December 3, 2021

Listening Sessions
Opioid Settlement
State Gives More Federal $ to Schools
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Holiday Events


Listening Sessions

 



Next week, I will be holding four more listening sessions on the east side of the district. All of the details are in the graphic above. Hope to see you there!


Opioid Settlement

 



On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) unanimously approved Wisconsin’s allocation of funds from two opioid settlements, which are part of nationwide litigation totaling a historic $26 billion.

The State of Wisconsin and 87 local governments within the state have been parties to nationwide litigation against three major pharmaceutical distributors—Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen—and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson for actions that contributed to the opioid epidemic.

JFC met on Tuesday to approve terms of these settlements pertaining to funds being allocated to Wisconsin state and local governments, which are anticipated to total $420.2 million over 18 years.

2021 Wisconsin Act 57, enacted in June, requires that 70% of the settlement funds go to the 87 local units of government that are parties in the opiate litigation and 30% of the settlement proceeds will go to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Settlement funds going to local governments and to DHS must be used to fight the opioid epidemic.


State Gives More Federal $ to Schools

 



The state will be investing an extra $110 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into our classrooms. With this increase, every school district will receive an extra $134 per student.

When the state received $2.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funding from the federal government, we had to have a conversation about where that funding would go. By utilizing these federal funds to help subsidize state funding, we were able to save the taxpayers of Wisconsin money and prioritize necessary programs.


Tree Lighting Ceremony

 



Today, it was an honor to have the Menominee Nation at the State Capitol to help celebrate the Christmas season with the annual tree lighting ceremony.

As I mentioned in a prior Felzkowski Flyer, this year's tree was a gift from the Menominee Nation - right here in the 12th State Senate District. Chairman Ron Corn gave a great speech.

The theme of this years tree is "Hometown for the Holidays" and students were asked to send in ornaments to help decorate the 32 foot balsam fir. With a quick glance, we found ornaments from Summer, a first grader from Keshena, and another from a 4th grade student at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School in Rhinelander.


Holiday Events

 


Through the end of the year, we will be adding to this list of holiday events happening in communities across the 12th Senate District. If you have any events you would like to include on our list, please send them to Sen.Felzkowski@legis.wisconsin.gov!


December 3rd
Town Christmas Celebration & Tree Lighting (Manitowish Waters)
Christmas on Main Street (Crandon)

December 4th

3rd Annual Mani*wish Christmas Event (Manitowish Waters)
Christmas Kick-Off (Eagle River)
Rhinelander Parade of Lights (Rhinelander)
Annual Christmas Parade (Merrill)
Riverview Annual Tree Lighting Celebration (Riverview)
Townsend Tree Lighting (Townsend)
11th Annual Christmas in Florence (Florence)
Christmas in the Park (Gillett)

December 5th
American Legion Xmas Party (Three Lakes)

December 10th
Olde Time Christmas Celebration (Presque Isle)

December 11th
Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Arbor Vitae)
Breakfast with Santa (Merrill)
Lions Club Kids Christmas Party (Three Lakes)
Christmas Parade (Crivitz)


 
Important Links:
Contact Me:

State Capitol, 415S
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
(608) 266-2509
Sen.Felzkowski@legis.wi.gov
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