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LARSON REPORT |
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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER |
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July 18, 2013 |
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CONTACT ME
Mailing Address:
State Capitol
Web Site:
Find Me on Facebook and Twitter:
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Supporting our
neighbors and being involved in our community is of the utmost
importance. Some community events that might be of interest to you and
your family are listed below.
MIAD 2013 Juried Senior Exhibition Date: Now through Sat., July 27 Location: Milwaukee
Description: If
you missed the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design's renowned annual
senior exhibition, stop by to see faculty-juried works from all majors
in the 2013 Juried Senior Exhibition. This event is being held in MIAD's
Frederick Layton Gallery.
CLICK HERE or call (414) 291-8070 for more information. The Milwaukee Art Museum Presents: 30 Americans Date: Now through Sun., September 8 Location: Milwaukee
Description: 30
Americans is a dynamic exploration of contemporary American art.
Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, video, and more made
by African American artists since 1970 raise questions of what it means
to be a contemporary artist and an African American today. Whether
addressing issues of race, gender, sexuality, politics, or history--or
seemingly remaining silent about them--these works offer powerful
interpretations of cultural identity and artistic legacy.
CLICK HERE or call (414) 224-3200 for more information.
Lunar Light Location: Milwaukee Description: Lunar Light focuses on our Moon, which has captivated our imagination enough to explore it with humans and machines. The live presentation will highlight Earth-Moon-Sun interactions that result in dramatic events such as lunar and solar eclipses, ocean tides, and different phases of the Moon. The presentation will include Greek myths associated with the Moon. As always, there is a portion of the program that focuses on stars and constellations projected on the dome to simulate both a city and country sky. Please note there is no show on July 5. CLICK HERE for more information.
UW-Milwaukee (MAP) Manfred Olson Planetarium 1900 East Kenwood Blvd. Milwaukee, WI
Garden District
Farmers' Market Location: Milwaukee Description: Stop by this community market offering fresh produce from local farmers. The market runs each Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the area located just south of S. 6th Street and W. Howard Avenue. CLICK HERE for more information.
Danceworks DanceLAB
Presents "Ignite: A Hip Hop Experience"
Location:
Milwaukee
Festa Italiana Location: Milwaukee
Description:
Beginning in 1978, Festa Italiana is Milwaukee's longest-running
lakefront ethnic festival. Among the entertainers announced for this
year's Festa are Plain White T's, Tre Bella, Matt Nathanson, Greg Koch,
The Noyz Boyz & Gyrlz, Dee Jay Silver, Colt Ford, Ricci Martin, Louis
Prima Jr. Band, and Bella Cain. A Mass will be held on Sunday, followed
by a procession, and all weekend long attendees can take part in
delicious Italian food and drink, opera, dance, and shopping.
CLICK HERE for more information about this event.
Charles Allis Art Museum Announces Art in the Yard Date: Sun., July 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: Milwaukee Description: Attend this new family-friendly art event held in the museum's English garden. Fun for the whole family and children of all ages, Art In The Yard features four art making stations for luminary making, paper bag puppets, butterfly painting, and mask making. Art In The Yard is open to the public with a suggested donation of $3 per person, which includes all art activities. CLICK HERE for more information.
Charles Allis Art Museum (MAP) 1801 N. Prospect Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53202
Gallery Night and
Day
Location:
Various locations in downtown Milwaukee
German Fest
Location: Milwaukee
Description:
German Fest has been celebrating the German culture and traditions since
1981. Come celebrate with food, beer, dancing, activities, live music, a
dachshund derby race, and fireworks. Join the fun at this year's annual
German Fest.
CLICK HERE for more information.
Brady Street
Festival Description: Brady Street will be full of rocking all night and day as three stages are packed with live entertainment, including local favorite bands. Additionally, there will be the Division BMX Stunt Team, Casablanca Rumble III Pro Wrestling Ring, and CFSC Bounce House. A variety of vendors will also be there selling local cheese, jewelry, pottery, food, and ice cold beer. CLICK HERE for more information.
Milwaukee Brewfest
Description:
Stop by the 4th Annual Milwaukee Brewfest. This year there will be
unlimited sampling of over 250 craft beers and micro brews from across
the country. Back by popular demand, the 2013 Milwaukee Brewfest will
have a special German Row. A Cider Row will also be available for
festival participants to enjoy. Although everyone comes for the beer,
there will also be a number of on-site activities for added
entertainment including live musical performances, crowning of the 2013
Milwaukee Brewfest Queen, a variety of foods available for purchase from
local restaurants and vendors, food sampling from various
Wisconsin-based companies, and displays by a number of local artists and
craftsmen. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the
gate. VIP tickets are $60 in advance or $65 at the gate. Ticket sales
are limited, so be sure to get your tickets while you can. Remember, do
not drink and drive. There are plenty of transportation options for
those looking to attend including public transit, cabs, and designating
a sober driver. Have fun, but be safe.
CLICK HERE for more information about the event. Old Coast Guard Pavilion at McKinley Park (MAP) 1600 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202
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Dear Friend,
I hope you are enjoying the wonderful
Wisconsin summer and all the outdoor activities our state has to offer.
This week, we discuss important state issues including the hiring of
mercenaries in northern Wisconsin, recent court decisions on legislation
harming women and lead paint victims, and an upcoming memorial honoring
the victims of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin shooting one year ago.
Continue reading for more information about these and other state and
community matters.
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Mining Company Hires Mercenaries |
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Earlier this month, Gogebic Taconite LLC, the company doing exploratory drilling in the northern Wisconsin Penokee Hills after the passage of controversial mining legislation, hired armed guards to stand watch. These mercenaries, brought in from an out-of-state private security company named Bulletproof, came equipped with camouflage fatigues, masks, and assault rifles.
While these kinds of security forces are common in third world counties, they most certainly do not belong in Northern Wisconsin. With only one incident reported at the site in over a month, we are questioning why the company decided to take such a confrontational and incendiary step that will clearly do more to intimidate local citizens and increase local tensions.
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Court Halts Part of Anti-Woman Bill |
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Should the permitting provision stand, Wisconsin would be forced to cut the number of clinics offering all methods of family planning in Wisconsin from four to two.
Wisconsin is not the only state that recently debated or passed such regressive, anti-women legislation. Similar fights occurred in Texas, Alabama, Ohio, North Dakota, Indiana, and Mississippi. According to the Guttmacher Institute, in total, legislation dictating permitting requirements has been introduced in nine states, while legislation requiring medically invasive and unnecessary ultrasounds was introduced in 18 states. All of this is part of a national campaign by anti-choice groups attempting to circumvent a women's constitutional right to choose what to do with her body. Continue reading for more information about this harmful legislation that is currently before the courts.
Big Government Overreach in
Private, Medical Decision
Unfortunately, by passing this bill Republican legislators reignited
their war on women that began last session. Their actions confirm that
they believe Wisconsin women are incapable of making personal decisions
about their body and thus need legislators, most of whom are male, to
step in to tell them what to do. Senate Bill 206 does just that. Under
this bill, should a woman decide that terminating her pregnancy is in
the best interest of her and her family, she would be forced to have a
politically motivated, medically unnecessary ultrasound procedure first.
This medically invasive test will still be legally required even if the
woman and her physician object. Given that it is difficult to get an
accurate picture of a fetus during the early stages of pregnancy, it is
likely that those administering the ultrasound will recommend a
transvaginal ultrasound instead of an abdominal ultrasound. This is a
highly invasive procedure compared to its abdominal counterpart. It
requires the woman to have a probe inserted into her vagina, which can
be uncomfortable and humiliating, lasting about 30 minutes to an hour.
Clearly, recovering from a rape in and
of itself is difficult enough, without the complications of an unwanted,
unplanned pregnancy. It is our job as legislators to stand up for and
support these victims, not to shame them should they make the personal
choice to terminate their pregnancy.
Implementing an Unfunded Mandate on Women
Clearly the debate over this legislation and its constitutionality is not over. I will continue to keep you updated on the status of this bill and its implications on the health of Wisconsin's women and families.
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Controversial Lead Paint Law Reaches Courts | ||
A provision passed in the 2013-15
Biennial Budget rejects this logic and instead maintains that a victim
can only bring a complaint against a single defendant, which means an
injured individual must prove which specific company manufactured the
lead paint. Additionally, the provision potentially voids all pending
and future lawsuits filed against lead paint manufacturers, usually on
behalf of poisoned Wisconsin children. Before passage of the provision, nonpartisan attorneys warned lawmakers that the constitutionality of the lead paint provision would likely result in a legal challenge because it would apply to lawsuits filed before the provision was passed through the Legislature. On Monday, July 2, 2013, Attorney Peter Earle filed an amended complaint asking Federal Judge Lynn Adelman to declare this provision unconstitutional. Earle is a Milwaukee attorney currently representing 171 children who have fallen ill due to lead paint.
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Sikh Temple Commemoration |
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On August 5, 2012, our community's
sense of safety was devastated by violence when a lone gunman entered
the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek and opened fire. As we
approach the one year anniversary of this tragedy, our community
continues to show its ability to endure even the most tragic of
circumstances and to push forward together with a new closeness and
unification among diverse communities. In order to both remember those
lost on August 5, 2012, and to celebrate how our community has come
together, the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek will be holding the
first annual Oak Creek Sikh Memorial Commemoration, which will begin on
Friday, August 2 and run through Monday, August 5, 2013.
Click here to register for the run/walk online.
Click here to view the brochure for the event.
Click here for more information about the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin Memorial Commemoration weekend.
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Senate Dem Web Site Launched |
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Last week, my Wisconsin Senate
Democratic colleagues and I launched a new Web site to provide
Wisconsinites with updated information about legislation, current events,
and our shared priorities. To ensure the Web site remains an important
resource for Wisconsin residents, it will be regularly updated with
recent news, radio addresses, and various multimedia to provide an open door
into the work of the Senate for neighbors in all corners of Wisconsin.
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Ask Chris |
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I often have neighbors contact me
looking for my perspective on various local and state issues. I very
much appreciate our neighbors' questions and want to dedicate a portion
of my newsletter to common questions that I hear to maintain an open
dialogue. Please continue reading for this week's question.
The results for 10 of the 14 questions have been calculated. The four questions excluded from these results were more open-ended and thus nearly impossible to quantify. As you review the results, please keep in mind that the survey was not scientific. I dropped surveys door-to-door in all five communities (now six) I represent and also made the survey available on my Web site.
Click here to view the complete results of the 2011-2012 Neighborhood Survey.
While the open-ended questions were difficult to quantify, I did notice some trending answers provided to the question "What do you like most about our community?" that I thought were worth sharing. These results are provided below:
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Did You Know...? |
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You may have seen more birds outside due to summer being in full swing, but did you know that the Robin is our state bird?
The Robin, is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. Scientifically known as Turdus migratorius, it is often seen as a welcome sign of spring. It is also one of the most abundant birds in North America. In a single year, the American Robin can produce up to three successful broods. Earthworms, bugs, fruit, and berries are dietary favorites of Robins.
The Robin won the hearts of school children across Wisconsin, who voted to name it the state bird during the 1926-1927 Legislative Session.
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Summer Activities in Our Community |
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Our community offers a wide variety of summer activities for families, children, and adults alike. Below are just a few activities that you can take part in this summer.
Science Saturdays Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Through demonstrations, activities, crafts, and other interactive methods, kids and families can learn about natural science at these drop-in session. Topics change each month and include themes such as animals in winter, camouflage, water, and decomposition. This weekly event is free, but donations are appreciated.
1500 E. Park Place Milwaukee, WI 53211
Open Climb
Every Tuesday and Thursday from
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Urban Ecology Center-Riverside Park (MAP) 1500 E. Park Place Milwaukee, WI 53211
Click here for more information about Open Climb.
Work Outside Wednesdays Urban Ecology Center-Riverside Park (MAP) 1500 E. Park Place Milwaukee, WI 53211
The Urban Ecology Center, in collaboration with Menomonee Valley Partners, is opening up a new park and 24-acre outdoor classroom in the Menomonee Valley. Stop by the grand opening on Saturday, July 20. Gather between 9:30 and 10 a.m. on any one of the three bridges for a 10 a.m. inaugural procession into the park, followed by a grand opening ceremony. Stick around for an afternoon of family-friendly activities and entertainment, including live music by De La Buena, fishing, kayak demos, food trucks, and more. The park is located in the Menomonee Valley just east of Miller Park, beneath the 35th and 27th Street Viaducts.
Click here for a map of meet up locations for the event.
Click here for more information about this event.
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Purchase a Flag Today! |
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If you do not currently have a U.S. or
Wisconsin flag and would like to purchase one, please contact my office
to order one. Both flags are made of durable nylon and are 3 feet
by 5 feet in size. The U.S. flag costs $13 while the Wisconsin flag
costs $16.
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