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Official Government
Communication
Week of June 18th - June 23rd
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
Of Grave
Concern
 On Monday, in response to concerns
raised by constituents, I met with a cememtery
director. It was brought to my attention that patrons were concerned that
the cemetery had no fencing around it and was being used for illegal drug
sales and other undesirable behavior. Even more concerning was the
complaints of remains being placed in the wrong plots or locations and
the frustration in getting these issues resolved. I am working to help resolve
some of the problems identified, but if you or anyone you know has
experienced similar issues, please contact my office at (608) 266-5810.
Juneteenth
Day Celebration
 On Tuesday, I joined the Milwaukee
community in participating in the annual Juneteenth Day Parade. Milwaukee
continues to have one of the longest running Juneteenth celebrations in
the country. Each year we actively acknowledge the June 19, 1865
announcement of the abolition of slavery that was two years late in
coming to the state of Texas. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation
formally abolished slavery in 1863, the news traveled slowly through
confederate states. So for many, this date truly represents freedom, for
all enslaved Africans in the United States.
While we were commemorating the end of bondage and the sanctioned
destruction of black families, it was surreal to know that the Trump
administration was waging a war of their own against immigrants seeking
safe harbor in this country. The parallels, in some regards, were frightening
and beckoned the question how far could this government sanctioned
cruelty go? African-Americans know the answer, all too well. Maltreatment
can be rationalized. The Bible was used to justify slavery, as it was
recently used to defend the separation of immigrant children from their
families. Juneteenth, reminds us that if we forget, we are doomed to
repeat our past.
2500
Reasons to Recall Wisconsin's National Guard Members
 On Wednesday morning, my office
attended a press conference organized by State Representatives JoCasta Zamarripa and Chris
Taylor. The press conference addressed the Trump administration's policy
of separating migrant children from their parents, and Governor Walker's decision
to send Wisconsin National Guard to the nation's southern border. Members
of the community specializing in health, immigration, and child advocacy
were in attendance, as well as members of the religious community.
The professionals spoke on how these separations are hurting the
children, and how such drastic changes can negatively impact a child's
life forever. Many in attendance were in disbelief that the President of
the United Sates would separate families seeking asylum from violence.
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria,
a pediatrician, gave a jarring speech on the irreversible impacts of
severe trauma on a child's brain. Wednesday night, after blaming his
barbaric policy on Democrats and insisting he could not reverse it by
executive order, Trump signed an executive order halting the practice. As
Americans, and Wisconsinites, we can do better than this.
Serving
the Servers
 On
Wednesday, I had the opportunity to attend Unison's Volunteer Luncheon.
Unison is a new organization born out of the merger between Interfaith
Older Adult Programs, Inc. and SET Ministry that focuses on building
intergenerational connections to increase self-sufficiency and the
well-being of children, families and older adults in the Milwaukee
community.
I was able to show my appreciation for Senior Corps volunteers by
serving them lunch. As individuals who are 55 years of age or older, they
are part of a national network of volunteers committed to serving the
local community through programs supported by the Corporation for
National and Community Service. These incredible people have spent their
days helping MPS school children better their literacy skills, helping to
ensure that seniors can safely remain in their homes and visiting senior
homes to spread information about Milwaukee County services and
resources. I am thankful for their work to better the lives of our
neighbors, family, and friends. To learn more, click here.
MEDC
Partner Appreciation Reception
 On
Wednesday, I was able to attend the Milwaukee Economic Development
Corporation Partner Appreciation Reception. MEDC has been helping
Milwaukee and Waukesha businesses for over 45 years by providing them
with low-interest loans, called "gap" funding, enabling small
businesses to get on their feet. Utilizing a unique approach, MEDC shares
risk with all participants in a project and lends in partnership with
private sector financial institutions. The work of the organization helps
Milwaukee entrepreneurs to create new jobs. It was great to learn about
their accomplishments and the opportunities to further spur economic
development. To learn more, click here.
SDC
Annual Meeting
 This week, I attended the Social
Development Commission's annual meeting. SDC has served the only
Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County since 1964. The organization
provides human service programs to low-income individuals and families in
the area. Their goal is to ensure that all residents have access to
resources and equal opportunities so that they can be economically
self-sufficient. The list of services they offer range from providing
advice to business start-ups, General Educational Development (GED), FREE
ACT Workshops, to home weatherization projects and more.
At the meeting, we celebrated the exceptional work SDC has done this
year and looked towards the future. I was lucky enough to have a first
glimpse at the new programs SDC will be implementing in the coming months
and I am excited to see these ideas take shape. To learn more, click here.
Lawyers
as Political Leaders Panel
 Yesterday, I served as a panelist
for the State Bar of Wisconsin's Lawyers as Political Leaders CLE Program
in Lake Geneva. Most people are surprised to learn that, on average, only
17% of state lawmakers have a law degree. In Congress, that number is
about 39%. The panel did a great job of helping attorneys considering
making the move into politics, and understanding the challenges and
opportunities that come with the move. We discussed everything from
ethical dilemmas, possible adjustments for those in private practice, to
what we wish we had been told about balancing a career in law and
government. I shared that as a lawyer, I primarily practiced criminal,
bankruptcy, and general law. Due to the high demands of court
appearances, it has been difficult to maintain private practice for me.
However, understanding the impact of the work of a senate office, I am
thankful for the ability to help more people than I could have imagined.
Lincoln
Hills Phone Call
 This morning, I talked with the
superintendent of Lincoln Hills. We spoke about the progress being made
in responding to the concerns raised in lawsuits against Lincoln Hills.
Specifically, what is being done to reduce the juvenile population to an
acceptable youth-staff ratio, and what new policies were put in place to
prevent misconduct by either youth or staff. I
also wanted to offer my help to the facility by offering to bring
volunteers to support the youth and staff on visits. It is important to
me that we do not forget about preventing the kind of treatment that led
to whistle-blowing at Lincoln Hills as we begin to transition to the
regional model for youth corrections going forward.
Intern
Spotlight
 Abby Routh is a communications
intern at Senator Taylor's Madison Office. Abby is a junior studying
political science with a certificate in Russian, Eastern European, and
Central Asian studies. She is also planning to apply to the Journalism
School to pursue a degree in strategic communications. Interestingly
enough, Abby used to be an engineering major but took an elective
international relations class and realized she enjoyed it more than the
math classes she was taking for engineering.
Once she realized she wanted to pursue a career in communications,
Abby began looking for internships in that field that paired nicely with
her political science major. That, combined with the fact that she is
from Kenosha, led about to Senator Taylor's office. She liked the
Senator's district was in the Milwaukee area and enjoys serving a
community that's so close to home. She hopes this internship will
strengthen her communications skills and she will gain experience working
public relations.
We look forward to the contributions Abby brings to Senator Taylor's
office this summer!
Community Action
Alerts
Wisconsin Elections
Commission to Send Postcards to Unregistered Voters
The Wisconsin Elections
Commission is preparing for midterm elections in 2018 by sending out
postcards to inform voters about registration opportunities.
“Nearly one in 11 Wisconsin
adults will soon be getting an official postcard in the mail urging them
to register to vote before the election,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s
chief elections official in a news release. “Getting people to register
early helps reduce lines and make Election Day better for voters and
election workers.”
The informational postcards
are being mailed this week. They can take up to nine days to arrive. The postcard encourages voters to register
ahead of the election. To do that, they can contact their municipal clerk
or visit MyVote.WI.gov.
The postcard also has a toll-free number for those without internet
access.
Safe & Sound
Donations: June 19-28
Dear City of Milwaukee Residents:
For their 20th anniversary the Safe & Sound Campaign will be
accepting donations June 19-28 to support projects and other efforts that
create stronger and safer communities in the Milwaukee area.
Free “Little Libraries”, neighborhood cleanups and community gardens are
some examples of how Safe & Sound has been a positive influence in
the Milwaukee community.
Also, Safe & Sound has partnered with the Milwaukee Police Department
in holding monthly Crime and Safety Meetings for each Milwaukee district.
4th district meetings are held 6 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month
at in the Safety Academy at 6680 N. Teutonia
Ave.
For more information on these meetings contact Community Liaison Officers
Tracey Geniesse at (414) 935-7248 or Carrie
Resnick at (414) 935-7373.
If you can please help Safe & Sound reach their $5,000 goal to
continue these incredible programs!
Transportation and
Logistics Careers Information Session
Learn about careers, training options, and more
from industry experts and businesses that are hiring now! Find out how to
begin a career as a truck driver, shipping and receiving associate, cargo
handler, warehouse associate, or distribution technician.
When: Thursday, June 28th from 3:00 pm - 4:00
pm
Where: Employ Milwaukee, 2342 N. 27th Street,
Room 118, Milwaukee, WI 53210
For more information, call (414) 270-1728 or
email Biz.Services@employmilwaukee.org
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