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CONTACT ME:
State Capitol
Room 307 West
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-5780
Toll Free: (888) 534-0095
rep.billings@legis.wi.gov
Connect with me on social media:
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COMMUNITY EVENTS |
Love Your Neighbor Event
Opportunity for all neighborhood associations to get together and enjoy fun activities. Activities include kid's games, crafts, food and drink, hiking tours, and live music by Hans Mayer. Date: Sunday, March 29 Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Location: Myrick Park, Eco Park Building
La Crosse Public
Education Hearing
(Joint Listening Session with Sen. Shilling and Rep. Doyle)
Date: Monday, March 30
Time: 5:00 p.m – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Logan High School, Weiss Theater
1500 Ranger Dr.
Thoreau and Transcendentalism
Henry David Thoreau was an environmentalist who was also a
Transcendentalist: he
believed that the world, particularly the natural world, is infused with
the Divine and
that one way to find God is to go to nature. Richard, a retired history
teacher and
Wiscorps school nature program naturalist, will talk about Thoreau and
the Transcendentalist
movement. Thoreau caution to the wind!
Date:
Wednesday, April 1 and 7
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Myrick Park
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FUN FACT |
It's March Madness season, and the chance of a UW win has badgers all over the state and country cheering.
Every year, NCAA fans place bets on their favorite teams through the "bracket challenge." It seems simple to fill out, but the odds of winning are shockingly tough.
Statistically, the odds of having a "perfect" bracket - with every game outcome predicted correctly - is 1 in 9 quintillion!
Good luck!
View this e-mail in your web browser.
Friends and Neighbors,
Wisconsin is moving backwards.
This week, numbers from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics put our state at 38th in job growth nationally. This is a 7-point slip from an earlier 31st ranking. This figure, combined with a looming $2.2 billion budget deficit makes clear that, economically, the Republican-controlled government in our state is not making the right choices.
As we discuss Gov. Walker's budget proposals, we hear more of the same policies that caused our concerning economic state: cut, trim, consolidate. What are some words we aren't hearing? Grow, invest, sustain.
Are we to assume that if we continue on this same path, that somehow our state will achieve prosperity? I, and many of the people I've talked to from my district are strongly opposed to the path legislative Republicans are attempting to take us down again.
In the following
articles, I discuss the most concerning proposals facing us today, as
well as ways you can add your voice to the discussion.
Best Wishes,
Jill Billings
State Representative
95th Assembly District
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There's Still Time to Register Your Opinion on Walker's Budget! |
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I hosted a public hearing in La Crosse on Monday, March 16 with Senator Jennifer Shilling. The community turnout was wonderful, and we heard a lot of informed questions and comments from concerned people in La Crosse. Many of those who attended mentioned that cuts to education, SeniorCare, Stewardship, BadgerCare and more would be detrimental to our community. I have truly appreciated hearing from constituents. It is good to see our community actively taking a stance on a budget proposal that affects the future of WI.
The next budget listening session I will be hosting with Senator Jennifer Shilling and Representative Steve Doyle, is this coming Monday, March 30th. This listening session will focus on public education, featuring a presentation from Jeff Pertl, senior policy advisor for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Important topics concerning Wisconsin education will be discussed at the forum, including the current state of Wisconsin public schools, the impact of Gov. Walker's proposed budget cuts on La Crosse public schools, and other foreseeable issues in public education. Time for comment from the public will also be available, and comments regarding all portions if the proposed budget will be accepted. La Crosse Public Education Hearing |
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State Budget Public Hearings Ongoing |
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The Joint Finance committee (JFC) will
hold its final public hearing today in Reedsburg
Wisconsin from 9:30am-4:00pm at Reedsburg High School.
This is the last of 4 public hearings held throughout
the state. The dates and times are as follows:
Saturday, March 28 (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) Menomonie Public Library, Meeting Room 600 Wolske Bay Rd. Menomonie, WI (MAP)
Saturday, March 28 (12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Common Council Chambers 75 N. Bonson St. Platteville, WI (MAP)
Monday, March 30 (4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) UW-Oshkosh, Reeve Union Room 213 800 Algoma Blvd. Oshkosh, WI (MAP)
Tuesday, March 31 (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) Dodgeville Common Council Chambers 100 E. Fountain St. Dodgeville, WI (MAP)
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Budget Item Feature |
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In all the following e-updates, I will feature a piece of the state budget. This week, I will focus on changes to public education. Gov. Walker's budget proposal not only features cuts to public education, but suggests a partial re-structuring of the public school system. On the financial side, Gov. Walker's
proposed budget includes cutting funding by $150 per
pupil this year, which would amount to a $990,150 loss
in state funding to La Crosse alone. Per pupil cuts of
this magnitude will severely limit the resources
available to our kids and the quality of education they
can receive.
Furthermore, not only does Governor Walker cut state aid to local school districts, but he increases funding to private voucher schools. Governor Walker's budget completely lifts the caps of enrollment to private voucher schools increasing funding for unaccountable private schools. This is one part of Governor Walker's budget that I truly don't support. The share of the state budget spent on K-12 public education is as at a 20-year low, and instead of giving our communities the tools to adequately educate our children, Gov. Walker's budget gives more money to private, unaccountable voucher schools. Additionally, the Governor's budget incorporates a number of contentious proposals from Assembly Bill 1 (AB1) -- a hotly debated proposal put forth by Republican leadership at the beginning of the legislative session. Assembly Bill 1 was so divisive that it faced a complete re-draft. Even after the re-draft, provisions of the bill were so controversial that the bill remains in limbo. Given the strong bipartisan opposition to AB1, one would assume Governor Walker would not attempt to add parts of the bill into this budget. However, Gov. Walker's budget includes the creation of a Charter Oversight Board to limit local school boards' control of "failing" public - turned charter schools. This proposal could have negative consequences for a number of reasons. First, related to the grading system applied to schools, which is also mandated in the budget. Applying a "D" or "F" to a public school will not spur growth. Instead, it will create yet another arbitrary measurement of schools that doesn't account for what we need to know. In education, Walker has set forth a
number of misguided proposals which could severely hurt
our public education and our students in the long term.
I am hopeful that, as budget discussions continue, Gov.
Walker and legislative Republicans will recognize the
value of our educational system and restore funding to
our public schools. |
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Voter ID Adopted in WI |
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Thankfully the Attorney General has decided not to enforce the law for the April 7 election, which is two weeks away. Anyone who votes in the upcoming (April 7) election will not need a photo ID to vote. Those who have already voted in-person absentee will not be affected by the Voter ID decision. I am disappointed that our nation's highest court would not even consider overturning a law that violates Americans' most basic right to vote. Research shows that, when the voter ID law goes into effect, nearly 300,000 Wisconsinites will be disenfranchised. However, we must move forward from this setback. Even one person who is prevented from exercising their constitutional right to vote is too many, and I will continue to do everything possible to encourage people to vote and make voting accessible to all.
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During
the hearings public testimony has been heard by
committee members—and the majority of citizens
testifying do not support the proposed budget. Now, it
is up to the members of JFC to go through and make
changes to the Governor’s budget. These meetings will
begin the second week of April. I hope that the majority
party responds to the testimony of the public and makes
significant changes to the budget that Governor Walker
proposed.
This
week, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected to review a
challenge the Wisconsin Voter ID law. By not
considering this challenge the voter ID requirements
will officially become law in Wisconsin.
Tuesday marked the first day you can vote early (known as "in-person absentee" voting) in Wisconsin for the April 7th Spring Election.
You can vote early by going to your local city or town hall. To find out more about how you can vote early, including hours operation, I encourage you to reach out to your local clerk. I have linked to the clerk's offices in the 95th district below:
http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/index.aspx?nid=84
http://www.townofshelby.com/content/clerk_treasurer
http://townofcampbell.com/elections-and-voting/
Don't know if you are registered to vote, how to vote, or where to vote? You can visit the WI Government Accountability Board’s Voter Information Center HERE.
March is Women's History Month
Women's History Month celebrates the women throughout history who have advanced and advocated for women's rights. Women's History Month was first recognized in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan who said, "We should be proud and grateful as we celebrate Women's History Month."
How are organizations in our state celebrating this Women's History Month?
Medical College of Wisconsin
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Medical College
of Wisconsin has created a series of video vignettes and stories that
will be posted online during the month of March. The vignettes highlight
some of their women faculty, staff and students and the contributions
they have made. The stories also highlight MCW programs that improve
women’s health or help develop female students, physicians, researchers,
educators and leaders.
All of the vignettes and stories will be added to the
MCW Honoring Diversity Web page as they are published.
Options Clinic
For Women's History Month, is highlighting the history of female reproductive health in the United States, as well as its own history. Since 1993, Options Clinic has been providing confidential reproductive health services to women in Wisconsin. However, creating a family planning clinic in La Crosse was first discussed in the early 1960s.
Click here to read more on the history of Options Clinic.
La Crosse Tribune
Over the past month the La Crosse Tribune has been featuring a daily series, sponsored by the La Crosse Branch of the American Association of Women, about an influential woman in history. The stories feature prominent suffragettes, as well as authors, politicians, researchers, and more.
Click here to read pieces from the series.
Last Week to Sign the SaveSeniorCare Petition!
Submissions to the SeniorCare petition will be accepted through the end of this week!
To date, we have received a number of positive responses to the Save SeniorCare petition -- add your name and voice to this important issue
Our SeniorCare is under attack, and we need Wisconsinites like you to stand up for our seniors' rights! The SeniorCare petition is still open, and I encourage all to sign on and support our seniors.
Over the past few months, you may have heard about Governor Walker's rejection of federal Medicaid dollars, which would have saved Wisconsin an estimated $206 million over the next two years. Throughout the state budget, and especially in health care, we can see the effects of healthcare funding rejection. Under this proposal, SeniorCare would be cut by $15 million -- a 40 percent cut. Additionally, seniors would be forced to apply for Medicare part D, which would cause them to pay more out of pocket expenses on prescription drug costs.
SeniorCare in Wisconsin is once again at risk.
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