Honoring Lee and Lynn Copen

On Wednesday morning, Rep. Barca, Rep. Steinbrink, Sen. Wirch and I joined Governor Doyle in his office to witness the signing of Assembly Bill 766 into law.  The purpose of this legislation is to rename a portion of Highway 50 in Kenosha County the Lee and Lynn Copen Memorial Highway.  

Many of you may recall Lee and Lynn Copen and their service and numerous contributions to the community.  They met early in their respective careers at the State Patrol Academy.  From there, Lee went on to become a distinguished 25-year veteran of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department and Lynn served as the Crime Victim and Witness Coordinator for the District Attorney's office.  She had also gained national recognition for her expertise on issues relating to children and the court system, domestic abuse prevention, and providing support and assistance to victims of domestic abuse.

The Copens were tragically killed in October 2003 at the intersection of Hwy. 50 and Hwy. 31 when their vehicle was struck by a man involved with an abduction and a domestic violence incident as he was fleeing the police.  They perished on impact.

The loss of Lee and Lynn Copen was mourned by many throughout Kenosha County, and the idea came up that something should be done to commemorate their service to the community.  Thus, my fellow Kenosha area delegates and I felt it would be fitting to rename a portion of the highway in their honor.  As of Wednesday, the stretch of Highway 50 between 60th Street and 70th Street will now be known as the Lee and Lynn Copen Memorial Highway.

Sen. Wirch, Rep. Steinbrink, Rep. Kerkman, and Rep. Barca look on as Governor Jim Doyle signs AB 766 into law, designating a portion of Hwy. 50 as the Lee and Lynn Copen Memorial Highway.

Remembering Former Lt. Governor Russell Olson

We received the sad news this past week of the passing of Russell Olson, a former representative for the 66th Assembly District and our former Lieutenant Governor who served in the administration of Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus.  He was 86 years old.

A native of Illinois, Rusty, as he was known, moved to Kenosha County with his wife, Fran, and their four daughters where they began operating a beet farm.  He was then elected to the Assembly as the representative for the 66th District in 1960.  Rusty won his seat back in 1963 after enduring a contested election that resulted in his opponent serving for 29 days.  The election was soon resolved in Rusty's favor, however, and he continued serving in the Legislature until he became running-mates with Lee Sherman Dreyfus for the top two positions in state government.

Rusty and Dreyfus were elected in 1978 and served together for one term as Dreyfus chose not to run for re-election.  From there, Rusty served in the Reagan Administration for eight years as the Midwest Director of Transportation.  He soon retired from government service and moved with his family to Holmes Beach, Florida where he became active with the local Kiwanis Club and an avid golfer.

2009-2010 Legislative Session Comes to a Close

Shortly before 5:00am Friday morning, my colleagues and I in the Assembly adjourned for the last time this session.  It was the third session day in a row that we met throughout the night to debate and vote on important legislation.  

I am pleased to announce that the Assembly voted to pass legislation allowing the sale of raw milk products, a measure that I co-sponsored.  The bill, Senate Bill 434, will now make its way to Governor Doyle's desk for his consideration.  I received a number of contacts both in favor of and in opposition to this legislation.  After taking all arguments into consideration, however, I decided that it would be best to allow consumers the free choice of whether or not to purchase and consume raw milk products.

The Clean Energy Jobs Act (Assembly Bill 649) was not addressed by the Assembly or the Senate and is now considered dead.  I am relieved by this as I have had concerns with this legislation since it was first introduced.  Despite the promise that it would "create 15,000 jobs," the reality is that the higher energy costs resulting from this legislation would have eliminated 43,000 jobs in Wisconsin, most of them in manufacturing and trucking.  AB 649 also contained emission standards mandates similar to those currently in place in California, a state that has struggled this past year with a budget deficit of approximately $20 billion.  Throughout this session, I have supported legislation intended to create jobs, but not at the risk of losing more jobs and forcing struggling consumers to pay higher prices for goods and services, which would have been the result of AB 649.

Last, but not least, a number of you contacted my office to express your concerns with Assembly Bill 895, which would have reformed the electoral process in Wisconsin.  I am pleased to share with you that this bill is also dead as neither chamber addressed it before the end of session. 

In light of the charges brought against a number of individuals from the Milwaukee area who were discovered to have engaged in fraudulent activity at the polls during the 2008 election, it is clear that we need to address this issue in the Legislature to ensure the integrity of our state's elections.  However, instead of getting tougher on voter fraud, AB 895 would have made it easier for anyone to vote, whether they are a registered voter or not.  I recently met with municipal clerks from communities throughout Walworth County who shared their concerns with me regarding this legislation.  I appreciated hearing their thoughts on this legislation as I believe no one else would know better than our local clerks how a bill such as AB 895 would affect our electoral process.  Thus, I am glad this bill did not make it through the Legislature.

 Pictured from left to right are Darlene Igl (City of Elkhorn Clerk), Sue Kitzman (City of Delavan Clerk), Rep. Samantha Kerkman, Diana Dykstra (City of Lake Geneva Clerk), and Dawn Redenius (Village of Sharon Clerk).

Medicine Collection Day Announcement

On Saturday, May 8th the Kenosha County Division of Health and the Concerned Citizens Coalition will be hosting a Medicine Collection Day from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  The event will be held at two different locations: the Kenosha County Job Center (Entrance D) at 8600 Sheridan Road in Kenosha; and at the Kenosha County Center at 19600 75th Street in Bristol. 

Interested area residents are encouraged to bring their unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medicine to either of the two sites to be added to the collection.  Items that will be accepted include: prescription medication, over-the-counter medicine, ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, vials and pet medications.  Residents are asked to keep all medication in the original bottles, cross out their names on the labels but leave the name of the medicine visible, and be sure to have all of the medication bottles in a sealed bag.  Residents may not bring illegal drugs, biohazardous material, needles, and personal care products such as shampoo, soap, lotion and sunscreen. 

For more information about Medicine Collection Day, please contact the Kenosha County Division of Health at 262-605-6700.

Blue Books and Other State Materials

My office still has a supply of 2009-2010 Blue Books as well as highway maps and Arts and Crafts Fair guides, all of which are free.  If you are interested in any of these materials, please contact my office by Friday, May 21st.  Under state law, I will not be allowed to submit these materials to constituents after Memorial Day as we are in an election year.  Thank you!