Committee Activity
As the Assembly prepares to reconvene in
January, committees have been holding hearings and voting on proposals
that may move forward in the winter session. The
Assembly Committee on Family Law, which I chair, heard testimony on
a number of
bills on December 8. I also serve on the
transportation,
energy and utilities, and
judiciary committees, all of which have met over the past two weeks
so that bills assigned to them will be ready for the full Assembly to
vote on in a few weeks.
Last Thursday, December 10, I also
testified before the Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform on
behalf of
Assembly Bill 190, a bill I introduced to provide direction for the
Department of Safety and Professional Services with regard to
electricians who were exempted from the testing requirement for
licensure under
2013 Act
143. Under AB 190, these electricians, while remaining exempt
from the exam, will have to take continuing education courses so that
they will remain up to date on changes in the National Electrical Code
and other developments in the trade.
Chippewa County Broadband Grant
Last Tuesday, December 8, Governor Walker
appeared in Lake Hallie to announce a
$286,165 broadband expansion grant to Chippewa County and the
Wisconsin Independent Network. The grant will be used to connect
the Lake Wissota Business Park and the Riverside Industrial Park in
Chippewa Falls. In turn, this connection will support further broadband
service expansion.
The
Broadband Expansion Grant Program is administered by the Public
Service Commission and is intended to improve broadband access in
underserved communities around Wisconsin. The total annual grant
is $1.5 million, and the Chippewa County/WIN grant was the largest
single grant awarded this cycle.
Civil Air Patrol
Last Thursday, I met with Lt. Col. Jack Faas
of the Wisconsin Wing of the Civil Air Patrol,
the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. I am currently one of 43
members
of the Wisconsin Wing's "legislative squadron", which is made
up of representatives and senators.
Christmas and New Year's
In observance of Christmas, my Capitol office
will be closed next Thursday, December 24, and Friday, December 25. It
will also be closed Thursday, January 31, and Friday, January 1.
If you're traveling for the holidays, you may
want to visit www.511wi.gov
(offered by the Department of Transportation) to keep an eye on road
conditions.
We Wish You a Merry
Christmas
and a Happy
New
Year!
