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Official Government
Communication
Week of August 13th - August 18th
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
Opening
Remarks at CME Annual Conference
 I welcomed
attendees of the 3rd Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) District Annual
Conference to Milwaukee. I was invited to greet conference participants
from Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin on behalf of the
Wisconsin 4th Senate District. The conference theme "Back to the
Basics: Reclaiming Youth & Young Adults", is a timely message,
given the rash of troubling incidents involving youth in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, and across the country, that has led to senseless injuries and
loss of life. It was great opportunity to engage minority groups on a
number of topics intended to teach, motivate and inspire more people to
action.
Ms.
Lovell Being Honored by Rotary Club
 Senator Taylor was excited to attend a
ceremony recognizing one of her former teachers, Mrs. Lovell. Honored by
the Milwaukee Rotary Club, Mrs. Lovell was a
source of inspiration to so many students over the years. Senator
Taylor was appreciative of the opportunity to show her appreciation to a
woman who kept her focused on her goals, in her early days as a student.
We know that many of us have been shaped, inspired and made to dream big
by educators who saw in us, what we didn't see in ourselves. Senator
Taylor believes it's important to remember where you came from and who
helped you along the way.
Fired
Up, and Ready to Go
 Senator Taylor stopped by 1510 AM radio to
talk with Sherwin Hughes. They discussed a number of issues, including
who Senator Taylor was supporting on Election Day, her efforts to secure
more dollars for Milwaukee Public Schools, and the Black Lives Matters
movement. Specifically, Mr. Hughes shared the stats from a UW-Milwaukee
study that found that between 1990 and 2011, 26,222 black men from
Milwaukee County were incarcerated. That means that roughly half of all
black men in the County had experienced incarceration at some point in
their lives, and at the cost of $91 per day per person, that comes out to
about 3.88 billion dollars spent on just their incarceration. It is
statistics like these that make elections matter.
No Place
Like Home
 Senator Taylor
spoke at an event hosted by the Church of God in Christ in Milwaukee this
week. In her speech, she spoke to the role that one's faith can play in
reinforcing the values of the home, or how faith can fill in the gap if a
child's home life isn't everything it could be. She also spoke to her own
story of how faith has helped her get to where she is today. Churches
inspire youth to find ways to deal with difficulties in a healthy,
lasting way. We can never underestimate the positive influence of faith
in fostering healthy relationships and values.
LA is
Calling: Voter Id is Not the Answer
 I sat down and talked with two award
winning screenwriters from Los Angeles about Voter ID laws in Wisconsin.
The writers are interviewing legislators and residents to gather research
for their next project, a narrative screenplay about Voter ID in our
state. I recounted the fight over the controversial 2011 Wisconsin Act
23, known as the "Voter ID Law", and the effect it has had on
disenfranchising voters from the polls.
One of the
nation's strictest voter ID laws, we certainly saw both anecdotal and
academic that confirmed voter turnout was reduced in targeted groups of
residents. In 2016, a political scientist from UW-Madison did a study in
which he believes as many as 45,000 state residents were deterred from
voting due to these restrictive voter ID laws. I was encouraged to see
the interest in this topic and look forward to viewing the finished
project.
BloodCenter of Wisconsin
Follow-Up Meeting
 This week, Senator Taylor had a follow-up
meeting with the BloodCenter of Wisconsin about
CodeR. CodeR is a
collaboration of local churches that work to generate a conversation
about organ donation among the African-American community. Last week,
they held an informational session to educate the community on the
benefits of eye, tissue, and organ donation. This program is great for
the community and can help inspire people to become organ donors - saving
many lives now and in the future. Senator Taylor spoke with
representatives from the organization about how to expand their work,
including collaborating with MPS, being connected to local resources, and
using the work they do to create a pathway to industry.
School
Trust Fund Study Committee Meeting
 Senator Taylor sat down with her colleagues
in the legislature for the first meeting of the Study Committee on the
Investment and Use of the School Trust Funds. One of several study
committees on which the Senator sits, this committee was established to
review the statutes governing the investment of the trust funds
administered by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL),
including the loan program used by many municipalities around the state.
The Study Committee will assess whether current statutes adequately
ensure the effective investment and appropriate use of the proceeds of
the funds, and recommend legislation for necessary changes.
The BCPL
uses public lands to generate revenue for different levels of the state's
education system. It distributes 96 cents on every dollar made to schools
across the state at no cost to the taxpayer. Senator Taylor has already
met with several constituents with their own ideas about changes that
should be looked into, as well as policies that should remain the same.
As Vice Chair of the Committee, the Senator looks forward to upcoming
decisions and encourages constituents to reach out with any input on the
topic they may have.
Neighborhood
Children Sports League (NCSL) Introduction of President Kern
 Senator Taylor
visited the Neighborhood Children Sports league (NCSL) this week. The
event they were hosting was to introduce the new president of the
program, Evan Kern. The NCSL is a non-profit children's sports league in
Milwaukee dedicated to exposing kids to the hard work, good
sportsmanship, and leadership roles that comes with playing sports. In today's
job market, soft skills that lead to effective teamwork are consistently
near the top of all employers lists, and playing
sports is one of the best ways to teach these skills. In addition,
playing sports teaches kids the benefits of staying active and keeping a
healthy lifestyle. These are great qualities to teach our children as
early as possible, and Senator Taylor is proud of the work that NCSL
does.
Submitted
Equity Council Social and Emotional Learning Feedback
 As a member of the
Equity Council, I submitted my feedback and recommendations for
implementing social and emotional learning in our schools. The Equity
Council was created by the Department of Public Instruction in 2016 as a
group of education stakeholders from around the state who focus on
closing the achievement gap in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is one of the worst
states in the country for disparities in education outcomes.
This
simply has to change. There are a variety of ways to make that change
that include implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) into the
state curriculum. SEL is incredibly important because it addresses social
determinants of academic success. Doing well in school is the result of a
large number of factors that take into account such issues as household
income, neighborhood crime, and much more. SEL can provide students with
the tools needed to deal with extra stressors and increase their focus on
school.
Community Action
Alerts
New Date and
Location For National Night Out
Due to a forecast of rain on Tuesday, August
7th, National Night Out has been rescheduled to Tuesday, August 21st and
it will take place in Lincoln Park from 4:00 - 9:00 pm. We are sorry for
this inconvenience and hope you will be able to make it!
Hundreds of Job
Opportunities in Milwaukee
Job fair hosted by Ald. Khalif Rainey - More than 100 positions will be showcased by
employers from leading industry sectors. Be there!
- Where:
Wheaton Franciscan (St. Joseph’s)
auditorium at 5400 W. Chambers Street
- When: Thursday August 23rd from 12:00 pm to
3:00 pm
Randstad is currently recruiting for temp to permanent
positions for Packaging Associates for the 2nd or 3rd
Shift. Wages begin at $15.48 per hour. Apply online at www.randstadusa.com.
WRTP/BIG STEP is recruiting for several manufacturing positions
for ATI on Wednesday August 22nd 2018. Call
414-342-9787 to register for a scheduled time slot.
Free
Friday Night Concerts
I encourage you all to take advantage of the
free Friday night concert series hosted by Arts @ Large. All concerts
will be located at the corner of 3rd and Walker Streets in the Walker’s
Point neighborhood of Milwaukee.
Below are the dates and performers of each show:
- Aug
17 LaChazz – Latin Jazz
- Aug
24 Sindoola – African Dance Music
- Sept
7 Listening Party – Bluegrass/Americana
- Sept
14 Command Performance – Big Band
For more information check out Art @ Large's website. Enjoy!
South
Howell Avenue Reconstruction Project
Please see the briefing
below from the Wisconsin Department of Public Works on reconstruction on
South Howell Avenue in Milwaukee.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works
(DPW) announces that a reconstruction project on South Howell Avenue from
West Grange to Layton Avenues will begin on Monday, July 16, 2018 with
preliminary work on the avenue crossovers. This is a State of Wisconsin
Department on Transportation project, managed in conjunction with DPW,
and is expected to last into December 2018, weather permitting.
IMPORTANT: Access to General Mitchell
International Airport (GMIA) from S. Howell Ave. will be maintained
during this project.
However, GMIA travelers, customers, employees,
and vendors should be aware of traffic pattern changes and possible
delays accessing the airport during the project. The traveling public may
wish the use South 13th Street between W. Layton and W. Grange as an
alternative route to the airport.
What to expect during construction:
- Two-way
traffic on S. Howell Ave. will continue during construction.
- On
Thursday, July 19 the east side of S. Howell Avenue will be closed.
- One
lane in each direction will be open on the west side of the street.
- The
intersection of S. Howell/ East & West Layton will also be
reconstructed; traffic lane closures on Layton will occur as well.
Bus Routes: #55 and the Green Line will remain
in operation on their regular routes. Route #80 will detour to/from the
Airport Spur via W. Grange Ave. to S. 6th St. Passengers should watch for
possible additional and/or relocated bus stops, and other possible
delays, and plan accordingly.
Parking: There will be no on-street parking on
S. Howell during construction.
Pedestrian access: Short-term disruptions will
occur as sidewalks are being removed and rebuilt. Temporary accommodations
will be provided as needed.
For more information on this project go to the
DPW website.
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