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December 12, 2013

Dear Friends and Neighbors -

This is the last e-newsletter of 2013! I will send out the next e-update when the legislative session resumes in early January. This newsletter will highlight my workforce development bill that was recently signed into law, early childhood education, and the proposed BadgerCare enrollment delay. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these or any other state legislative issues.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Shilling
State Senate, District 32
 
Workforce Development Bill Signed into Law
Legislation authored by myself and Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) to strengthen job training and employment assistance services for people with disabilities was signed into law at a special ceremony in La Crosse on Friday, December 6th. The proposal, now 2013 Wisconsin Act 58, will significantly reduce waiting lists at the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and ensure that workers with disabilities are able to access career guidance and counseling, job search and placement assistance, rehabilitation technology, job training, transportation, and more.

This is a smart investment in a program that has proven to help workers with disabilities get off state waiting lists and into the workforce. Empowering individuals with special needs to identify their unique abilities and maximize their potential is a win-win situation for workers and our economy.

The Department of Workforce Development estimates that 3,250 individuals returned to the workforce in 2012 as a result of vocational rehabilitation services. These individuals are expected to earn approximately $56.4 million annually which translates into a 210% return on investment for the DVR program.

Unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities in Wisconsin is a serious issue which places significant financial pressure on public assistance programs. The DVR program provides valuable vocational and job training services to people with disabilities by creating individualized plans for employment and removing barriers to employment.

While the DVR program has been very successful, high demand for assistance has resulted in a waiting list of over 4,000 individuals. Act 58 will help to eliminate this waiting list and provide thousands of people with disabilities access to the job training and employment assistance services they need to become more successful and self-sufficient.


 
Support Federal Investments in Early Childhood Education - Column by Sen. Jennifer Shilling and Rep. Chris Taylor
This holiday season, Wisconsin's senators and representatives in Congress have a tremendous opportunity to save state taxpayers money, build stronger families and foster the growth of a more talented and productive workforce. The opportunity — supporting federal investments in birth-to-5 early childhood education — is not only critically important to Wisconsin's youngest citizens but is vital to the future well-being of our state.

A group of 21 Wisconsin state legislators are calling on Congress to make this season extra special for our state and its children because we recognize the power of early learning to help improve education, health and economic outcomes in our state and the country.

The most recent research indicates that the education and support a child receives in the earliest years — from birth to age 5 — have a huge impact on his or her ability to succeed in K-12, college and life. Research has shown that early learning also can close the achievement gap, decrease the dropout rate and reduce the likelihood that a child will fall into the criminal justice system.

That's why, in Wisconsin and across the country, state legislators from both parties have supported early childhood programs, even though we have to balance the budget every year. Thanks to bipartisan support, almost 90% of Wisconsin schools now offer free, universal 4-year-old kindergarten, ranking us among the top states in the nation. We also recently won a competitive federal Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant that will provide $34 million to improve early learning and development.

The fact is, no single state can do the job alone. Despite our best efforts, most working parents in Wisconsin can't afford high-quality preschool for their children, and we are currently serving only a fraction of children eligible for Early Head Start and Head Start. To give our children the early learning programs they need, Wisconsin and other states need to partner with the federal government.

The good news is that, this holiday season, our senators and representatives have before them two key opportunities to spur such investments. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is co-chairing the Congressional Budget Conference Committee, which has until Friday to reach a long-term budget deal. We, state legislators, are urging Ryan and Wisconsin's U.S. senators, Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, also members of the committee, to make funding for early childhood education programs a high priority in their budget decisions.

We also commend Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) for introducing the Strong Start for America's Children Act, and we call on the rest of our senators and representatives to join them in supporting this bipartisan bill. It would create a new funding stream to help states and communities improve and expand high-quality, full-day preschool programs for 4-year-olds, while giving states the flexibility to use some of the funds for infants and toddlers. That new funding stream will support our homegrown early education efforts, strengthening current programs while helping us reach the children who aren't getting the assistance they urgently need.

Early education is a practical, not party-line issue. Like state legislators across the country, we often hear from parents, business leaders, the faith-based community, educators and law enforcement leaders — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — all demanding stronger early childhood education programs.

This bipartisan support extends across the country. A recent poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research on behalf of First Five Years Fund found that 70% of Americans favored a plan to better provide low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds with access to high-quality preschool programs.

As much as children love gifts, this holiday season, Wisconsin's kids need an investment, too: an investment in their future. We urge Congress to seize the opportunity to strengthen federal support for birth-to-five early childhood education.
 
BadgerCare Delay Hurts Local Families
Over the past few weeks, families and advocates across the state have urged Wisconsin state legislators not to delay BadgerCare coverage for 83,000 Wisconsin families this holiday season. On December 19th, the State Senate is expected to vote on Special Session Assembly Bill 1, which was introduced at the request of Governor Scott Walker. This bill will prevent thousands of uninsured Wisconsinites who make less than $11,490 a year from receiving health care coverage through the state’s successful BadgerCare program for several months; leaving them without access to health care. In the 2013-15 State Budget, passed by the Republican majority earlier this year, these individuals were promised coverage starting January 1, 2014.

I’m disappointed that Republicans in the Legislature are breaking their promise to thousands of Wisconsin’s working families this holiday season by delaying access to vital health care services. Instead of turning away federal funding and delaying access to coverage, we should be working together to expand access and save taxpayers money.

For the past year, a broad coalition of citizens, health care advocates, faith-based organizations and Democratic lawmakers have been urging Governor Walker and Republicans in the Legislature to accept available federal funding, strengthen the BadgerCare program, and improve access to affordable healthcare for low-income workers and families. Accepting the federal funding to strengthen BadgerCare would cover approximately 85,000 additional people and save Wisconsin taxpayers $86.4 million over the next 18 months, according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Unfortunately, Republicans continue to reject this common-sense proposal.

By breaking their promise at the last minute to provide BadgerCare coverage starting January 1st, Republicans will be forcing thousands of low-income workers in western Wisconsin to wait months for health care.

Local residents who will be affected by this change include a 40 year-old man in La Crosse who can’t return to work until he receives care for a hernia. He was scheduled to receive health coverage and undergo surgery in January, but he will now be forced to wait until April. Without the necessary treatment, this delay in coverage could cause him to lose his job.

Other individuals who have expressed their frustration with this delay include a man in Vernon County who was told that he would be eligible for BadgerCare coverage starting January 1st. Without any short-term coverage options available, this delay will force him to go without coverage for at least three months.

A 42 year-old woman working in Crawford County is also trying to get health care coverage. She works hard, but makes just over $10,000 a year and does not have health benefits at her job. She would be eligible for BadgerCare on January 1st, but under the Governor's new plan, she will now have to wait for health care coverage.

When Governor Walker signed the 2013-15 State Budget into law, he made a promise to thousands of people throughout western Wisconsin who are working hard and playing by the rules. He made a promise that everyone eligible for BadgerCare would get coverage beginning January 1, 2014. Now that promise is being broken. We should not be denying health care coverage to Wisconsin workers and their families, forcing them to seek expensive emergency room care when they get sick. We should be working together to increase health care access and accept the common-sense alternative to save taxpayers over $86 million.

Earlier this year, I voted to accept federal funding and strengthen the BadgerCare program during state budget deliberations. Republicans will have another opportunity to adopt this alternate proposal and maintain their promise to Wisconsin workers when the State Senate debates Special Session Assembly Bill 1 on December 19th.
 
Happy Holidays!

Students in the Lincoln Middle School Holiday Brass Band from La Crosse came to the State Capitol on December 10th with their director, Jason Harden. Their festive holiday music was a very welcome addition to the Capitol!


 
Early Ice Fishing and Ice Safety Tips
Early ice offers some of the season's best fishing, but also a need for extreme caution due to ice conditions (or lack thereof.) View the Wisconsin recreation safety wardens list of top safety tips for the ice fishing season.

Steve Avelallemant, fisheries supervisor for northern Wisconsin, says that early ice fishing can be some of the best fishing for walleye and northern pike. “Especially on shallow lakes, where the fish seem to be accessible and biting more earlier in the hard water season," he says.

Fishing pressure nearly triples in December in Wisconsin after lakes freeze over, based on results from a 2006-7 statewide mail survey of anglers. Anglers reported spending about 1,589,000 hours in December alone in that year, up from 624,000 hours in November, the survey showed. Panfish, northern pike and walleye are most frequently caught in the winter, with 11.7 million, 866,000, and 750,000, respectively, based on the mail survey results.

Find more helpful tips on the ice fishing pages of the DNR website. You can also find links to ice safety information, tips for getting started ice fishing, and how to have a fun and successful ice fishing outing with the kids.
 
Alice in Dairyland
Applications are now available for the 67th Alice in Dairyland. Alice in Dairyland is a public relations and communications professional who travels nearly 40,000 miles through the state promoting agriculture. In this one year contract position, Alice in Dairyland travels Wisconsin conducting media interviews, delivering speeches at community events and presenting in schools.

Alice in Dairyland applicants need to have at least three years of education or training in communications, experience in public speaking and the ability to execute a marketing campaign. Applicants should have considerable knowledge of Wisconsin agriculture and must be female, a Wisconsin resident and at least 21 years of age.

A cover letter, resume, three professional references and summary of qualifications must be submitted to DATCP by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2014 to be considered. Qualified applicants will be invited to a preliminary interview in February. The top finalists will be announced in March and the three day final selection will be hosted by Clark County on May 15-17, 2014. The 67th Alice in Dairyland will begin full-time on June 2, 2014.

Application materials are available here. To learn more, you can contact Becky Paris at 608-224-5115 or rebecca.paris@wi.gov.
 
WI Natural Resource Magazine Highlights State Parks
Partnering with the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks to produce this 2014 calendar, it features the winning photographs from the Friends’ photo contest. To coincide with the calendar, all articles tie into the theme of “A portrait of our parks.”

In this issue:
• Author Jonathan Ringdahl describes his one-year experience visiting all the parks, forests and recreation areas in the Wisconsin State Park System.
• “Available to all” focuses on the accessible recreation opportunities in the state parks and other DNR lands, including accessible cabins, fishing piers, sit skis, kayaks, hunting blinds and more.
• Popular equestrian trails and horse campgrounds from the Kettle Moraine to Wildcat Mountain are featured in “Horseplay allowed.”
• “A devil of a hike” highlights the beautiful and challenging segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail for hikers to tackle at Devil’s Lake State Park.
• Learn all about identifying animal tracks, making a plaster cast, and a new track QR code to look for on the trails in “Creature Comforts.”
• The newest edition of “Wisconsin Traveler” describes all the fun, winter activities you can do when the sun goes down and the lights come on.
 
Calendar of Events

Date

Event

Location
Dec. 13-Dec. 22 Playhouse on the Air Presents: Miracle on 34th Street La Crosse
Dec. 31 Droppin' of the Carp Prairie du Chien
Dec. 31 Skyrockers New Year's Eve Fireworks at the Bluff La Crosse
Dec. 31 A King Street New Year La Crosse
Dec. 31 New Year's Eve Party in Roger Harring Stadium La Crosse
Jan. 8-Feb. 1 Onalaska High School's Senior Art Exhibition La Crosse
Jan. 11 Onalaska Show Choir Invitational Onalaska
Jan. 11 Winter Festival at Kickapoo Valley Reserve La Farge
State Legislation Update
Introduced in the Senate:
SB-413. The definition and practice of dentistry for professional licensing purposes. Referred to Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform Committee.
SB-414. Objecting to property tax assessments. Referred to Workforce Development, Forestry, Mining, and Revenue Committee.
SB-415. Payment of wages by electronic fund transfer to a payroll card account. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-416. A pupil’s possession and use of an epinephrine auto-injector. Referred to Education Committee.
SB-417. Disinfection of drinking water supplied by a municipal water system. Referred to Natural Resources Committee.
SB-418. Minors acknowledging paternity service of the summons and petition in a paternity action when the respondent is deceased; the form for a paternity action summons; releasing a frozen bank account of a support obligor determine eligibility for Wisconsin Shares; notices to, and the exercise of rights by, a guardian ad litem in an unborn child in need of protection or services proceeding; requiring a diligent investigation by an agency that receives a report of child abuse or neglect if the agency cannot identify an individual who is suspected of the abuse or neglect; eliminating a voluntary foster care education program; the prohibition against a person who has committed armed robbery from showing that he or she has been rehabilitated for purposes of being licensed, certified, or contracted with to provide child care. Referred to Health and Human Services Committee.
SB-419. Revising various provisions of the statues to make corrections and reconcile conflicts. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-420. The effective date of administrative rules promulgated by state agencies. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-421. Access to public records. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-422. Resolving an ambiguity relating to carrying a firearm in certain public buildings. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-423. Repealing the schedule of election occurrences. Referred to Elections and Urban Affairs Committee.
SB-424. Special group plates for women veterans, vehicle title information provided to county registers of deeds, the issuance of more than one motor vehicles operator’s license to a person, location of emissions inspection stations, and insurance registration for motor carriers operating in multiple jurisdictions. Referred to Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
SB-425. Juries in criminal cases and contents of registers of officials. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-426. Affecting various provisions of the statutes to correct errors and reconcile conflicts. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-427. Affecting various provisions of the statutes to correct errors and reconcile conflicts. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-428. Revising various provisions of the statutes for the purpose of supplying omissions and eliminating defects. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.
SB-429. Fixing an incorrect cross-reference under the statute of limitations for repeated sexual assault of the same child; numbers of subsections; sexual assault of a child; suspension of license to carry concealed weapon if the person is prohibited from possessing a dangerous weapon as a condition of release when charged with a felony or misdemeanor. Referred to Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
SB-430. Eligibility for an occupational license. Referred to Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
SB-431. Purchasing or leasing a motor vehicle after a violation relating to operation a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Referred to Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
SB-432. Prohibition on tracking the location of a cellular telephone by law enforcement without a warrant. Referred to Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform Committee.
SB-433. Prohibiting municipalities from providing alcohol beverages retailers with identification scanners. Referred to Economic Development and Local Government Committee.
SB-434. Requirements and local ordinances related to certificates of food protection practices. Referred to Health and Human Services Committee.
SB-435. The sale of homemade baked goods and homemade canned goods. Referred to Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform Committee.
SB-436. Creating a statewide program to review child deaths. Referred to Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
SB-437. Designation of agricultural enterprise areas. Referred to Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism Committee.
SB-438. Health care benefits for school districts. Referred to Education Committee.
SB-439. Exam and other requirements for instructors in cosmetology, barbering, aesthetics, manicuring, and electrology and continuing education requirements for cosmetologists. Referred to Health and Human Services Committee.
SB-440. Exempting electronic smoking devices from the types of smoking devices that may not be used in certain locations. Referred to Judiciary and Labor Committee.

Introduced in the Assembly:
AJR-78. Commending the Waisman Center on its 40th anniversary. Referred to Rules Committee.
AB-537. Creation of a neighborhood improvement district. Referred to State and Local Finance Committee.
AB-538. Modifying the jobs credit to provide an increased credit to small businesses. Referred to Small Businesses Development Committee.
AB-539. Emergency vehicles operated as escorts for vehicle processions. Referred to Transportation Committee.
AB-540. A presumption that equalizing physical placement to the highest degree is in the child’s best interest and child support changes, including prohibiting basing support on income over $150,000 per year, deducting the amount of health insurance premiums from the support amount, prohibiting increasing support above the standard amount, prohibiting orders that set minimum future support amounts, and requiring a support revision if there has been a substantial chance in circumstances. Referred to Family Law Committee.
AB-541. The sales and use tax exemption for equipment used in a fertilizer blending, feed milling, or grain drying operation. Referred to Agriculture Committee.
AB-542. A state minimum wage, permitting the enactment of local living wage ordinances, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from rule-making procedures, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. Referred to Labor Committee.
AB-543. Public financing of campaigns for the office of justice of the Supreme Court. Referred to Campaigns and Elections Committee.
AB-544. A pupil’s possession and use of an epinephrine auto-injector. Referred to Health Committee.
AB-545. Disinfection of drinking water supplied by a municipal water system. Referred to Energy and Utilities Committee.
AB-546. Short-term tax incremental districts and expenditure of tax increments for relocation of commercial or industrial enterprises. Referred to State and Local Finance Committee.
AB-547. Disseminating information about a tax incremental district’s annual budget and value increment, requiring a political subdivision to evaluate a tax incremental district’s performance, increasing the amount that a political subdivision may add to its levy limit upon the dissolution of a tax incremental financing district, and extending the life and expenditure period for certain tax incremental financing districts. Referred to State and Local Finance Committee.
AB-548. Expanding the definition of project costs to include certain cash payments with regard to a tax incremental financing district. Referred to State and Local Finance Committee.
AB-549. Authorizing independent charter schools, eliminating non-instrumentality charter schools, establishing magnet schools, replication process for certain operators of charter schools, and utilizing and alternative process for educator effectiveness. Referred to Urban Education Committee.
AB-550. Requirements and local ordinances related to certificates of food protection practices. Referred to Consumer Protection Committee.
AB-551. Smoking in private residences that are used as child care centers. Referred to Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
AB-552. The definition and practice of dentistry for professional licensing purposes. Referred to State Affairs and Government Operations Committee.
AB-553. Arbitration agreements used by long-term care facilities, civil and criminal actions against health care providers and long-term care providers, use in civil and criminal actions and confidentiality of incident and occurrence reports, use of evidence of records given to a regulatory agency, use in criminal actions of records of reviews and evaluations of health care providers, limits on non-economic damages, limits on punitive damages. Referred to Judiciary Committee.
AB-554. Creating a statewide program to review child deaths. Referred to Children and Families Committee.


If you would like to track the status of these bills online, please feel free to visit the state legislative website at www.legis.state.wi.us and enter the proposal number in the column on the left.

 

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