-payments ranging from $5
to $15, and no gaps in coverage, SeniorCare provides more comprehensive
and less expensive coverage than Medicare Part D.
SeniorCare also saves taxpayers money. According to the Department of
Health Services (DHS), in 2010 the average annual federal cost per
SeniorCare member was $509. This is less than half of the $1,484 the
federal government spent in the same year to subsidize each individual
enrolled in the Medicaid Part D program.
Mining Legislation
On Thursday, Assembly Republicans introduced mining legislation that will bring much needed jobs to Northern Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, we have a strong mining heritage which is evident in our State flag. With the prospect of a mine in Northern Wisconsin an informational hearing was held in Hurley, there was overwhelming support for the mine, more than 75% of those who attended. This legislation will create thousands of jobs in Iron County area, which has the second highest unemployment rate in Wisconsin. If this mine comes to fruition it will create 2,800 to 5,600 long term mining jobs with an average pay and benefits at $82,000.
Chapter 293 of our Wisconsin State Statutes deals with metallic mining, the last major revision was in 1998 with the enactment of a mining moratorium on any mineral deposits that contain sulfide. To make a point very clear, this is mining for iron ore, not sulfide mining, which requires chemicals to extract gold, copper, silver, and zinc from rock. Iron mining uses magnets, not chemicals.
This piece of legislation will create a minimum of a two year permitting process, taking in public input and setting in place rigorous environmental standards that must be met in order for a mining company to get a permit. Again it creates a fair process similar to Minnesota and Michigan's so that a mining company might be able to get a permit.
We have received some e-mails and phone calls about the mining legislation, if you have any concerns or questions, please contact our office. We will also keep you updated about developments in the mining legislation through our E updates.
Markesan Elementary Students visit the Capitol |
It's always such a pleasure to meet with school groups from our area at the State Capitol. This past week, students from Markesan Elementary School visited the Capitol. As you can see from the pictures below, I heard from many inquisitive students during my presentation and I hope they had as much fun as I had. If you're planning a visit to the State Capitol, please let my office know!
