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Lincoln Hills Visit
On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with Superintendent Wendy Peterson, and members of her staff, at the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake School correctional facility in northern Wisconsin. As you are probably aware, the past two years have seen allegations of wrong doing by correctional personnel, in which juvenile inmates were reported to have been abused. With many questions unanswered and an ongoing investigation into the allegations by the Department of Justice, Department of Corrections and finally the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I sent a letter to the F.B.I. requesting an update on their investigation. Unfortunately, I have not yet received that update.
Meeting frequently with Secretary Jon Litscher, and his staff, as they have addressed areas of concern, I was both encouraged and impressed by the staff and students within the facilities at their commitment to maintain a safe and positive learning environment. While the facility is a correctional institution, the campus had the look and feel of a normal school environment. I am confident that Superintendent Peterson and her team will continue to develop strategies to help the juvenile offenders be successful in completing their education or receiving skills that will help them to reenter the communities they are from with a positive impact.
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Budget Listening Sessions
Governor Walker unveiled his proposed biennial budget last month, and now the real work begins. Over the next few months I will be going though the 1,000 page document line by line and gathering input from the 21st Senate District.
As my colleagues and I look carefully at our state spending, it is important that we hear from you. We want to make sure our state budget is working for the families of Wisconsin, and I encourage you to attend an upcoming Budget Listening Session or Public Hearing.
There are several opportunities to make sure your opinion is heard. First, the Joint Finance Committee will be holding Public Hearings around the state (tentative dates are listed below). I will also be holding Budget Listening Sessions around the 21st Senate District in April. Dates and locations for these will be announced soon, so stay tuned for more information!
Tentative schedule for Joint Finance Budget Public Hearings: -Monday, April 3 - Platteville
-Wednesday, April 5 - Milwaukee
-Friday, April 7 - Marinette
-Tuesday, April 18 - Spooner
-Wednesday, April 19 - Ellsworth
-Friday, April 21 - TBD
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WI Youth Leadership Forum
Applications are being accepted for the Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) which is a week-long leadership training and career awareness program for high school students with disabilities. This great program provides training in leadership, self-advocacy skills, and career awareness to approximately 30 students throughout Wisconsin.
If you know a student who shows leadership potential, has a disability (physical, learning, cognitive, emotional, sensory, etc...), and is a Wisconsin resident, please encourage them to apply. The forum is free and will be held in Madison from July 9 - 14, 2017. The application and more information can be found here.
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In the Capitol
It has been a busy couple of weeks at the Capitol with visitors coming in to talk about everything from agriculture to school boards. On Wednesday, March 8, I enjoyed meeting with these bright young women from Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast about legislative issues affecting girls today. It is great to see the next generation getting involved in the legislative process!
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On Tuesday, March 7, I was honored to join Speaker Robin Vos in honoring Frank Lamping as a Hometown Hero in the Assembly. Lamping is also a Packers Fan Hall of Fame inductee, a former Citizen of the Year in Union Grove and is heavily involved in the community, including serving as president of the Union Grove Lions Club. Keep up the good work Frank, and Go Packers!
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