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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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Fight for Wisconsin Workers lives on
Since coming into office, I
have stood for the rights of workers across the state. As the daughter of a
union employee, I could not sit back and watch as Governor Walker threatened democracy in our
workforce. It was why I stood against Act 10 and other bills that damaged
security for Wisconsin Workers. Even though the fight for Act 10 has ended,
the fight for Worker’s rights in Wisconsin has not. It is
imperative that we continue to advocate for workers. It is a poor reflection
of our society that someone working forty hours a week can live in poverty. I
support a living wage; a wage I feel protects and provides for our most
vulnerable communities. I invite you to join me in fighting for all of
Wisconsin’s workers. Join my efforts to ensure tipped workers receive a
minimum wage. Despite state law mandating that they receive a minimum wage
after tips, 1 in 10 tipped employees report walking away from a shift without
adequate compensation. I was appalled to hear this statistic, so this past
session, I introduced legislation that would guarantee that tipped employees
like bartenders and waitresses receive a minimum wage before they collect
tips. Employers have been cheating tipped workers for too long and it’s long
past time these workers are treated fairly. Together, we can make significant
change for the rights of workers across the state.
More
troubling news from Department of Corrections
 This week featured more
troubling news out of the Department of Corrections (DOC). Recently, the DOC
has asked for permission to erase training records for its workers just one
day after their creation. This news come directly after reports revealing the
amount of money the DOC spends on paid leave for workers being investigated
for misconduct. Said investigations often lump serious offenses with minor
complaints and both can take months while the staffer in question is still
being paid. With these two pieces of disturbing news, it is clearer than ever
that our criminal justice system needs serious reform. We should be working
to hold the DOC accountable, and that requires rapid response to suspected
misconduct and access to public records. With Lincoln Hills in a state of
crisis, the last thing our young people need is more secrecy about abuses in
places meant to help them.
Walker's
listening sessions need improvement
One of the most crucial
parts of being a public servant is listening to your community. Throughout my
time in office, feedback from my constituents has proven to be incredibly
important as we  work to shape policy.
Without said input, both negative and positive, we fail as public servants to
do what is best for the areas we represent. Due to this, I cannot help but
criticize Governor Walker’s methods of obtaining community feedback. In his
forums, Governor Walker uses an invite only policy that often fills his
crowds with people who agree with his policies, rather than the community at
large. By speaking only to the segment of Wisconsin citizens who support him,
Governor Walker misses any chance to learn about negative issues impacting
the state. No wonder he feels a disconnect between his poll ratings and his
forums: his forums only contain his supporters! I implore Governor Walker to
consider opening up his listening sessions to the general public at large if
he truly wishes to understand the problems plaguing Wisconsin. Otherwise, he
fails a large portion of the community he has sworn to represent.
More compliance needed for Federal
Prison Rape Elimination Act
Last week Legislative
Fiscal Bureau released an update on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’
(DOC) compliance with the Federal Prison Rape
Elimination Act. Said report showed a lack of compliance when it came to
standards meant to protect both youth inmates in adult prisons and LBGTA inmates,
especially those who identify as transgender. This is unacceptable. Our goal
should be full compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Especially in
light of the fact that our juvenile corrections facility is already under
federal investigation, I am deeply concerned that DOC has not made any
progress worth mentioning in a year and a half in protecting juvenile
offenders from rape in adult institutions. I am also concerned that the
department hasn’t figured out a better solution to keeping transgender
inmates safe other than isolating them in segregated facilities. We can and
must do better. We should not make these changes just because the feds are
telling us to. We should make them because it’s the right thing to do.
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Community Events:
National Night Out
August
2nd: 4pm-8pm at Lincoln Park Pavilion
Join me
for free food, live music, giveaways, community resources and fun & games
for the whole family! See more details here!
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Quote
of the Week:
“He is
the elected leader of the state and you can't just pick and choose only to be
involved in the issues that your think are good for your political career.”
-Tim Cullen,
Former
State Senator, on Lincoln Hills
This is an official government communication from Sen. Lena C.
Taylor. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, click here to send
me an email to unsubscribe.
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