Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all doing well!

In this E-update I will be talking about some of the bill signings that taken place since the last update. Also, now that the legislative session has come to a close I want to share with you legislation I authored as well as other legislation specifically crafted to protect Wisconsin seniors. I will be updating you on other areas over the next couple updates.

In addition, I want to remind you that a date has been set for the Little Plover Rover Study/Optimization Model Presentation. I have provided more details below.

VanderMeer Legislation Signed into Law

Another VanderMeer/Lassa Bill Signed into Law

Governor Walker signed into law Assembly Bill 351, authored by  Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and myself. This is the fourth bi-partisan piece of legislation we have co-authored, and the third to be passed through both houses of the legislature. This bill will assist non-custodial parents who are unemployed or underemployed obtain jobs. It provides a pathway for training and future employability for those supporting parents and will help develop our workforce. It was a pleasure to have worked with Senator Lassa in bringing this legislation forward.

College Affordability Legislation Signed into Law

  Assembly Bill 744 is part of the College Affordability Package to reduce student loan debt and increase the success of college students. I am proud to be a co-author legislation  to require all higher education institutions to send students an annual letter with information regarding educational costs and financial literacy so students and families can make better decisions about their financial future. This legislation will help students plan and evaluate their investment into their professional future through their education.

Increasing Mental Health in Schools

This week, Governor Walker signed into law Assembly Bill 664 (AB664). This legislation permits licensed treatment professionals, which include qualified treatment trainees, to provide mental health services in schools without establishing a branch office in the school. The change will reduce administrative burden and costs for mental health therapists who are often paid less than costs for the critical care that they provide students.

This is done by allowing licensed treatment professionals offering outpatient mental health services at school to receive Medical Assistance (MA) reimbursement, to the extent federal law allows such reimbursement, regardless of whether the school site is designated as a clinic office.

The goal is to make it easier for mental health professionals to provide the critical care needed for some of our students. Reducing red tape will make it easier for mental health professionals to provide services in schools. When mental health therapy is available at school, students are more likely to access treatment and miss less class time than when they have to travel to an off-site clinic.

Focusing Seniors

As your elected official in the Assembly, I ran for office with the purpose of making our state a better place for all our residents, and as the 2015-16 legislative session comes to a close, I wanted to share with you legislation I authored as well as other legislation specifically crafted to protect Wisconsin seniors.

Protection Against Consumer Scams:
It is a sad reality that seniors and the disabled are frequently targeted for consumer scams. I am proud to have authored Assembly Bill 610 to help address this problem by allowing courts to impose a more fitting penalty for these crimes. This bill was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and will help shield Wisconsin’s most vulnerable citizens.

SeniorCare Funding Maintained:
Many of you were concerned with the proposed changes to SeniorCare, a valuable and popular program that can assist those age 65 or older in receiving potentially lifesaving prescription medication. After hearing your concerns, I sent a letter to the co-chair of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee reaffirming my support for this vital program and requested it be preserved. In sharing many of your personal stories and concerns with the proposal, I’m pleased to have played a role in saving SeniorCare.
 

Holding the Line on Taxes:
This session my colleagues and I demonstrated our commitment to taxpayers by creating no increases at the state level to the property, income, or sales tax. We were able to accomplish this all while balancing our state budget and maintaining the largest rainy day fund in Wisconsin history. I believe it’s important for government to live within its means, and it’s my hope that these prudent financial decisions will make it easier for you to manage and balance your own budgets at home.

Focus on Alzheimer’s and Dementia:
Over 115,000 Wisconsinites currently live with some form of dementia, and that number is projected to double over the next 25 years. Many of those living with this disease are over the age of 65 with their primary caregiver being a spouse or adult child. Because of this, my colleagues and I in the Assembly have passed 10 bills aimed at helping those living with dementia and their caregivers. We approved an additional $1 million in funding for respite care services, added new Dementia Care Specialists in local Aging and Disability Resource Centers, increased funding for Alzheimer’s research, and approved $250,000 to train mobile crisis teams to be dementia capable. These bills serve as an important step forward to better help those living with dementia and their caregivers.

I’m proud of the many things we accomplished this past legislative session, and I look forward to achieving even more in the future.

Little Plover River Study Presentation

Nearly two years ago, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in collaboration with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, hosted a public meeting relating to groundwater and its relationship to surface water. The meeting focused on the optimization study and subsequent analysis of the Little Plover River watershed.

The Little Plover River study has recently been completed, therefore I joined a group of bipartisan legislators to request the DNR to schedule a follow-up meeting in the Central Sands region to present their findings as well as answer questions from our constituents.

I want to inform you a date has been set for the Little Plover Rover Study/Optimization Model Presentation. The presentation will be given by the DNR and the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey on Tuesday, April 12th from 6:00-8:00 at Michelsen Hall in Noel Fine Center at UW-Stevens Point. The address is as follows:

Noel Fine Arts Center, Michelsen Hall, NFAC270
1800 Portage Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481

The presentation will last about an hour and will be followed by a Q&A session with the presenters. I hope that you are able to attend and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.

Sincerely,