Hello!

I hope everyone is doing well. On Tuesday, it was National Farmer Day!! I want to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to our hardworking and dedicated agriculture professionals out there. I made sure to thank my husband, Dave Hall, who is a 5th generation dairy farmer, for  his many years of hard work. I hope everyone else was able to thank a farmer!

In this E-update, I will be talking about my experience at the World Dairy Expo and provide some facts about Wisconsin agriculture. I will also share some information on another piece of legislation I have authored with Senator Julie Lassa.

What's Happening in Madison...

Next week, I will be testifying in favor of legislation I authored with Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point). The legislation, Assembly Bill 351, is relating to expanding the option to participate in the Child First Program for residence of a noncustodial parent ordered to register for a work experience and job training program. The bill will have a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.

Wisconsin’s Children First Program, administered by the Department of Children & Families, assists non-custodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed obtain jobs. Non-custodial parents may be court-ordered to participate in the Children First Program if they are unable to meet their child support obligations and “graduate” from the program when they make timely child support payments for three consecutive months, or participate in the Children First Program for 16 weeks. Children First may be administered by a county child support agency, a county human or social service agency or a W-2 agency.

Under current law, a non-custodial parent can only be referred to a Children First Program in the county in which they reside if that county agrees to enroll the parent in the program. However, not all Wisconsin counties have a Children First Program. This creates a problem because non-custodial parents currently cannot be court ordered to participate in a Children First Program outside of the county in which they reside.

Assembly Bill 351 allows a judge in a county where a support order is based to order a non-custodial parent, if their county of residence does not have a Children First Program, to participate in a Children First Program outside of their home county if it is determined to be within reasonable driving distance.

World Dairy Expo

Recently, I attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison with my husband, Dave. Since I'm a member of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I also made sure to meet up with Chairperson Lee Nerison (R - Westby) (pictured with me above). There truly is no other dairy event in the world that compares to it. It's designed for dairy producers and industry partners to showcase their elite dairy cattle, cutting edge research, and modern technologies. It is wonderful opportunity for the worldwide dairy industry to learn and experience the current state of agriculture right here in Wisconsin!

Did you know?? Fun facts about Wisconsin agriculture:

• Wisconsin agriculture contributes $88.3 billion annually to our state’s economy.

• Agriculture contributes 413,500 jobs to Wisconsin’s economy or almost 12% of the total employment!

• Wisconsin exported more than $3.6 billion of agricultural products in 2014.

• Wisconsin ranks first in the nation for: snap beans for processing, cheese, cranberries, ginseng, mink pelts, dry whey for humans, milk goats and corn for silage.

• The state is home to 69,000 farms on 14.5 million acres. The average farm size in Wisconsin is 210 acres.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection http://datcp.wi.gov/Newsroom/Facts_and_Figures/

 Around the District

Recently, I participated in celebrating Wisconsin's cranberry harvest at the 43rd annual Warrens Cranfest!  For generations, harvesting and producing cranberries has played a pivotal role in building and shaping communities throughout central Wisconsin. The 70th district is home to the largest cranberry producing region in the United States so there is good reason for celebration!

 

Did you know that high school students who smoke in Wisconsin is at an all time low? Contributing to the success of tobacco prevention and control is the youth led FACT group at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids. On Tuesday, I met with this group of focused, informative, and innovative students seeking to make a difference for their peers and community through educating teens about the "hidden dangers" of tobacco use without belittling or judging.

 

Last week, I attended the Wood County Community Health Needs Assessment Key Stakeholder Input Forum at the Pittsville Fire Department. The end goal is to make the communities in Wood County healthy places to live, learn, work, and play. I believe that is a goal worth striving for and I am glad I was able to participate!

 2015-2016 State of Wisconsin Blue Book

The new Wisconsin Blue Books have arrived and if you would like to receive a complimentary copy, please take a moment to respond to this email with your name, address, and phone number. Providing that information will make it easier for me to make sure you receive one. Anyone who has already requested for one, you've been added to the list and can expect to receive it soon.

I will also try to have a few Blue Books with me while I'm out in the district so feel free to ask me for one if you see me. I always enjoy interacting with constituents so I encourage you to reach out whenever you see me.  As always, please let me know of any events or things goings on that you think I should attend.

Sincerely,