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's anything my office can do to assist you, please feel free to contact us.
In Service,
Senator Lena Taylor
Wisconsin's 4th Senate District
Madison Office: (608)-266-5810
Milwaukee Office: (414)-342-7176
Urban Pre-Apprenticeship Completion Ceremony
Senator Taylor kicked off her week by attending the Urban Arborist pre-apprenticeship graduation ceremony, a key part of her Love & Faith initiative. The ceremony was to celebrate the class of 2019 moving on to their official arborist apprenticeship. The program, which Senator Taylor has worked on for a number of years to bring to fruition, is intended to create training and employment opportunities for Milwaukee area residents. Working with community partners they have created The Northcott Neighborhood House Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship program. It will train participants in basic arborist job duties and organic gardening job duties to create an additional pipeline to the arborist and organic vegetable farm manager registered apprenticeships. Upon completion, participants will have the opportunity to pursue employment and credit toward an arborist apprenticeship with private arborist companies as well as the City of Milwaukee-Forestry Division. The Love and Faith Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship is supported by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources and the State of Wisconsin Arborist Apprenticeship Committee. This graduation will hopefully be another step in the right direction. Congratulations to the Class of 2019!
5th Annual Robert James Memorial Celebration
Senator Taylor attended the Robert James Memorial Celebration. The annual event is a commemorative community event aimed at combating gun violence. Robert James Jr. was tragically shot by one of his tenants in August of 2014. Mr. James was only 30 years old, but left behind a legacy of generosity. He often purchased food, furniture, and clothes for children and families who didn’t have the means to buy these things for themselves. He valued education and hard work, frequently buying homes and training young men in home improvement. To honor his legacy his mother started the Roberts Way Organization to provide anger management and parenting classes, promote education and vocational training, and give people access to a 24-hour crisis hotline to prevent unnecessary gun violence.
King Library Renovations
Senator Taylor met with the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) Director to discuss renovations to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The library will soon undergo a renovation to modernize and enlarge the current building. The Senator discussed the importance and positive impact of the library to the area with the MPL director. She is extremely excited to see construction begin, and looking forward to the project completion in 2020.
Women's Pay: A Day Late and A Dollar Short
Thursday, August 22nd, marks Black Women’s Equal Pay Day in the United States. This date marks the day when the typical black female worker would have earned as much in 2018 and 2019 as the typical white male worker would have earned in 2018 alone. Said differently, it takes the median black female worker about 598 days to earn what the median white male worker makes in 365 days. The reality is that all women, regardless of race, experience a gender pay gap.
According to the AAUW analysis, non-Hispanic white women's median earnings were 77% of non-Hispanic white men's earnings; Asian women made 85% of what white men made; and Hispanic or Latina women earned just 53%. Though great strides have been made to advance women in the workplace, pay equity continues to be a fight. Senator Taylor will continue her efforts to make this goal a reality.
Visit at Racine Youthful Correctional Center & Sturtevant Transitional Facility
On Friday, Senator Taylor and Criminal Justice Reform advocates visited the Racine Youthful Correctional Center and Sturtevant Transitional Facility. Both facilities offer extensive programming aimed at rehabilitating incarcerated persons. For example, the Racine facility houses male inmates aged 18-24 and offers programs on anger management, substance abuse, vocational training, and re-entry. The Sturtavent facility offers similar programs, with half of its inmate population participating in its work/study release program. This visit continues Senator Taylor’s commitment to creating a Department of Corrections that is rehabilitative, responsive and safe for both workers and incarcerated residents.
When Corrections Works!
Lamarr Love, a Milwaukee native, served time for a drug offense as a young man. While incarcerated, he learned how to bake. Upon release, Love used that experience to open his own business. With the coaching of BizStarts, a company that assists local Wisconsin Businesses, Love turned his knowledge of baking into a full-fledged business. He is now the proud owner of his own cookie shop, baking some of the best treats in the Milwaukee area. Thanks to Mr. Love for sending us this picture and inspiring others with the same entrepreneurial spirit!
Community Action Alerts
Water Meter Replacement Program
The Milwaukee Water Works is replacing residential water meters in Milwaukee, Greenfield, Hales Corners, St. Francis, and West Milwaukee during the next several years
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin requires utilities to make sure meters are working properly and producing accurate readings for billing. We are currently replacing meters for residential and small business customers as their working life and battery power run out.
The replacement affects single family homes and dwellings of four and fewer units, and small businesses in Milwaukee, Greenfield, Hales Corners, St. Francis, and West Milwaukee. These communities are retail customers of the utility and for whom we provide water, system maintenance, and billing.
Scam Artists: Be Aware of Impostors Posing as Utility Employees
Per the City of Milwaukee: We frequently hear from customers who say men and women posing as water utility employees have asked to check on a water meter, have offered a rebate, or have said they need to check on something in the house. But Milwaukee Water Works service calls are arranged and scheduled in advance. There may be a cold-call without an appointment for a meter exchange, but then the utility employee would arrive in a City of Milwaukee marked vehicle and present identification before asking to enter a building or home.
Milwaukee Water Works employees always show an identification card with their photo when approaching a customer for business.
You Are Not Required to Purchase Water or Sewer Line Insurance
A company named Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) is mailing a series of letters to property owners in our area demanding a response within 30 days as it tries to sell "water service line insurance." The City of Milwaukee does not require or endorse this type of product.
Here are the first letter and followup letter, and the brochure SLWA mailed in August 2018. SLWA mailed the second of a three-part mailing in November 2018 and plans another in February 2019 selling insurance for sewer laterals.
The water service line connects the water main in the street to your property. A sewer lateral pipe connects the large collector sewer in the street to your property. The section of the water service line and the section of the sewer lateral connected at your property belong to the property owner. Repair and maintenance of both are the responsibility of the property owner.
