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ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
I am honored to announce that I will again serve as Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Transportation. As a farmer and the owner of a small trucking company, I truly understand how important Wisconsin’s infrastructure is to our state’s economy, and I look forward to working with my constituents, colleagues, and stakeholders to find short and long-term solutions.
This means I need to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (608) 266-3404 or Rep.Ripp@legis.wi.gov with any of your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. Finding these solutions will be a large collaborative effort and I look forward to hearing from you in the coming months.
Representative Keith Ripp chairing the Assembly Transportation Committee during a Public Hearing
MORE GOOD NEWS FOR WISCONSIN
In my last e-update, I mentioned some great news for Wisconsin, and according to the November Jobs Report just released this week, I have some even better news to share.
Last month, the unemployment rate dropped even lower to a 5.2%, lower than the national unemployment rate and the lowest in Wisconsin since October 2008. Just to put that number in perspective, the unemployment rate in 2010 was 7.8%.
Additionally, Wisconsin added 16,500 new private sector jobs! These preliminary numbers indicate that we have recovered all private-sector jobs lost during the deep national depression. Since December 2010, the state has created 151,100 private sector jobs total.
Here are some additional facts according to the most recent BLS release of Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for the second quarter of 2014:
Wisconsin ranked 22nd highest in total number of jobs gained and 22nd highest in total number of private sector jobs gained from June 2013 to June 2014.
Wisconsin ranked 11th highest in number of manufacturing jobs gained during the 12-month period ending June 2014.
Wisconsin ranked 21st highest in the number of construction jobs gained over the 12-month period ending June 2014.
Wisconsin's quarterly wage growth was 3.3%.
All in all, these facts show that our policies continue to move Wisconsin Forward, and I look forward to continuing our review of regulations and statutes to make sure that Wisconsin is the best place to live, work, raise a family, and retire.
CAPITOL OFFICE AND HOLIDAY VISITING HOURS
Still haven't visited the Capitol to see the Christmas Tree this year? Don't worry, you still have some time! The Capitol is open every day of the year, including holidays. Here are the hours:
8:00am-6:00pm Weekdays
8:00am-4:00pm Weekends
8:00am-4:00pm Holidays
The Capitol Christmas Tree is usually taken down shortly after Christmas, so make sure you travel down in the next couple weeks.
Additionally, my office will be closed for the holidays Wednesday, December 24th through Friday, December 26th, as well as Wednesday, December 31st and Thursday, January 1st.
CONTACT ME
As in the past, I would continue to encourage you to contact my office with ideas for this next legislative session and on individual pieces of legislation. Now more than ever your ideas and opinions need to be heard, so we can begin to get Wisconsin back to work. Please contact my office at 608-266-3404 or email me at Rep.Ripp@legis.wisconsin.gov, or stop by my Capitol office at 223 North. I look forward to hearing from you. As always, I will continue to work across the aisle to find common ground and move legislation forward.
Please share this update with your friends and neighbors within the 42nd Assembly District and if there is anyone you know who would like to be included, please respond to this email with their email address.