The Wisconsin State Assembly wrapped up its 2015-2016 session last Thursday following a marathon week of debate and passing legislation. Although I was disappointed to see the fate of so many damaging bills come down to party line votes, I am happy to have worked on legislation with significant bipartisan support that will benefit my constituents in the 66th Assembly District.

Time Off for Organ Donors

Senate Bill 517, passed last week by the State Assembly, and awaiting Governor Walker's signature, ensures Wisconsinites who wish to donate organs get the time off of work necessary to make a donation. Organ donors will now be able to take six weeks of unpaid leave to recover from organ donation surgery.

I was inspired to coauthor this legislation with Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) when I met a constituent whose life was saved by an organ donation. She urged me to look for new solutions to assist the over 2,000 Wisconsinites waiting for an organ donation.

When researching this issue, I discovered many middle class Wisconsinites want to become organ donors, but are unable to get the leave from work necessary to donate and recover. Assembly Bill 752 ensures that a broad range of individuals looking to donate organs or bone marrow are able to give the gift of life to individuals who may not be directly related to them. The bill has passed both houses of the Legislature and awaits the Governor's signature to sign into law.   

Honoring our Heritage with the Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Trail

I am proud to coauthor bipartisan legislation with Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) to create the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail which will honor our history and boost Wisconsin's tourism economy. Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most iconic architects of the twentieth century. His diverse work on residences, workplaces, churches, and many other buildings can be seen around the world and continues to influence architects to this day. As you may know, Racine is home to some of Frank Lloyd Wright's most notable buildings, including the SC Johnson Research Tower and Wingspread.

Assembly Bill 51, passed by the Wisconsin State Assembly and currently awaiting passage by the Wisconsin State Senate, creates an historic trail honoring the famed Wisconsinite's work. The Frank Lloyd Wright Trail will pass though parts of Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Dane, Iowa, Sauk, and Richland Counties, with signs designating some of the most prominent examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's work. 

Failure to Pay Forfeiture Reform, an Important Improvement in Criminal Justice Law

Finally, the passage of Senate Bill 462 will change the maximum length of a driver's license suspension for failure to pay a forfeiture from two years to one. This law I coauthored with Rep.  John Spiros (R-Marshfield) seeks to address the inability of working Wisconsinites to travel to a job, attend to urgent medical needs, and fully participate in our state's economy and society while possessing a suspended license, and comes as part of a broader statewide effort to increase the number of legally licensed drivers on Wisconsin roads.

I particularly look forward to seeing the positive impact of this much needed change in the law in our Racine community, where many low-income drivers have previously been subjected to suspended licenses due to a failure to pay a forfeiture. The bill passed in the State Senate earlier this month and now awaits Governor Walker's signature.

I would like to extend a thank you to every person who contacted my office to express your opinions about legislation during the course of this session. I appreciate your commitment to the democratic process and your concern for the wellbeing of this great state.

As always, please feel free to contact me if you have questions about anything happening here at the Capitol or in the district. You may reach me toll-free at (888) 534-0066 or via email at Rep.Mason@legis.wi.gov.