4/8/2016

In addition to this weekly
E-Update, I also invite you to connect with me on local radio and TV. The schedule follows: 

Monthly Radio Shows

WEKZ - 93.7 FM

Wednesday mornings during the Lafayette County News

WRJC - 92.1 FM

1st Friday, 7:30 a.m.

WRCO - 100.9 FM

3rd Monday, 9 a.m.

WRDB - 1400 AM

3rd Friday, 10 a.m.

Monthly TV Shows

Reedsburg Utility Commission Cable Channel 12

Check Local Listings

2015-16 Blue Books

2015-16 Blue Books are a useful summary of information about our state.  These books are printed every session and are complimentary for every resident of Wisconsin. 

If you would like one delivered or shipped to you (no charge to you), please reply to this email and include your street and mailing address.

The full content of the book is also available online.  Click Here!

67% Success!

I am proud to report that 67% of bills I authored and co-authored during the 2015-2016 Legislative Session were signed into law. This accounts for 30 bills out of 45 total that passed through both houses of the legislature and were signed into law by Governor Scott Walker.

In the State Senate, we have been one of the most productive offices in getting bills passed and signed into law. Individual legislators dictate how many bills they put out each session. Some put out as few as 4 or 5, others circulate upwards of 50 or 60 bills. The passage of these bills depends largely on how effective these legislators can be at convincing colleagues and the Governor that they are good bills. A piece of legislation can “die” fairly easily at any stage in the process for any reason. Some legislators have only had one or two bills signed while others have had a higher rate of success.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the many individuals, community leaders, business owners and others who brought ideas and concerns to me for action. I often say that the best legislation comes from the people in our state who are growing businesses, running towns and are engaged in the day-to-day life of our communities. Ideas born from experiences and challenges make the best proposals because they solve real problems, offer effective solutions and have wide-spread, statewide support.

Over the last several weeks, I have detailed the 11 bills that passed on March 15, 2016, the last day of the legislative session. These proposals were more than a third of the bills on my list. The other two-thirds include a wide variety of initiatives that meet needs in several industries and parts of the 17th Senate District. Following is a snapshot of the legislation we passed this session. Follow the hyperlinks to read the Act summary of each bill.

Bills initiated by residents of the 17th Senate District – 10 Bills

1. AB 335 / SB 252 / Act 61-- Cassville Utility Aid -- initiated by the community of Cassville, which addressed a drastic reduction in state aid to the village because of the closure of two power plants in Cassville.

2. AB 119 / SB 93 / Act 93 – Anti-steering for motor vehicle repairs – initiated by Art Krolikowski from Reedsburg Auto Body on behalf of the Wisconsin Auto Collision Technicians Association.

3. AB 249/ SB 182 / Act 26 – Out-of-state ambulatory services – initiated by the residents of the Town of Gratiot and rural Lafayette County.

4. AB 320 / SB 236 / Act 62 – Wine Walks – initiated by Kari Walker from the Touchdown Tavern and the Reedsburg Downtown Association in conjunction with business leaders from Baraboo.

5. AB 341 / SB 256 / Act 311 – Making a terrorist threat – initiated by Chief Tim Becker and Lt. Darrin Frye of the Reedsburg Police Department.

6. AB 451 / SB 379 / Act 139 – Right-of-way in roundabouts – initiated by Skinner Transfer in Reedsburg.

7. AB 522 / SB 389 / Act 164 – Probation & Parole reimbursements – initiated by Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman, Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson and Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill on behalf of Wisconsin Sheriff’s Association.

8. AB 512 / SB 384 / Act 270 – Frank Lloyd Wright Trail – initiated by Wright In Wisconsin, a group of Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts.

9. AB 765 / SB 628 / Act 287 – Collection of Health Care Information – initiated by Nicole Clapp, CEO of the Grant County Healthcare Center, on behalf of the Wisconsin Hospitals Association.

10. AB 771 / Act 271 – Lafayette County Drug Enforcement Grant – initiated by Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill.

11. AB 820 / SB 699 / Act 278 – Broadband Forward! – initiated by the small, rural communities of southwest Wisconsin.

12. AB 337 / SB 249 / Act 165 – Headlights in inclement weather --initiated by a constituent concerned with safety on our roadways

Bills related to taxes and finance – 12 Bills

1. AB 23 / SB 103 / Act 120 – Verbal Contracts

2. AB 167 / SB 130 / Budget – Tax deduction for Educators

3. AB 313 / SB 227 / Act 126 – Construction materials tax exemption

4. AB 405 / SB 334 / Act 84 – Tax exemption for declaration of emergency

5. AB 459 / SB 314 / Act 219 – Adverse possession

6. AB 595 / SB 440 / Act 216 – Department of Revenue tax administrative changes

7. AB 623 / SB 503 / Act 218 – Tax fairness changes

8. AB 725 / SB 532 / Act 217 – CPA licensing rules and continuing education

9. AB 721 / SB 603 / Act 309 – US Savings Bonds

10. AB 236 / SB 165 / Budget – Creation of WI ABLE Accounts

11. AB 731 / SB 604 / Act 312 – Repeal of WI ABLE Accounts, create nationwide option

12. AB 778 / SB 631 / Act 163 – Department of Financial Institutions administrative changes

Bills related to the College Affordability Bill Package – 3 Bills

1. AB 744 / SB 595 / Act 284 – Financial literacy letters.

2. AB 742 / SB 594 / Act 283 – Department of Workforce Development Internship Staff

3. AB 741 / SB 592 / Act 282 – Emergency Micro-grants

Bills related to transportation, veterans and other issues – 5 Bills

1. AB 199 / SB 137 / Act 79 – Publication of legal notices

2. AB 441 / SB 339 / Act TBD – Wisconsin Veterans Employment Initiative

3. AB 760 / SB 584 / Act 310 – DATCP Reimbursement

4. AB 856 / SB 687 / Act 215 – Managed Care Organizations & Long Term Care initiative

Again, I am honored to work on behalf of the 17th Senate District to advance legislation that makes a positive difference in the lives of the people who live in Wisconsin. I am also privileged to be able to work with engaged, intelligent people who are willing to contribute to the legislative process in a meaningful way.

Throughout the next nine months, I look forward to planning ahead for the next session so that the 17th Senate District will be well represented and that more good ideas will work through the legislative process.

Marklein & Tranel Update Lancaster Chamber of Commerce

State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) addressed members of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce during a Legislative Lunch on Monday, April 4, 2016.

More than 20 business leaders and community members attended the lunch at Karla’s Kitchen in Lancaster. Marklein and Tranel were invited to provide a legislative update and review of the legislative session which ended on March 15, 2016. Marklein and Tranel also fielded questions, sought input and gathered ideas for the next legislative session.

“The majority of productive legislative work comes from the direct experiences and challenges experienced by individuals and businesses in our communities,” Marklein said. “It is extremely important for local businesses to work with legislators to improve the economic environment of our communities, remove obstacles and update state laws so that businesses can grow.”

“I am honored to have been invited to meet with the business and community leaders in Lancaster who took time out of their work day to learn more about the legislative accomplishments of the past session, while making connections for the future,” Marklein said. “Strong relationships among government and industry help our communities to grow and I look forward to continuing build these connections.”

Sen. Marklein Visits UW Platteville
Teaches classes about experiences in forensic accounting,
visits with faculty, administrators and students

State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) spent the day on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Platteville this week to share his experiences, hear from students and meet with faculty and administrators.

Marklein shared his experiences as a forensic accountant with Dr. Baozhing Tian’s Introduction to Computer Security class and Dr. Kevan Norin’s Police Function class. The goal of these presentations was to expose non-accounting students to alternative careers that blend computers, law enforcement, business, math and accounting.

“The faculty at UW Platteville wanted to expose their classes to new ideas and career options,” Marklein said. “It was an honor to be invited to share my experiences with students who are deciding the path for the rest of their career.”

Marklein also met with Dr. Patrick Solar, a member of the Criminal Justice department, to discuss a Fraud Investigation program he is developing, Chancellor Dennis Shields, the Executive Members of the Student Senate and the members of Beta Alpha, an organization for students interested in the accounting profession.

“As the State Senator for the 17th Senate District, which includes UW Platteville, my visit today was refreshing and interesting. For institutions of higher education in this state, UW Platteville has the highest return on investment in Wisconsin,” Marklein said. “It is good to be on campus for non-legislative business and to be able to interact with students in a new way. I look forward to visiting again and learning more about other departments at UW Platteville.”

Broadband Expansion Grant Workshops Announced

The Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that it is now accepting applications for Broadband Expansion Grants for Fiscal Year 2017. Applications are due June 16, 2016. Application instructions and additional materials may be found at http://psc.wi.gov/utilityinfo/tele/broadband/grants/bbGrantApplicationPage.htm

The State Broadband office is planning grant workshops around the state beginning in April. Meetings are open to the public. To register, please RSVP here: http://goo.gl/forms/hhG4UpaEVp

Workshops will help guide community participants toward a stronger understanding of grant guidelines, grant-eligible areas, possible public-private partnership models, previous grant awardee examples, and timelines for grant applications.

They will take place at the following locations in the 17th Senate District:

Wednesday, April 20, 2016
8:30 - 11 a.m.
Community Room Iowa County Health and Human Services
303 W Chapel St
Dodgeville, WI 53533

Tuesday, April 26, 2016
9 - 11:30 a.m.
Community Conference Center
211 S Hickory St.
Mauston, WI 53948

Wednesday, May 4, 2016
10 -11:30 a.m.
Online/call-in webinar
http://ics.webcast.uwex.edu/Mediasite7/Play/c9576ed4f017452f892b1d6b79baef4f1d

In The 17th Senate District

Sen. Marklein visited with several residents of the 17th Senate District who are employed at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells as a part of the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) Take Your Legislator To Work Day.

Useful Information

Wisconsin Local Employment and Unemployment Estimates

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) estimates of unemployment and employment statistics for metro areas, major cities and counties in Wisconsin. The estimates include local unemployment rates for February 2016.

Wisconsin's preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.6% remained below the national rate of 4.9% in February and below the state's rate of 4.7% in February 2015.

The following table shows the local unemployment rates from February 2015 and February 2016 for the counties in our district. Click Here to view a PDF of all of the data available to us.

Local Unemployment Rates

County	Feb-2015 RATE	Feb-2016 RATE
Grant	5.8	5.4
Green	5.0	4.8
Iowa	5.7	6.0
Juneau	6.5	6.8
Lafayette	5.1	4.8
Monroe	5.5	5.5
Richland	5.8	5.4
Sauk	5.3	5.5
Vernon	6.0	5.4

*Source: Department of Workforce Development

Senator Howard Marklein is pleased to provide this legislative E-Update for the constituents of the 17th State Senate District. Please feel free to share this update with other interested citizens and taxpayers. You are receiving this update because you have either subscribed or contacted Senator Marklein directly.

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State Capitol - Room 8 South - Post Office Box 7882 - Madison, Wisconsin 53707 - Phone: (608) 266-0703