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Following an overwhelming show of support from Wisconsinites from all corners of the state, Assembly Bill 881, the Water Pollution Notification Act passed the Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry. This legislation requires well owners and the counties in which they reside to be notified when the monitoring wells of a wastewater discharge permit holder test high, violating their permit and causing potential pollution of the groundwater. I introduced this bill in response to high levels of nitrates that went ignored for more than a decade in the Town of Holland.

Everyone who spoke and registered during the public hearing Monday was in strong support of the bill. Thank you to Mike Giese from the La Crosse County Board for coming to testify and Jim Steinhoff from the La Crosse County Health Department for providing written testimony for the hearing.

We heard from people who came from all over Wisconsin to testify on why this bill is so important. We listened to the concerns of citizens -- parents, farmers, scientists -- all of whom testified that they want to be alerted if monitoring wells show high levels of contaminants so they can decide whether to test their wells. The goal of this bill is to ensure that Wisconsinites are armed with the best possible information concerning the quality of their water.

Unfortunately, Republican committee members introduced and passed an amendment that weakens the protections initially set out in AB 881. I am currently working with the author of the amendment to reach a compromise and strengthen the bill.

This Thursday was the last day we have been told we will be voting on the Assembly floor this session. Republican leadership could still call floor session in March or April, but none has been scheduled at this time.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about these or any other pieces of legislation. You can contact my office by calling (608) 266-5780 or emailing me at Rep.Billings@legis.wi.gov.

Please continue reading for more detailed information on the happenings locally and statewide.

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(608)266-5780 \| State Capitol, Room 307 West, P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708 \| rep.billings@legis.wi.gov
COMMUNITY EVENTS: Barn Dance! Saturday, Feb. 24 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Concordia Ballroom (MAP) Hoops 4 Hope Saturday, Feb. 24 9 a.m. Aquinas High School (MAP) 14th Annual Family Fest Sunday, Feb. 25 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. La Crosse Center (MAP) Polar Plunge Benefiting Special Olympics Friday, Mar. 2 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Pettibone Beach (MAP) International Women's Day Panel Thursday, Mar. 8 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. UW-L Centennial Hall (MAP) 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	Friends and Neighbors, Following an overwhelming show of support from Wisconsinites from all corners of the state, Assembly Bill 881, the Water Pollution Notification Act passed the Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry. This legislation requires well owners and the counties in which they reside to be notified when the monitoring wells of a wastewater discharge permit holder test high, violating their permit and causing potential pollution of the groundwater. I introduced this bill in response to high levels of nitrates that went ignored for more than a decade in the Town of Holland. Everyone who spoke and registered during the public hearing Monday was in strong support of the bill. Thank you to Mike Giese from the La Crosse County Board for coming to testify and Jim Steinhoff from the La Crosse County Health Department for providing written testimony for the hearing. We heard from people who came from all over Wisconsin to testify on why this bill is so important. We listened to the concerns of citizens -- parents, farmers, scientists -- all of whom testified that they want to be alerted if monitoring wells show high levels of contaminants so they can decide whether to test their wells. The goal of this bill is to ensure that Wisconsinites are armed with the best possible information concerning the quality of their water. Unfortunately, Republican committee members introduced and passed an amendment that weakens the protections initially set out in AB 881. I am currently working with the author of the amendment to reach a compromise and strengthen the bill. This Thursday was the last day we have been told we will be voting on the Assembly floor this session. Republican leadership could still call floor session in March or April, but none has been scheduled at this time. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about these or any other pieces of legislation. You can contact my office by calling (608) 266-5780 or emailing me at Rep.Billings@legis.wi.gov. Please continue reading for more detailed information on the happenings locally and statewide. Best Wishes, Jill Billings State Representative 95th Assembly District

Wetlands Deregulation Bill Passes Assembly, Senate On February 13, AB 547 passed the Assembly Committee on Rules on a party line vote, and the wetlands deregulation bill was sent to the Assembly floor the following Thursday. As many of you likely know, AB 547 creates a loophole in the permitting process for wetlands and allows big developers to jeopardize and build upon one of Wisconsin's most important environmental features. I voted "no" on this bill and spoke against it on the Assembly floor. Despite public outcry and outrage from environmental groups across Wisconsin, Assembly Republicans passed AB 547, one of the worst bills for sportsmen and women in generations. Wisconsin's wetlands are critical to flood control and serve as habitats for various wildlife. Unfortunately, the passage of AB 547 put hundreds of thousands of acres of our wetlands at risk, and removes one of the necessities of thoughtful developing around wetlands. AB 547 also passed on the Senate floor and will now go to the governor's desk. Thank you for all of you who contacted me over the past couple of months regarding AB 547. I appreciate your passion for the environment and preserving our natural resources. I opposed this legislation, as I consistently do with environmental rollbacks, and I am committed to continue to fight for our wetlands and other natural resources. Wisconsin has a proud history of ensuring our wetlands are healthy, but the passage of this bill jeopardizes that tradition.

Republicans Refuse to Vote on "Dark Store" Legislation Assembly Bill 386, the "Dark Store" bill, is an important piece of legislation that would shift some of the property tax burden back to corporate retailers instead of hurting local homeowners and small businesses. The "Dark Store" loophole refers to big box stores whose property taxes are assessed through comparison with vacant stores, without taking into consideration market values of comparable property. This loophole saves big box stores millions of dollars and leaves homeowners and other businesses in the area to shoulder the burden. This is a bipartisan bill that has been supported by local governments across the state. A couple of weeks ago, Assembly Democrats called on the majority party to take up AB 386 for a vote on the floor. However, Assembly Republicans voted against taking up the Dark Store bill, despite having the majority of the Assembly as co-sponsors. As a co-sponsor of this legislation, I believe that property tax assessments of big box retailers should be made based on highest and best use instead of on their value as a vacant store. I believe this loophole hurts our community and businesses, and I am frustrated that Republicans refused to allow a vote to close it before this session ends. Please know that I am fighting to remove this undue tax burden from you and any Wisconsinites affected by increased property taxes.

Assembly Passes Measures to Close Juvenile Prison On Wednesday, the Assembly passed Assembly Bill 953, a bill which will close the state's maximum security juvenile correctional facility, Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, by 2020. Instead, new juvenile correctional facilities will be established around the state, making it easier for residents to visit their incarcerated family members. Additionally, the Department of Children and Families will form the Council on Juvenile Corrections to oversee youth correctional facilities. This bill passed through the Assembly after being introduced on Thursday, February 15. Facing scrutiny for ignoring a 2012 report detailing severe misconduct in Lincoln Hills, Gov. Scott Walker began to promote shutting down the facility last month. I voted "yes" on this bill because I agree with shutting down this highly problematic facility and focusing instead on treatment options for our youth. Moreover, I supported this bill because the authors worked to address most of the issues raised by La Crosse County regarding funding and the proposed plan. However, I was disappointed to see this bill rushed through the legislature so quickly. Discourse is an essential part of our democratic process, and five days is too short a time period to fully debate such an important piece of legislation.

Constituents in the Capitol Amidst long floor session periods, I have enjoyed getting to meet with folks from La Crosse and the area. Mike Giese from the La Crosse County Board came to Madison to testify in favor of AB 881. Thank you to representatives from Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center for the work they to do improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Coulee Region. I had the opportunity to show representatives from the La Crosse Area Family YMCA the Assembly Parlor. I met with students from Western Technical College as part of Wisconsin Technical College Lobby Day.

DNR: Spring 2018 Updates February and March are the ideal months for planning spring turkey learn-to-hunt events. Learn-to-hunt events are a great opportunity for new hunters of all ages to harvest their first turkey. If you are interested in more information on attending a Learn to Hunt event, or planning your own event, click here. Additionally, the County Deer Advisory Committee meetings are starting for Spring 2018, and they are beginning to set their quotas for the upcoming hunting season. Meeting are scheduled for March 12-15 and March 19-22. A more detailed meeting schedule can be found here. Each county in Wisconsin has its own County Deer Advisory Council that may provide input to the Department on matters such as deer management, as well as develop three-year recommendations on county population objectives and develop hunting harvest quotas. Finally, the 2018 Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring hearing questionnaire is now available here. Counties will be hosting a public hearing on Monday, April 9, which you can attend in order to discuss your county's management of natural resources or simply provide your input on county and statewide conservations issues.