These past few weeks have been eventful for my Capitol office. My Social Media Protection Bill passed both houses of the legislature and will now head to the Governor's desk for his signature. Another bill I co-authored, which would prohibit law enforcement from tracking an individuals location through their cell phone without first obtaining a warrant, is moving through the committee process and may still see a vote in the Assembly and Senate before the 2014 legislative session is done.

I also introduced LRB 3671, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Wisconsin. While I don't believe it's going to pass this session, this is a conversation that needs to happen in our community.

I have also been fortunate to have toured numerous businesses in the 48th Assembly District and held listening sessions to hear from my constituents and to pass out the latest edition of the Blue Book.

Perhaps most importantly, this debate also hinges on whether the government has a role in determining that personal, private use of marijuana should be prohibited when equivalent vices such as drinking alcohol are permitted and celebrated in our society.

Intertwined with the overburden on law enforcement is the level of racial disparities in marijuana arrests. In Wisconsin, a person of color is nearly four times more likely to be arrested than a white person; making it one of the greatest racial divides in the nation.   
 

       (click to enlarge chart) 

Racial discrimination is obviously a larger issue, but legalizing marijuana would dramatically lower the incarceration rate and allow African Americans to live their life without prior records based on these offenses. Also, time that could be spent making our streets safer is currently being spent hunting down and charging non-violent offenders.

We know that legalization would save the taxpayers in law enforcement costs, but a recent report by Harvard economist, Jeffrey Miron who points out that with the legalization of marijuana, as opposed to our current prohibition, we would save $7.7 billion across the U.S. on prohibition enforcement and provide a new stream of tax revenue of as much as $6.2 billion annually if taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco.

It is common sense to turn the current system of limited regulation and no tax revenue into one that provides structure and a fiscal benefit.

The medical benefits of marijuana have been discussed by my Democratic colleagues who have introduced the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Bill, of which I am co-sponsor. According to the American Cancer Society, marijuana is promoted to relieve pain, control nausea, and provide other benefits in people with debilitating illnesses.

While I support the medical marijuana bill and believe in its merits for those that suffer from debilitating illness, I believe that full legalization would address the unfounded prohibition and denial of the freedom of choice by adults. Legalization would bring marijuana usage out of the shadows and allow adults who are 21 and over to partake in it as they see fit.

Cultural attitudes on this issue are shifting rapidly. For the first time in the history of Gallup polling, a clear majority of Americans (58%) say marijuana should be decriminalized. This is in sharp contrast to the time Gallup first asked the question in 1969, when only 12% favored legalization.

The facts clearly show that legalization is right for Wisconsin and that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it’s illegal.

Social Media Bill Passes Both Houses!

The bill would prohibit employers, universities, and landlords from requiring employees, potential employees, students, prospective students, tenants, or prospective tenants to hand over their social media passwords.

It makes sense that personal internet accounts should be given the same, 4th Amendment protections as other aspects of our daily lives. People have a reasonable expectation of privacy when interacting with their friends and family on Facebook or other sites. An employer, university, or landlord should not have access to private communications on social media sites. As technology evolves, so must our legislative efforts to protect our citizen’s privacy. The current generation will write the laws on social media. We must do it carefully and with respect for all parties involved.

I am proud that this legislation was passed in a pragmatic, bi-partisan fashion. Despite an often challenging, polarized environment. This bill is an example of each side setting aside political differences to work toward a common goal. I would like to commend and thank Rep. Garey Bies and Senator Glenn Grothman for working with me on this bill.

State of the State Speech

In his State of the State address, the governor offered irresponsible gimmicks and short-sighted policies that will force our problems on to future generations and further divide an already polarized state. The majority of the speech was focused on income and property tax cuts that the Governor will pursue, despite analysis from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that shows this will result in a projected $800 million structural deficit by 2018.

The average Wisconsin family would benefit to the tune of $150 in the next year. While this may sound nice, the right solution would be to reinvest this money to turn around the troubling trends facing our state.

Under Gov. Walker and the Republican legislature, the statistics paint a picture of a state heading in the wrong direction:

• Wisconsin has fallen from 11th in job growth the day Walker took office to 37th.
• Our public schools endured the largest cuts in state history while Republicans expanded taxpayer-funded unaccountable private voucher schools statewide.
• Wisconsin leads the nation in kicking people off their health care.
• Wisconsin is facing a $725 million structural deficit, which the governor admits would go up by another $100 million under his plan announced tonight.

The middle class of our state deserves better. We must move forward honoring the values of our citizens. Middle-class families want elected officials who are focused on their long-term economic security, not scoring short-term political points in an election year. Middle class families value the assurance of a good future for their children, and the promise of a high quality of life for our grandparents. Middle class families value strong public schools, access to job training, fair wages. And finally, middle class families value a balanced budget.

The Governor's tax plan betrays all of these values, and sets us on the wrong track moving forward. While a small tax break sounds good on the evening news, this is irresponsible budgeting.

Oakwood East Prairie Ridge Visit

I was thrilled to have a visit with the residents out at Oakwood East Prairie Ridge last week. We had an informative and engaging discussion about the issues facing our state including: redistricting, health care, tax cuts, and Medicaid expansion. I cannot do my job without the valuable input my constituents provide me at listening sessions such as this one. I look forward to going back to visit my new friends soon.

Child Care Tax Credit Bill

I have introduced a bill with Representative Eric Genrich (D-Green Bay) which would create a state tax credit for child care costs. Rising child care costs are a major concern here in Wisconsin and across the nation. In more than half the states, it costs families more to put an infant in a child care center than to cover tuition and fees at a public college, according to a new analysis by Child Care Aware of America, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on child care access.

Wisconsin was listed in this report as one of the 10 least affordable states for full-time infant care and full-time 4-year old care.

The annual cost of infant care in Wisconsin is $10,775. This is significant considering that a single mother’s median income in Wisconsin is $23,568, and the state median income for a two-parent family is $79,589. That means that child care costs amount to 45.7% and 13.5%, respectively, as a percent of income for Wisconsin families.

The bill we introduced creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit based on the federal tax credit for expenses for household and dependent care services. Under the bill, an individual who is eligible for and claims the federal tax credit for expenses for household and dependent care services may claim the same amount as a nonrefundable credit on his or her Wisconsin income tax return. Under the bill, the Wisconsin credit may not be claimed by a part−year or nonresident of this state.






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January 27, 2014
Issue 26

State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708

Office: (608) 266-0960

Email:
Rep.Sargent@legis.wi.gov

On the Web: sargent.assembly.wi.gov