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Quote of the Week: “High school students visited my office yesterday and asked that I remember that this was not about school safety for them, but a needed response to gun violence overall. Much of what was done today by Republicans was window dressing—talking points for an upcoming election.” -Senator Lena C. Taylor on the passage of Governor Walker's Special Session school safety package bills on Tuesday.
This is an official government communication from Sen. Lena C. Taylor. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, click here to send me an email to unsubscribe. |
Stay in touch: Email: Sen.Taylor@legis.wi.gov
Milwaukee: 414-342-7176
Madison: 608-266-5810
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On Monday, I sat with some of my
legislative colleagues for a public listening session at St. Mark AME
Church in Milwaukee. We appreciated St. Mark opening their doors to the
community for this important discussion about the Juvenile Justice Corrections
bill and our fight to address the ongoing crisis at Lincoln Hills and
Copper Lake Juvenile Correctional facilities. The community turnout was
great and the opportunity to explain the intent, reality and proposed
amendments to the bill was welcomed. The following day, the Senate passed
a slightly amended version of the Assembly bill and soon it should be on
the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. The establishment of a
youth corrections system that keeps youth close to their families and
implements evidenced-based practices is important. We have a chance
to do something for juveniles who have made mistakes. Our goal
should always be rehabilitation and a safe environment for them while in
the state's custody. 
On Tuesday, the Senate met for what
was very likely our last session of this legislative period. It was a
marathon session with more than 120 bills and resolutions to that
required our votes. Of great importance to me was the work done by
myself and a group of bi-partisan legislators to author and get to the
floor the Juvenile Corrections bill (SB 807 and AB 953). AB 953 was
passed unanimously in the Assembly and retained its meaningful reforms.
SB 807, however, was gutted of those reforms that would improve our juvenile
corrections system, specifically the closing of Lincoln Hills and funding
county based facilities. Fortunately, the Senate on Tuesday unanimously
voted in favor of the bill that will close down Lincoln Hills and Copper
Lake by 2021, and send youth offenders to different facilities overseen
by counties throughout the state. The passage of this bill represents a
major step towards juvenile justice reform. 
This week, the Senate Republicans
passed Governor Walker’s Special Session School Safety package of bills.
I am disappointed that this $100 million dollar package falls woefully
short of providing the common-sense changes our youth are seeking.
On Monday, two amazing high school students visited my office and asked
that I remember that this issue is not just about school safety, but gun
safety. Providing funding for school resource officers and creating a
division within the DOJ are steps, but they are not steps that address
some of the root problems. We need legislation that keeps semi-automatic
weapons out of an 18 year-old’s hands, bans bump stocks, closes private
sale loopholes, and requires universal background checks. The
Governor’s plan failed to address these important issues and given the
fact that the Walker administration has witnessed school shooting after
shooting and done nothing meaningful to help our children, this set of
bills seem like just another set talking points for the fall election
cycle.
On Wednesday, I spoke with Theo
Keith of Fox 6 News about the $18.9 million settlement the state awarded
a young girl who suffered brain damage after a failed suicide attempt in
the Copper Lake girl’s correctional facility. This incident, along with
many others, are why I have been working so hard to address the problems
our state has with juvenile corrections. I told Mr. Keith that incidents
like that should never happen, and frankly, I don’t buy that some
Republican legislators didn’t let the settlement factor into their
decision to get behind and pass the juvenile corrections bill. It is
shameful that it took a federal investigation and a.jpg)
On Thursday, I sat down with
administrators from Feeding America to discuss resources, legislation,
and future work that we can connect on in the community. Feeding
America is a fantastic organization that serves as a food bank for
southeast Wisconsin, and is located at 1700 W Fond du Lac Avenue in
Milwaukee. I love to work with organizations like Feeding America. They
not only provide an incredible service to our community, but I hope to
work closely with them as I bring my LOVE&FAITH initiative to life. .jpg)
On Friday I visited Lloyd Barbee
Elementary School in Milwaukee and had the chance to talk to a group of
students about the levels of our government and how they can get involved
at each one. We talked about the importance of voicing your concerns and
staying civically engaged, in both the government and your community. I
was impressed to see how much they already knew about our government and
how eager they were to learn more. It will be great to see what they
accomplish as they continue to grow and learn. 
Saturday morning, I will be
attending the Community Brainstorm Breakfast in Milwaukee. Here, the
public will have the opportunity to ask local candidates for public
offices about their positions on a wide range of issues. Candidates for
Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
will be present to connect with people over breakfast food. The Community
Brainstorm Conference has a long-standing, grassroots tradition of
putting those running for, and in, public office, in direct contact with
anyone who chooses to stop by. These forums serve as great platforms for
civic engagement, and fosters the type of direct contact that I believe
is essential to serving those in our communities. 
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