CONTACT ME
MAIL:
Room 20 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707
TELEPHONE:
Office Phone
(608) 266-5490
Toll Free
1
(800) 385-3385
EMAIL:
Sen.Shilling@legis.wi.gov
WEBSITE:
legis.wi.gov/senate/shilling
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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
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January 24, 2014 |
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Dear Friends and Neighbors - Happy 2014! This newsletter will highlight two new bills I have introduced to fight child neglect and identity theft, concerns with ongoing fraud in Gov. Walker's voucher school program, and my comments on the State of the State address. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these or any other state legislative issues. Sincerely, |
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| New Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Combat Child Neglect and Identity Theft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I have proposed two new bills that would address growing
concerns with child safety and identity theft in Wisconsin. The
proposals, Senate Bill 471 and Senate Bill 472, were recently
introduced with broad bipartisan support in both houses of the
Legislature. Senate Bill 471 would update Wisconsin's child neglect statutes to protect children who are in danger as a result of their repeated exposure to the use, dealing or manufacturing of illegal narcotics. This bill was proposed by myself, along with Representatives Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska), Jill Billings (D-La Crosse), and Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau) with the help of local social workers and law enforcement officials. It has gained bipartisan support from legislators across the state who recognize the growing dangers children face when exposed to unsafe conditions involving illegal narcotics and drug trafficking. We need to make sure that every child in our state has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. This commonsense bill will give local law enforcement officials and child protection agencies the flexibility needed to prosecute criminals and protect children from homes that are being used to cook meth, shoot heroin, or traffic drugs. Senate Bill 472, also known as the Data Breach Bill, would strengthen credit protections for victims of identity theft. This bill addresses recent issues at correctional facilities where the personal information of Correctional Officers, including their Social Security numbers, was compromised. In an age where identity theft has become all too common, we need to ensure that all victims, including correctional officers and their families, are protected from credit fraud. This bill will close a loophole in state law that has left many workers and families across our state vulnerable to abuse through no fault of their own. SB 472 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor and SB 471 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and. Both bills are currently waiting to be scheduled for public hearings before they can move forward. |
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| Ongoing Fraud in Gov. Walker's Private School Voucher Program is Cause for Concern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A newly uncovered case of fraud in Gov. Walker's private
school voucher program has again raised concerns with the
program’s lack of accountability and taxpayer oversight. The
case involves LifeSkills Academy, a private K-8 school, which
closed abruptly last month ‘in the dead of night’ according to a
new investigative report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. According to the report and Department of Public Instruction statistics from 2012-13, none of the students attending LifeSkills were proficient in math and only one fourth grader was proficient in reading. Since joining the voucher program, LifeSkills has accepted more than $2 million in voucher funding from state taxpayers. As a co-author of Senate Bill 288 to increase voucher accountability, I renewed my call for legislative action to prevent additional fraud and address the ongoing issues in this underperforming program. This latest case is yet another example of the waste and abuse that has been going on for years in Gov. Walker’s private school voucher program. This program has failed our children for too long and wasted millions of tax dollars that could have been used to strengthen and improve our local neighborhood schools. In the 2013-15 state budget, Gov. Walker and legislative Republicans voted to expand the voucher program statewide. At the time, Democrats argued that additional accountability measures were needed, but attempts to pass stronger standards were rejected by the majority party. In light of this latest scandal, there should be no more stalling from Republican leaders. Our children and taxpayers deserve better. We need to act now to strengthen oversight, prevent fraud, and improve academic standards for children attending private voucher schools. Currently, private voucher schools are not required to hire licensed teachers, conduct staff background checks, meet state graduation standards, or be located in Wisconsin. Senate Bill 288, the voucher accountability bill introduced by myself and Sen. John Lehman (D-Racine), was introduced over four months ago but has been blocked in committee by the Republican majority. |
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| Response to Gov. Walker's State of the State Address | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This
past year has been difficult for many working families in
Wisconsin as a result of the decisions made by Gov. Walker and
legislative Republicans. Under Gov. Walker, our state has
dropped to 37th in the nation for job creation, 45th nationally
for prospective job growth and 48th in new business start-ups.
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| Chancellor Cross as New UW System President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The University of Wisconsin (UW) System Board announced on
January 9th that Chancellor Ray Cross has been selected as the new
President of the UW System. As the ranking Democrat on the
Senate's Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, I
welcomed the Board's announcement and applauded the decision.I've been very impressed with Chancellor Cross's support for quality higher education and his ability to be an effective communicator. He understands the unique strengths and needs of our 26 statewide UW campuses and Extension programs. As a trusted leader with a wealth of experience, I have every confidence that Chancellor Cross's leadership will serve our UW System well and strengthen our state's reputation as a global leader in higher education. For more information on the UW System's announcement, click here. |
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| Snowmobile Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This week is International Snowmobile
Safety Week, and the Department of Natural Resources has some
tips to keep your family safe and happy while snowmobiling this
winter. 1. Safety First With seven deaths already in 2014 from snowmobile accidents, be sure to take extra precaution before snowmobiling. Make sure to wear a helmet, operate during daylight hours, and don't drive while under the influence. 2. Snowmobile with a friend Snowmobiling with a friend is a great way to introduce someone new to an activity, as well as being a good safety precaution in case something unexpected happens and you need assistance. 3. Slow your speed Wisconsin has over 25,000 miles of groomed trails through scenic areas so you won't be able to enjoy the view if you speed right by it. 4. Don't drink and snowmobile Alcohol impairs your vision and slows down your reaction time, which makes it very dangerous to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence. Three of the seven deaths so far this year were alcohol related. 5. Keep to groomed trails With the wide range of temperatures we have had this winter, some counties have closed their trails as a safety precaution. Because of this, snowmobilers drive through private properties, road ditches, frozen waterways, and are therefore exposed to hazards like no snow cover, thin ice, and overall icy conditions. A way to prevent harming yourself or others is to keep to groomed trails like the official country snowmobile trails. Maps and statuses of county trails can be found here.  If you 12 and older, by Wisconsin law, you are required to
complete a snowmobile safety course to operate a snowmobile on
Wisconsin public trails and areas. There is also an online
safety course for riders 16 and up. You can view information
regarding snowmobile safety courses
here. |
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| How Can I Improve the Newsletter? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| With the new year beginning and a lot
of Capitol events coming up, I want to take this opportunity to ask you
all how I could improve my newsletter? Is there more information you would like to see added, or would you like
me to address a wider range of issues? Feedback would be great.
You can send your comments (and questions) to
Sen.Shilling@legis.wi.gov or call my office toll-free at
1-800-385-3385. Thanks! |
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| Calendar of Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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