December 10, 2021

Listening Sessions
Marinette Marine Tour
Menominee Reservation Visit
Concerning Vetoes
Broadband Expansion Grants
Lena Centennial Celebration
Pearl Harbor Day
Holiday Events


Listening Sessions



On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Representative Jeff Mursau and I had a great turnout for our listening sessions in Laona, Lakewood, Niagara, and Porterfield. Thank you to everyone who came out and engaged with us!


Marinette Marine Tour

 



This past week, I was honored to have been invited to tour Fincantieri Marinette Marine. Fincantieri Marinette Marine was founded in 1942 to meet America’s growing demand for naval construction. From its humble beginnings with a contract to build five wooden barges,  Fincantieri Marinette Marine has grown into a world-class shipbuilder, having designed and built more than 1,500 vessels.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard and is currently executing contracts to build Littoral Combat Ships for the Navy. I was able to see the ships being built and pieced together, and visit onboard the magnificent U.S.S. Marinette.

Thank you to CEO Mark Vandroff and his team for taking the time to show us around and explain all the amazing work that they do, not just for our country, but for our local community as well.



Menominee Reservation Visit

 



This Tuesday, I had the privilege to tour of the Menominee Indian Reservation located in the 12th Senate District. It was incredibly informative and inspiring to see the investments the Tribe has made in their community.

The first stop of the tour was the new Family Engagement Community Center, where Director Michael Waupoose showed us the wide array of amenities available to all community members. The Center is intended to be a gathering place for tribal members, who can come to read a book and use the free Wi-Fi, exercise and walk around the track, join in senior exercise classes, sign up with a trainer at the boxing ring, bring their children to the indoor playground, enjoy the computers, games, and books in the youth resource center, and take in basketball and volleyball games at the NCAA-regulation sized courts. The center is created to serve as the epi-center of a strong community, fostering health and relationships. It was one of the most impressive buildings I have seen in a long time.

We then drove to the Family Services Center and discussed some of the challenges facing local families with Services Director Carol Corn. Tying into the family services the tribe provides, we headed to the Maehnowesekiyah Wellness Center, and the staff shared how they work to help those struggling with addiction and the treatment programs that are available. It was powerful hearing how tribal members’ mental health struggles are interwoven with generational trauma their families are still processing.

I was struck by the thoughtfulness, symbolism, and attention to detail in all the tribal buildings we visited. There is a concerted effort to highlight their ancestry, their culture and their spiritual connection to the natural resources all around them.

A huge thank you to Chairman Ron Corn Sr. and Melissa Cook for taking time out of their day to share their community with us.



Concerning Vetoes



Last week, Governor Evers vetoed the following two bills:

Senate Bill 16: This bill would have required any health care provider present at the time of an abortion or attempted abortion that resulted in a child born alive to exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care provider would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and to ensure that the child born alive is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital. Children BORN ALIVE during an abortion or attempted abortion should not be left on the table to die.

Senate Bill 463: Also known as the School Curriculum Transparency Bill, this legislation would have required each school board to post on the home page of its internet site information related to learning materials and educational activities used in pupil instruction in the school district and any procedure or policy in effect that applies to the documentation, review, or approval of such learning materials or educational activities. As parents, we should have the right to know what is being taught in our schools. This should have been a no-brainer.



Broadband Expansion Grants

 



The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) is now accepting 2022 Broadband Expansion Grant applications – due March 17, 2022. This round of grant funding is expected to award $100 million in early summer of next year. If your local government is interested in working with an internet service provider to connect more homes and businesses to broadband, please reach out to my office for more information.

The PSC will also be holding a webinar on December 8, 2021 at 2:00pm. Any interested entities are encourage to take part and learn all there is to know about these grants. You can register for the webinar on the PSC website, here.



Lena Centennial Celebration



I had a great time, on Monday, helping the Village of Lena celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding! I was pleased to present Lena with a citation commemorating the centennial, along with Representative Jeff Mursau.



Pearl Harbor Day



Thursday, December 7th was the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. On that solemn day, 2,400 American lives were lost, and it sparked U.S. involvement in World War II.

“We are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.”  – Ronald Reagan



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 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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