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, so 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
Dialogue with the Dept. of Corrections and the Dept. of Children and Families
On Monday, Senator Lena Taylor and Representative David Bowen kicked off the last week of Black History Month. The theme for the week centered on issues of Justice. Representatives from both the Department of Corrections and the Secretary Designee of Children and Families participated in a conversation about the intersection of child welfare and the criminal justice system. Given the work to close the current juvenile correction facilities, there was much conversation about how to address the pipeline to prison faced by many youth.
Round Table Discussion on the State of Criminal Justice Reform
Continuing the conversation on justice, Representative Bowen and Senator Taylor hosted a round table discussion on the current state of criminal justice reform with colleagues, representative, and experts from the communities. The panel spent outlined issues and best practices to best address criminal justice reform. Given disparities in arrest, charging, and sentencing, prison populations are disproportionately African American. While youth incarceration is on the decline, Black youth in Wisconsin are 19 times more likely to be detained, 14.9 times more likely to be committed, and 16.2 times more likely to be incarcerated out of home in comparison with White youth in Wisconsin. A review of data from adult correctional facilities doesn’t fare much better. However, there is a renewed sense of hope that corrections will function as intended places of rehabilitation, in the near future.
Human Trafficking Task-force of Greater Milwaukee/Hummingbird Documentary
On Tuesday, Senator Taylor hosted the Human Trafficking Task-force of Greater Milwaukee to discuss their work and request for state assistance to help eradicate human trafficking. The group has done much to raise awareness about the issue, while getting both the community and law enforcement to view the victims differently. With campaigns like “unlucky Thirteen”, which included bus shelter public service announcements, digital billboards, and online and social media they increased knowledge of the issue in Milwaukee. The Senator also attended the viewing of “Hummingbird- A Sister’s Courage”, which is an enlightening documentary about human trafficking. After the film, she joined a discussion with survivors of human trafficking and those that helped them on their journey. To learn more about the work of the group, contact Chair, Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee; httfmilwchair@gmail.com. If you or someone you know is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
Cultural Awareness & Inclusion in the Workplace
On Wednesday Michelle Bryant, Senator Taylor’s Chief of Staff, gave a presentation in the Capitol on cultural awareness and inclusion in the workplace. Bryant covered a wide array of topics, including race, ethnicity, religion, and gender-based issues in the workplace. She also discussed the need to be intentional and deliberate about issues of inclusion. Attendees left with both insight and tools to address some issues around cultural competency and engagement. Whether gender pay gaps, racial diversity generational gaps and more, both legislative staff and legislators welcomed the information sessions.
Youth Justice Milwaukee Presents the Future of Juvenile Justice in Wisconsin
On Wednesday, Senator Taylor attended the Youth Justice Milwaukee presentation which addressed the future of juvenile justice in Wisconsin. The presentation centered on the Wisconsin Legislature’s progress on Act 185. Act 185, a piece of legislation which aims to restructure Wisconsin’s juvenile correctional system. The act restructures Wisconsin’s current juvenile correctional system by establishing Department-operated Type 1 facilities for youth adjudicated under the Serious Juvenile Offender (SJO) program or convicted as adults. Additionally, it creates county and/or tribal Secure Residential Care Centers for Children and Youth (SRCCs) for non-SJO juvenile correctional placements. Currently, the Act has increased the amount of beds at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center by at least 29 beds. Copper Lake School/Lincoln Hills School (CLS/HLS), Wisconsin’s current juvenile correctional facility will be transformed into an adult correctional institution. According to the timeline, the SRCC grant applications are due to the JCGC by March 31, 2019. The legislation requires that the overall goals of the bill be made no later than January 1, 2021. However, the Evers administration has asked for more time to complete the move to new facilities.
Lobby Day
In honor of Black History Month, Senator Taylor spoke at Lobby Day on Thursday, on behalf of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus. The event had great turnout as she called for more action to recognize and rectify the problems African Americans continue to face today and encourage diversity on all fronts. Taylor was joined by her colleagues Rep. Fields, Sen. Johnson, Rep. Crowley, Rep. Bowen, Rep. Stubbs, and Rep. Haywood who discussed issues of finance and economics, education and families, and health and mental health. Specifically, she initiated conversation about justice and human trafficking along with her colleague Representative David Bowen. Attendees were treated to a program that included students from Milwaukee public schools providing both their winning speeches from the Martin Luther King day celebration and the Culinary Arts program. After the daylong event, Sen. Taylor attended the budget address from Governor Tony Evers.
Intern Spotlight: Emma
Emma is a UW-Madison senior focusing on policy work in Senator Taylor’s office. She is majoring in Education Policy with a certificate in LGBTQ studies. Growing up in Freedom, WI, Emma has always admired the work that Senator Taylor has done to improve the Milwaukee district and wanted to be a part of her efforts. After graduating, Emma would like to continue the fight for improvement in the education system by working for think tanks or lobbying to improve education policy. When Emma is not in school or at the Capitol, she spends her time volunteering for Big Brother Big Sister and co-leading the Madison Misnomer, our local satirical publication.
Community Action Alerts
With this year’s unusually harsh winter weather conditions, many of our narrower residential streets continue to be impacted by snow and ice accumulations along the curb line. In an effort to ensure that our streets remain open and passable, the Commissioner of Public Works Jeff Polenske has ordered the December 1 to March 1 parking regulation to be extended to March 15. This extension is for those streets that are posted with signs No Parking Dec 1- Mar 15. Failure to comply with this parking regulation will result in a $35 citation. Vehicles may also be subject to towing. Remember – all vehicles need a valid parking permit to park during overnight hours on City streets.
In other news, the Department of Public Works is now taking reservations for clean up boxes via calls to 414-286-3599 or online at milwaukee.gov/neighborhood-box. The 2019 program will place up to 13 boxes each Saturday from April 27th through July 27th. Additional boxes will be available on Saturday April 27th for the official kickoff of the Great American Cleanup. Boxes will be placed between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. and picked up after 4 p.m. the same day to deter illegal dumping and to maximize the use of the boxes by cleanup organizers. The following criteria are used for use of clean up boxes: • Requestors must organize a neighborhood clean up prior to reserving a box • Boxes are only placed on accessible street corners – not on vacant lots or parking surfaces • Boxes are not placed for businesses, schools or churches • Boxes will not be relocated once placed – they will be removed if neighbors complain • Reservations are limited to 2 boxes per weekend (out of maximum 13 boxes) • Organizers may only reserve boxes once every eight weeks
