Do you know someone
who goes above and
beyond the call of
duty to help out our
community? Then
nominate them to be
featured in my new
weekly section
"Hometown Heroes."
Just send a picture
and a short
description of why
you think this person
is a "Hometown Hero"
as well as contact
information for both
you and the person
to
rep.doyle@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Each week I will
showcase one of
these heroes on my
website and here on
facebook
and send them a
certificate of
appreciation on
behalf of myself and
the whole community.
Ordinary people to
extraordinary things
every day. Let's
take a moment to
thank them for their
service.
You can also write
to me in Madison
with your
recommendations.
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
PH: (608) 266-0631
TF: (888) 534-0094
FAX: (608) 282-3694
rep.doyle@legis.wi.gov
On the Web:
http://doyle.assembly.wi.gov
Capitol News
May 8,
2013
|
Contact Me |
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
PH: (608) 266-0631
TF: (888) 534-0094
FAX: (608) 282-3694
District/Law Office
1230 Ferry Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 785-1886
rep.doyle@legis.wi.gov
On the Web:
http://doyle.assembly.wi.gov
|
In The District |
In The
Legislature
***
Wednesday Night at the Movies: "Lincoln"
Wednesday, May 8, 6:30 pm
Onalaska Library
741 Oak Ave So.
Onalaska, WI 54650
Free screening of the Academy Award Winning Film. Rated PG
Click Here for More Information
***
Chalk Arts Festival
May 11th 10am - 5pm
Pump House Regional Arts Center
119 King Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Come turn our sidewalks into masterpieces and win prizes. Children and
families welcome.
Click Here for more information
***
Bike to Coffee
Sat, May 11 - Wed, May 15
As part of Bike to Work week, if you bike to a coffee shop and show them
your helmet, you get a free cup of coffee.
Participating Shops:
Bean Juice Coffee Roasters, La Crosse
Blue Cup, Holmen
Cabin Coffee, La Crosse
Grounded Specialty Coffee, La Crosse
Jade Cafe, La Crosse
Java Vino, La Crosse
Maggie's Restaurant, Onalaska
McCaffrey's Coffee, La Crosse
Moka, La Crosse
Peoples Food Co-op, La Crosse
River Rock Coffee, La Crosse
The Root Note, La Crosse
Click Here for More Information
***
4th Annual BARRE FEST
Saturday, May 25th (5pm - 1am)
Sunday, May 26th (11am - Midnight)
La Crosse Interstate Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall - West Salem, WI
Come enjoy music and entertainment, kids games, drinks and
Chicken-Q.
All proceeds benefit Barre Mills/La Crosse area Communities as well as
Lions Club Foundations and projects.
Click here for more information
***
Touch a Truck Day
Saturday, May 18th,
Deerwood Park,
Holmen, WI
Great opportunity for kids to come touch and learn about all kinds of
construction, emergency and maintenance vehicles.
Click Here for More Information
***
If you have any changes to these events or new ones that you want
featured in my e-newsletter, send them to me at
rep.doyle@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Assembly Committee on Corrections - Ranking Member
Assembly Committee on Insurance
Assembly Committee on Tourism
Assembly Committee on Transportation
|
Hometown Heroes |
The school year may be ending but the legislative
session is just heating up. The month of May is going to be a busy one
for the Assembly. We head back into session next week where we will be
taking up several bills, some bipartisan resolutions to honor
outstanding achievements and others more polarizing bills on very
divisive topics. But no matter what we are debating, it is always
important to remember that we representatives are the voices of our
constituents in Madison. Every decision we make should be in the best
interests of the folks back home. And how do we know what those
interests are? By listening to what people say when they call, email, or
stop by for a quick chat.
And now with all this modern technology (I’m trying, I really am), there
are even more ways for you to discuss your opinions with me. I’m on
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/rep.steve/doyle and I keep my
website pretty up to date at http://doyle.assembly.wi.gov. I’m
not on Twitter yet mostly because I don’t know what to do with it, but
if I hear from a lot of you that you want me to join up, I’ll brave the
unknown.
I continue to be proud to represent you and I remain committed to finding solutions that best serve you, my constituents and the people of Wisconsin. Thank you for the privilege to serve as your State Representative.
Sincerely,
STEVE DOYLE
State Representative
94th Assembly District
Mental Health
Month
Promoting Awareness and Educating the Public
May is a special month and not only because we can finally enjoy some sunlight. My wife Gloria and I both celebrate our birthdays this month (for all my Facebook fans, you know how old I am and for the rest of you, I’m 32). But no, that is not why May is special. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.
Since 1949, May has been nationally recognized as Mental Health Month in an effort to promote awareness about mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and Post-Traumatic Stress disorder. It draws attention to suicide and suicide prevention programs as well as the various treatment and support options available to those in need. Most importantly, Mental Health Month is a time of education for all of us.
Mental health is a very real and serious issue. One in four Americans is affected by mental health issues and there are more deaths in this country by suicide than by homicides or traffic accidents. Issues like AD/HD, ADD, bullying and eating disorders (yes they are all mental health problems) most often affect children. In older populations, dementia, grief, and depression are more common. One sector of our population has been hit incredibly hard are our veterans and their families. PTSD, depression and anxiety are becoming increasingly common. Most tragically, for every soldier’s death in combat, we lose 25 to suicide.
Compounding these statistics is the fact that many people do not seek help because of the stigma surrounding mental health. They feel people will think they are crazy, unable to function or dangerous to society. This is simply not the case. Statistically, only about 1% of those with severe mental illness are considered dangerous. More often it is the case that the mentally ill are victims of violence themselves; one estimate claimed they were 13 times more likely to suffer abuse. By educating people about mental health this month, we can begin to remove this stigma and encourage others to be open about these important issues.
For Wisconsin legislators, this year’s Mental Health Month is especially timely due to the 2013 – 2015 biennial budget proposal that we are currently debating. While there are many controversial issues included in it, there is one part we can all support: increased funding for mental health. Overall, the budget currently contains $28.9 million for mental health care, including $10.2 million in Comprehensive Community Services and $535,000 for children’s mental health and to create an Office of Children’s Mental Health. These funds will also be used to address the issue of substance abuse and in cases of direct intervention, create additional inpatient units. This month will serve as an important reminder of how the work we do in Madison directly affects everyone living here in Wisconsin.
There are many forms of treatment and support available. Take some time this month to familiarize yourself with the symptoms and myths of mental illness and never be afraid to seek help for yourself or others.
For more information, please visit these websites:
Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net
Mental Health America of Wisconsin: http://www.mhawisconsin.org/
La Crosse County Human Services: http://www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/HumanServices/cs/outpatient.htm
***
Photos From the Office
Last month, I got to visit with lots of school groups from all around
the district. Here are some of those photos:
4th graders from Northern Hills pose for the Capitol photographers
Coulee Christian School visits the Capitol
Go Big Red! St. Paul's Lutheran all dressed in red.
***
Consumer Protection Update
Parking Invoice Scam
There’s a new scam in town
and it’s hitting Wisconsinites on opposite sides of the state.
I call it the “Parking Scam.” People across the state are receiving fake
bills in the mail for parking violations that never happened. The
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is
telling people to be on the lookout for these fake invoices and phony
collections mailings.
Here is how the scam works. You receive a mailing claiming to be from
“Parking Collection Services” saying you owe between $35 and $50. It
also claims to be a “notice of Assignment to a collection agency.” As
you wrack your brain trying to think of the last time you parked your
car downtown and pull out your checkbook, you are unwittingly falling
victim to this scam.
In the case of the reported
scams, the mailings listed a Milwaukee post office box as the address.
For one Door County resident, the letter said they owed money for
unauthorized parking in a lot in Milwaukee and even had the correct
license plate number, but that car had never been to Milwaukee. When
they tried to call the agency’s phone number, the person on the other
end hung up.
For the Pierce County resident, they received a mailing saying they owed
payment for parking in a private lot, but did not provide the lot number
or location. They did print the day that she was apparently parked in
the lot, but at that time the resident was up north visiting family. She
too called the number listed but only reached a recording saying that
the business was involved in “law enforcement collections.”
DATCP warns that these bills and sales requests can be deceptive, untrue
and misleading. They encourage anyone who has been a victim of the
Parking Scam or think they might have been to contact their Consumer
Information Hotline at 1-800-422-7128
or filing a complaint online at:
http://datcp.wi.gov.
***
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