CONTACT ME
MAIL:
Room 20 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707
TELEPHONE:
Office Phone
(608) 266-5490
Toll Free
(800) 385-3385
EMAIL:
Sen.Shilling@legis.wi.gov
WEBSITE:
legis.wi.gov/senate/shilling
SOCIAL MEDIA
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SENATE COMMITTEES:
Joint Legislative Council
Joint Committee on Finance
Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications
Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges
Special Committee on Reporting of Child Abuses and Child Neglect
TAKE MY SURVEY!
I want to hear from you! I have a new survey on my website that asks your thoughts on economic development, education, transportation projects, hunting in state parks, health care, and many other issues. Please visit my website to let me know how you feel!
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April 4, 2013 |
Dear Friends and Neighbors - The Joint Finance Committee will being holding public budget hearings around the state this week. Please read about the various locations we will be traveling to and consider attending one of these sessions to express your views on the Governor's state budget proposal. Sincerely, |
| Legislature's Joint Finance Committee to begin State Budget Hearings |
| As the State Budget process continues, the
Legislature's Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will be conducting
public hearings around the state. Unfortunately, the Republican
committee co-chairs have decided to only schedule four public
hearings - the lowest number of hearings held by the JFC in 25
years. These hearings will be held at the following times and
locations:
Greendale Public Hearing
Green Bay Public Hearing
Wisconsin Dells Public Hearing
Baldwin Public Hearing
Members of the public are invited to attend
these public hearings and express their views on the Governor's
state budget proposal. |
| La Crosse Area Budget Listening Sessions |
| Due to the low number of public hearings
scheduled by the Republican Joint Finance Committee co-chairs,
Democratic legislators announced that they will be holding
additional hearings throughout the state.
In western Wisconsin, Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse), Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse), Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska), and Rep. Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau) will hold several hearings throughout the region in order to provide the public with ample opportunities to learn more about Governor Walker's executive budget and comment on his proposals. The first two events will be held in La Crosse on April 8th and in Viroqua on April 22nd. These events are open to the public and will focus primarily on the Governor's education budget. La Crosse Listening Session
Viroqua Listening Session
Additional listening sessions will be
scheduled as the budget process continues, and I look forward to
hearing your input. |
| Jennifer Shilling Column: The state budget is no joke |
| Allowing Chinese corporations to buy large
tracts of Wisconsin farmland. De-regulating arcade claw games.
Taking over a circus.
None of these ideas were April Fools' Day headlines, so what do they all have in common? As it turns out, they are all proposals in Governor Walker's 2013-15 state budget that is currently being considered by the Legislature. Under any other circumstances, these proposals would be laughable. Unfortunately, working families and seniors throughout our state continue to struggle. Unemployment in Wisconsin is on the rise and we recently dropped to 44th in the nation in terms of job growth. In order to create family-supporting jobs here in Wisconsin, we need to roll up our sleeves and get serious about creating jobs and building a foundation for future growth. Rather than putting forward ridiculous April Fools' Day ideas and calling them "job bills," my Democratic colleagues and I have introduced a series of proposals that would increase access to worker training programs, provide up-front grants to help small businesses get off the ground, and keep jobs here in Wisconsin rather than shipping them overseas. Several of these bills have received bipartisan support in the past, but have now become tied up by Madison politics. I believe that we need to have a greater sense of urgency and immediacy as we strive to find real solutions to our state's economic challenges. Running a three-ring circus and selling large swathes of Wisconsin farmland to Chinese corporations are not the answers that working families want. The budget is an opportunity to lay out a
vision for our state's future. Investments in quality education,
access to affordable health care, and real middle class relief
are all important priorities. Over the coming weeks and months,
I hope that we can find bipartisan agreement on these issues and
get serious about creating jobs, because more arcade games just
won't cut it. |
| April 8th is your chance to weigh in on the Conservation Congress and fish and wildlife policies! |
 Every
spring, Wisconsinites from across the state have the opportunity
to provide their input to the WI Department of Natural
Resources, Natural Resources Board and the Conservation Congress
on proposed hunting, trapping, and fishing rule changes and
advisory questions. If you are interested in outdoor recreation,
conservation, or our heritage of being citizen stewards of our
natural resources, I encourage you to attend and become a part
of this important process.
In conjunction with the hearing, Wisconsin's Conservation Congress will hold brief meetings where they will cover: elections for county Conservation Congress delegates; proposed wildlife and fisheries rule changes that have been developed through previous Conservation Congress meetings; and Conservation Congress proposals for future rule development. Click here to view the agenda and questions for the 2013 conservation hearing. County residents also have the option to run for a seat on the Conservation Congress and to elect delegates from their county to represent their views regarding natural resources issues on the Conservation Congress. The Conservation Congress is unique to Wisconsin and reflects both our rich tradition of conservation and our commitment to grassroots democracy. Hearings are held in every county across the state at 7pm on April 8, 2013. Hearings in the 32nd Senate District
For more information contact: |
| Do You Have Unclaimed Property? |
| Each year, the Office of
State Treasurer receives millions in financial assets that have
been unclaimed or abandoned by Wisconsin residents. This
unclaimed property often consists of abandoned savings and
checking accounts, uncashed dividends, stocks, customer deposits
or overpayments, certificates of deposit, credit balances,
refunds, matured life insurance policies and uncashed death
benefit checks.
The Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Unit helps
to reunite residents and businesses with lost funds, and over
the next several weeks and months, they will be conducting a
public outreach campaign to help return this unclaimed property
to the rightful owners. If you would like to check the online
databases to see if you or a family member has unclaimed
property that is being held by the state, please visit: |
| New Horizons Lobby Day |
| Amanda, Liz, and Ann from
New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Centers, Inc. visited the
State Capitol as part of the Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence Advocacy Day. Thank you for meeting with me and for all
of the great work you do in our region!
Visit
New Horizons' Facebook Page to learn more about their
mission of providing safety and services to adults and families
who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking
and harassment. |
| Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation: April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month |
| April has been designated
by Congress as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and
the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is using
this opportunity to urge drivers to pay attention to what's
really important when they're behind the wheel.
"Despite laws to prevent distracted and inattentive driving, too may motorists talk and text on cell phones while driving. They eat a meal. They rummage for things on the seats, floor, dashboard or compartments. They even stare intently in the rearview mirror to comb their hair or apply make-up. Their attention is focused everywhere except where it should be, which is on the road," says State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety. "Because they're not paying attention to traffic conditions and road hazards, distracted drivers drastically increase their risks of causing a crash or failing to avoid one." Although many multi-tasking activities can cause distracted driving, talking and texting on cell phones have received significant public and legislative attention. In November 2012, a state law went into effect that prohibits drivers with an instruction permit or probationary license, which includes many teenagers, from "using a cellular or other wireless telephone except to report an emergency" while driving. A previously enacted state law made texting while driving illegal for all motorists. In a national Pew Research study, 40 percent of American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 11 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. Texting and cell phone use are just two of many types of distractions that increase the risk of a traffic crash. And a few seconds of inattention can have tragic consequences, according to Major Huxtable. "Every time you drive, you are legally and
morally responsible for safely operating a potentially
destructive and even deadly force," she says. "That's why
driving requires your undivided attention. Any lapse in
attention to traffic or road conditions is a grave danger to
you, your passengers and everyone else on the road. No attempt
to multi-task in your vehicle, no phone call, and no text
message is more important than a human life." |
| Highway Maps are Available! |
| Email me at
Sen.Shilling@legis.wi.gov or call my office at 608-266-5490
to request a new 2013 highway map at no charge. |
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