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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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Coach Rob Jeter Fired from UWM
 This past week, the University of
Wisconsin- Milwaukee made a seemingly abrupt decision to fire Coach Rob
Jeter. This is a man that has dedicated well over a decade to our
athletic program. During his time as coach, he
led the Panthers through the conference tournament championship in 2013-14,
conference regular season champion in 2010-11 and seven winning seasons.
More than that, he is a leader in the community. Coach Jeter held the
position of Campus Chair of the State Employees Combined Campaign and is
always keeping a constant focus on community outreach. He also was the
only senior administrator of color in the Athletics Department. Only 33% of
currently enrolled freshman at UWM are students of color, and only 18.1% are
student athletes of color. The blatant under representation of people
of color both in the administration and in the student body is something that
cannot be ignored. Further, I feel that Amanda Braun, the current
athletic director, has had a hit out for him since she took up her position.
I do hope that UWM can make the inclusion of people of color a larger focus
in the future and not allow great people like Coach Jeter to be let go. I am
certain he will be missed by many.
Work Left Undone
Only in politics are you paid to not
finish the job. With session ending last Tuesday, that is exactly what
happened. We had several big issues to deal with and they were abandoned
without resolution. I would like to quickly bring these is sues to your attention. The first
bill that went untouched was for the legalization of the medicinal use of CBD
oil, which saw nearly unanimous support in committee. The use of this oil
would benefit children who suffer from chronic seizures. Unfortunately,
Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald blocked a vote. Next, is an issue that
hits very close to home for me: lead poisoning in the drinking water
of Milwaukee. There are 70,000 lead pipes lying under the streets of
Milwaukee. 8.6% of our children tested positive for elevated lead
levels, compared to almost half that in Flint, Michigan! Getting the lead out of our water is a
duty of both the city and state that is being cruelly neglected. Our next
disregarded issue concerns the roughly one million Wisconsinites that face
extreme levels of student loan debt. This is a national issue
but here in Wisconsin something needs to be done. You can refinance car loans
and mortgages, so, why not student loan debt? It makes absolutely no sense.
Another large group of people in Wisconsin that should have seen our help are
the ex-offenders who are looking to work. There is a prevailing issue
of people being released from prison looking to re-enter society as
productive members only to be turned away. The unfortunate result is we end
up seeing many of these people return back to prison. A person is 3
times less likely to end up back in prison if they have a job for one year. I
also had several bills dealing with gun violence that Senator
Fitzgerald had left on the table. Deaths due to gun violence are
tragic, senseless, and avoidable as I have said many times before. It is a
shame that they could not find a way to prioritize these matters. This
legislative session will go down in history as one of the least beneficial to
Wisconsinites.
Former Rep. Tamara Grigsby will be missed
dearly
It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the
passing of former State Representative Tamara Grigsby. So enamored by
her passion and commitment to the well-being of Milwaukee's children, I was
proud that she was my successor in the Assembly. Quickly immersing herself in
the Assembly, Tamara's catalytic work lives on in the Department of Children
and Families (DCF) and Wisconsin's Young Star program. Working
alongside her, in an effort to place juvenile corrections within DCF, she
foresaw the problems we are experiencing at Lincoln Hills today. Tamara
personified everything we need in our public servants. Wisconsin children and
families have lost a fierce voice in the passing of former Rep. Tamara
Grigsby.
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Community Events:
Easter Celebration Presented by the Elegant Farmer: Saturday, March
26: 11am-3pm. This free, family-fun event will offer a chance to meet the Easter
Bunny and pet and play with baby chicks, bunnies and guinea pigs provided by
4-H members.
Visit
here for more details!
2016 Wisconsin Regional Robotics
Competition: 3/23-3/26 at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Come watch this
unique varsity sport of the mind for high-school-aged youth. Admission is
free, times vary. For more details.
Milwaukee: Fresh Water Capital of the World: Presented by UWM School of Continuing Education on
Saturday, March 23. Listen in on this panel about how the advancement of
freshwater technologies. Free event, registration
required!
See here
for more information.
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