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Official Government
Communication
Dear Friend,
Welcome to my email newsletter.
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
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The Fight
against Gun Violence
 Milwaukee alone lost 145 people to violence in 2015, a 69%
increase from 2014, the highest number of homicides in the last twenty years.
Milwaukee families deserve to feel safe in their own homes and neighborhoods.
Gun violence and gun owner irresponsibility take an enormous toll in many
areas including life, education, and economic mobility. This is why I have
recently announced a package of four bills that are aimed at tackling gun
violence in our community and across the state. The first one, No Fly, No
Buy, prohibits those who are on the federal terrorist watch list from
purchasing firearms. The second bill would remove a major loophole in gun
sales through private sellers and require background checks for all firearm
purchases. The third bill would specify the minimum training hours and
maximum classroom sizes for concealed carry courses. These measures will help
establish guidelines to inform permit applicants of safe gun handling,
storage, and risks of carrying. And the final bill in the package would
require any concealed carry applicant to have general liability insurance of
at least $800,000 to cover injury, death, or property damage that may arise
from a permit holder’s negligent use of a firearm. The violence in Milwaukee
and our state cannot be allowed to escalate. Everyone deserves to feel safe.
Mobile
Black History Museum to
make 3-day tour of Wisconsin
 I am excited to announce a partnership
that will bring American Legacy’s “Know Your History” Mobile Truck Exhibit on
a tour of Wisconsin. This event is free and open to the public and the truck,
when parked, becomes a traveling museum with artifacts, memorabilia,
photographs, and art aligned with American Legacy magazine that celebrates
the African-American experience. On Saturday, February 20, from 11am – 6pm
the mobile museum will be at Friendship, Inc (2245 W. Fond Du Lac Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53206). At this stop Molina Healthcare will also provide free
community health and dental screenings. Afterward there will be a performance
of the stage play “The Making of a Modern Day Slave” produced by Voices of
Fatherless Child. The last stop will be on Sunday, February 21, from 12pm –
5pm at Lincoln Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility. Please take advantage of
the opportunity to see this exhibit if you are able!
DoC:
Department of Cruelty?
 February
12 was a historic and potentially tragic day for the Wisconsin Department of
Corrections. The FBI announced they will be taking over the DOJ
investigation. Shortly after, the Department of Corrections made Secretary Ed
Wall’s resignation public. In his resignation, Secretary Wall stated it was
time for the DOC to “turn the page.” Unfortunately, I fear that that Governor
Walker turned the page backwards instead forward by appointing former DOC
Secretary Jon Litscher to fill Wall’s position. As Secretary of Corrections
under Thompson, Litscher was successfully sued for violating the 8th
Amendment to the United States Constitution. A federal court ruled that the
treatment of the residents at Wisconsin’s SuperMax prison amounted to cruel
and unusual punishment. I believe in giving people second chances. And that
is why I have scheduled a meeting with Mr. Litscher. I plan to put it to him
like this: you can either do it like you did more than a decade ago and be
the Secretary of Cruel and Unusual Punishment, or you can turn the page and
be the Secretary of Corrections. I truly hope that the leopard changes his
spots and will do his job differently this time.
Victim
Notification of Parole Revocation
 One of the highlights in this busy week
of non-stop sessions was the passing of my bill, for victim notification of
parole revocation. This bill notifies all crime victims when their offenders’
parole is revoked. Under current law, a victim is notified when their
offended is released on parole, but not when parole is revoked. SB 377 closes
this gap by allowing victims to be notified when the offender is sent back to
prison. This will help alleviate victims’ fear that their offender is out on
the streets and in many cases help restore a sense of safety. In Wisconsin in
2012, there were 15,969 violent crimes reported including murder, rape,
aggravated assault and robbery. On top of that, there were 139,102 property
crimes reported in Wisconsin in 2012 including theft, burglary, motor vehicle
theft and arson. For every one of these crimes there is also a victim, and
the passage of SB 377 is a victory for each of these victims.
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Community Events:
40 Years of Saz's State House Restaurant! Saz's is
celebrating its 40th Anniversary with live music and food and drink specials
throughout the month of March! More info here.
Woolly Bear Fest: Face painting, a log fire, light snacks and family
friendly fun can be found on the river Saturday February 20th from 11am to
3pm. Details here.
Kohl's Art Generation Lab: Haitian Art Exhibition highlighting one of the most notable
collections of Haitian art since the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in
2010. Saturdays in February, 12pm-3pm. More info here.
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