LARSON REPORT

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

February 25, 2011

CONTACT ME

Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or opinions you might have.

Office Phone: (608) 266-7505
Toll-free Phone: (800) 361-5487

Email: Sen.Larson@legis.wisconsin.gov

Mailing Address:

State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707

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.

Kids Cupcake Decorating Class

Feb. 26, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Learn fun and delicious ways to decorate chocolate cupcakes. Each child will get to practice hands-on with their own cupcake. Must be 10 or older to participate. Cost is $8. All proceeds from the class will be donated to the Whole Planet Foundation. Please call to pre-register. CLICK HERE for more information.

Whole Foods Market (MAP)

2305 N. Prospect Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53211

(414) 233-1500

Eastside Jazzfest

Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.

Attend this jazz music festival showcasing Grammy Award-winning artist and Milwaukee native Brian Lynch and other Milwaukee professional jazz artists. This event will also feature student jazz performers from the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. For more information, please CLICK HERE.

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MAP)

1047 N. Broadway

Milwaukee, WI 53202

(800) 332-6763

Local Food & Farmer Open House

March 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Find out how to buy meat, dairy, cheese and eggs directly from local farmers. Also, learn more about purchasing a harvest share through a Community Supported Agriculture to get a box of fresh produce each week during the season. Food will also be for sale at the event. CLICK HERE for more information.

Urban Ecology Center (MAP)

1500 E. Park Place

Milwaukee, WI 53211

(414) 964-8505

Dear Friend,

Rallies continued across Wisconsin this week with hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites showing up to voice their opposition to the Budget Adjustment Bill.

Enclosed you will find updates for the Budget Adjustment Bill and voter ID legislation. Thursday's community meeting with Rep. Richards, Alderman Kovac and myself is also discussed.

As usual, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or opinions you may have about our community or our state.

Sincerely,



Chris Larson
State Senator, District 7

In an unprecedented move Assembly Democrats were limited on how long they could speak and even how many amendments they could introduce, as they struggled to alter Governor Walker’s Budget Adjustment Bill. In the early morning hours on Friday, Republican leadership abruptly ended debate and forced a vote on passage before most Democrats could take their chairs to vote against the proposal.

Assembly Democrats led a historic effort against the bill offering numerous amendments to remove non-fiscal items from the proposal. They continued to reach out to Governor Walker and his administration seeking a compromise similar to those accepted by Republican governors across the nation. No Democratic amendments were accepted, and the collective bargaining, no-bid sale of state assets, and seizure of authority over eligibility in SeniorCare and BadgerCare remained in the version of the bill passed by the Assembly.

Two weeks after its introduction, opponents of the Budget Adjustment Bill continue flocking to the State Captiol to voice their concerns over this crippling legislation. Overall, hundreds of thousands of people have come to Madison or participated in local demonstrations to ask that their voices are heard on this issue.

Recent revelations from Governor Walker indicate that he was conspiring to trick Senate Democrats back to the Senate Chambers under the guise of offering to sit down in good faith. Despite this, I continue reaching out to the Governor and my Republican colleagues in order to reach a compromise that is in the best interest of our state and its citizen. I will continuing fighting for the rights of Wisconsin's workers to keep our state moving forward.

Please feel free to visit the links below for more information on Budget Adjustment Bill provisions:

Legislative Council Memo Summarizing the Budget Adjustment Bill

Legislative Fiscal Bureau Summary of Fiscal Items

Legislative Fiscal Bureau Summary of Non-Fiscal Items

Legislative Fiscal Bureau Summary of Senate Amendment 1

Around 350 neighbors attended the Town Hall Meeting at St. Mark's Episcopal Church to discuss the Budget Adjustment Bill as well as the soon-to-be-introduced 2011-2013 Budget.
 
Rep. Jon Richards and I were able to call-in to the meeting and address those present. We also enjoyed a visit from Mayor Tom Barrett, who spoke about the impacts of Walker’s budget plans on Milwaukee.

After giving brief presentations, Alderman Nik Kovak and legislative staff answered questions regarding the Governor’s proposal and addressed concerns voiced by our neighbors.
 
Thank you to everyone that attended. There were thoughtful questions and a strong dialogue about the future of Wisconsin.

I want to especially thank: Deacon Michelle Mooney and the St. Mark’s congregation for allowing us to use their beautiful church, and Pam Frautschi for helping us establish a meeting location.

This type of open public dialogue would not have happened without the support of the following groups: Eastside Milwaukee Community Council, Greenwich Village Association, Historic Water Tower Neighborhood Association, Mariners Neighborhood Association, Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, Prospect Avenue Neighborhood Association, and Riverside Park Neighborhood Association.

Bill to Restrict Voting Advances

Legislation that would restrict voting by requiring Wisconsin voters to present valid photo identification each election reached the Senate Floor on Thursday, February 24. The bill, Senate Bill 6, was quickly passed to the unamendable stage, where it awaits final Senate passage pending constitutional quorum. The bill also needs to pass the Assembly.

Wisconsin has a rich tradition of encouraging voting and we enjoy one of the nation's highest percentages of voter participation. Requiring photo identification will throw up a barrier to the elderly, students, new residents, people with disabilities, and individuals with suspended or revoked licenses.

According to a 2005 University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee study, over 175,000 adults in our state over the age of 65 currently do not have a state issued driver’s license or identification card. As this bill moves through the legislative process, we must take the time to ensure the rights of all Wisconsin voters are adequately considered and protected.

Senate Bill 6 was recently amended to include passports, tribal IDs, and paperwork verifying revoked licenses as valid identification. Unfortunately, although most student IDs are also state-issued, they have yet to be permitted in this legislative proposal. This restriction makes it especially difficult for the thousands of college students living in our state to vote.

In its current form, Senate Bill 6 places an additional hurdle on absentee voters as well. This legislation would require absentee voters to send a photo copy of their identification when submitting their ballot.

Part of our state's long tradition of encouraging citizen participation is "same-day voter registration," which must remain intact. This increases voter participation, giving more Wisconsinites a voice in our state’s direction. A study done by George Mason University examining voter turnout for the 2010 general election, ranked Wisconsin among the top five states with the highest voter turnout. It is important that we continue this proud tradition in elections by promoting and protecting people’s democratic right to participate in their government.

For more information about this legislation and to track its status, please utilize the bill tracker database available on the Wisconsin State Legislature’s homepage at http://legis.wisconsin.gov.

Town Hall Meeting on Monday

Monday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at UW-Milwaukee's Union Ball Room West

There will be a town hall meeting at the UW-Milwaukee campus on Monday to discuss the effects of ending same-day registration and voter ID legislation.

Guest speakers will include Sen. Lena Taylor, Rep. Sandra Pasch, Rep. Chris Sinicki, Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Alderman Nik Kovac and myself.

Please CLICK HERE for more information.