Assembly
Session and Special Session
The Assembly was in session Tuesday and
Thursday of this week to discuss a variety of bills. Additionally,
Governor Walker called a special session of the Legislature to discuss
property tax relief to Wisconsin residents through a $100 million
increase in state school aid. Property taxes have been on an upward
trend for the past decade, and this proposal, while moderate, will help
stop the increase and rein in Wisconsin’s property tax. Census data from
this year shows that Wisconsin has the tenth highest property tax rate
in the nation. The Senate passed
Special Session Senate Bill 1 on a
bipartisan 28-5 vote, and the Assembly concurred it in on a bipartisan
81-12 vote, so the tax cut will go to Governor Walker for his approval.
Also discussed Thursday in regular
session was the concurrence of
Senate Bill (SB) 190, which would
eliminate the prohibition on the state’s Department of Natural Resources
requiring more than one wastewater discharge permit for a publicly owned
sewage treatment or collection system so that polluters could work
together to mitigate the impact of pollution discharge. In a beautiful
rural district like ours, this bill can help to make a big difference in
cleaning up our watersheds. I was happy to put my support behind this
bill, and I appreciate all that wrote in about SB 190. The bill passed
91-0.
As issues of conservation continue to
arise in the 67th Assembly District, I appreciate hearing
your feedback. I am still reviewing recent legislation, and I find it
very helpful to know what you all are thinking.
Common Core
Hearing in Eau Claire
As a reminder, the Assembly and Senate’s
select committees on Common Core will be holding a public hearing in Eau
Claire this Wednesday, October 23. The hearing will take place from 2:00
p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College. So far,
turnout at these hearings has been quite impressive.
Last week, I was honored to be appointed
by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to the Common Core committee to replace
Rep. Jeff Stone, who recently resigned from the Legislature. Even before
my appointment, I have been hearing from constituents and educators
about these standards, and I appreciate the feedback I have received.
If you are unable to attend the upcoming
meeting in Eau Claire, you may email written testimony to the
committee’s chair, Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt at
Rep.Thiesfeldt@legis.wi.gov or on his
website. You can view previous testimony on his website as well.
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