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Official Government
Communication
Week of May 7-May 12th
Dear
Friend,
There is a
lot happening at the State Capitol and it is my hope that this email will
help you stay in touch with your government. As your Senator, I truly
believe in public service. If there is anything my office can do to
assist you, please feel free to contact us.
Here to
serve,
Sen. Lena
Taylor
4th
District
No Summer Break
 On Wednesday, I spoke with
Legislative Council attorneys to establish the goals of this summer’s
Study Committee on Child Placement and Support. These committees are
created every other summer to review specific issues that have been found
to exist under current law and may need to be addressed with legislation.
As a member of the committee, I will have the opportunity to work with
fellow legislators and community members. I was appointed Vice-Chair of
the Committee in April. Since that time, I have heard from various
organizations, to include End Domestic Abuse-Wisconsin, Wisconsin Fathers
for Children and Families, and the Wisconsin Child Support Enforcement
Association, that are interested in the issues of Child Placement and
Support. Issues related to equal placement, how domestic abuse orders
should be factor into placement decisions, and even how Child Support is
calculated are already being discussed by proponents and opponents of
such measures. I am looking forward to the work of the committee and encourage
you to contact my office with any ideas or suggestions you may have on
this subject.
1. The Hard Work Paid Off
 Thursday, I
visited the students of Banner Preparatory School in Milwaukee to
congratulate them on their graduation and offer some words of
encouragement as they move on to the next stage of their life. I think
people often forget how much pressure there is on young people. In
my remarks I talked about dreaming big and the fact that they needed to “Do
Something” to create the lives they wanted. Many of these students
have worked hard to graduate and I wanted them to know it was just the
first step. While observing the interactions between the students,
faculty, and parents, I felt a tremendous amount of respect for them all.
This was clearly a caring and determined group of people committed to see
these young people succeed.
In In my Madison
office, I also want to say congratulations to Zachary Benson (December
2017), Aidan McMorrow, Cherui
Chew, and Simon Roca, who are all graduating from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison this weekend.
Back to School
This week I talked
with parents and members of the Shorewood School Board, along with Rep.
Bowen on current legislation and initiates impacting education. As
a result of the School Safety Package of bills signed by the legislature
in March, many schools have discussed how this affects them. As a
reminder the package established the Office of School Safety under the
Wisconsin Department of Justice, created a $100 million School Safety
Grant Program under the Office of School Safety, required mandatory
reporting of threats of school violence by pupils or other persons, and
various other school safety plan requirements. It was good to hear
from both the board, parents and students what they would like to see
happening in the Capitol.
Growing Healthy Soil Workshop
 This
weekend, I am excited to have the opportunity to attend one of the
Growing Healthy Soil Workshops being conducted by Walnut Way Conservation
Corp. It’s an exciting chance to practice some hands on Urban Agriculture
and remind others why I am so passionate about my LOVE&FAITH
Initiative. At the workshop we’ll be learning about some of the ways to
reduce hazards from contaminants as well as testing some soil samples and
talking about some special topics in gardening. Not only is Urban
Agriculture a great way to instill good values
in our children and practice a healthy lifestyle, it’s also a great way
to enjoy the spring weather and get involved in a new hobby that comes
with countless benefits.
Crossing the Line Event
 On Wednesday night, I went to
Nicolet High School to support students and see “Crossing the Line”, a
traveling display from the Wisconsin Historical Society that commemorates
the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Fair Housing Marches in
1967 - 1968. The marches for open housing began in the summer of 1967 and
last for more than 200 consecutive days. Among its organizers was a young
Alderwoman named Vel Phillips. Even though the
Fair Housing Marchers were often outnumbered by counter protestors, they
persisted to march day after day, in the face of harassment, to seek
housing justice in Milwaukee. A very special moment came when Fred Reed,
an original marcher who served as a “commando” – someone who formed a
barrier around the protestors to protect them – gave the keynote
speech. I had a “this-is-why-we-keep-fighting” moment when I
realized that many students were talking about “Evicted”, an award
winning book by a Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond. “Evicted”
discusses the ways that poverty and segregation still play into unfair
housing practices in Milwaukee. Sadly, many of the students talked
about segregated neighborhoods and schools. They questioned whether
the issue would ever be resolved. I felt hopeful, because as long
as the questions are being raised, we are thinking about the issue and
ideas to better our communities.
YOUth EmpowHERment Event
 On Saturday, I will be stopping by
the YOUth EmpowHERment
Day hosted by the YOUth EmpowHERment
Network. The purpose of the event is to connect African American women
with young women in the community and inspire them to become the best
version of themselves. Women from a variety of paths are coming together
to discuss the obstacles and opportunities they have had along their
journey. The organization believes that each generation should
uplift the next one by taking an active role in empowering them. I look
forward to sharing my story, connecting with the young women of
Milwaukee, and letting them know that hard work can get you anywhere.
Wisconsin Educational Media and
Technology Association Meeting
.
In addition to the Study Committee on Child
Placement and Support, I was appointed as a Vice-Chair to the Study
Committee on Investment and Use of School Trust Funds. Each of these
appointments provides a fantastic opportunity to tackle a relevant issue
as well as bring interested stakeholders into the process.
As a part of the
committee work, my staff got to hear from members of the Wisconsin
Educational Media and Technology Association to discuss in depth some of
the current law that will be important to understand as the committee
moves forward. Most importantly, they discussed the Wisconsin's Common
School Fund, a fund that was created in our state's constitution in 1848
in order to provide educational resources to the schools across our
state. Alot of those resources are secured
through the revenue the state gains from fees, fines, and forfeitures as
well as investments from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. It
was great to hear from the individuals representing WEMTA and I sincerely
look forward to seeing what kind of insight they can bring to the future
of the Study Committee on Investment of School Trust Funds. If this is an
area of interest for you as well, please don’t hesitate to contact my
office.
Community
Action Alerts
Project Clean & Green Zone 4 Pick-Ups:
May 14-18
Dear City of Milwaukee Zone 4 residents:
Your Project Clean & Green pick-up week is next week – May
14-18.
Zone 4 residents should place your unwanted bulky items such as
furniture, mattresses, household items, yard and garden waste, brown
paper-bagged grass clippings, tree trimmings and leaves, and up to five (5)
tires at your regular garbage collection point – either the curb or alley
line – on your regular garbage collection day.
DPW crews will pick up these items at no charge during your
Clean & Green week only.
Not sure if you are a Zone 4 resident? Zone 4 comprises PARTS of
Aldermanic Districts 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, &15. Please check the attached
map or go to milwaukee.gov/cg
to find your correct Zone and garbage pick-up date. You can also call
(414) 286-CITY (-2489).
Not sure what DPW will and will not pick up? Go to the website or call
286-CITY.
Zone 3: Project Clean & Green collections continue this week – May
7-11 – in your neighborhoods. Find information on your collection date on
the DPW website or call 286-CITY.
If you miss your Clean & Green collection date, residents can take
unwanted items to one of the City’s two Drop-Off Centers. For Drop-Off
Center information, go to our website, or call 286-CITY.
Thank
you for participating in Project Clean & Green 2018!
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