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RIPP SUPPORTS MEASURES TO AID PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS
Assembly passes group of bills expanding access to care, coordination between doctors
Madison, WI – Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi) voted for twelve bills last Tuesday afternoon that would expand access to mental health treatment and increase coordination between health care professionals.
While millions of Americans suffer from some form of mental illness, the number of people who actually seek help is far less. Untreated mental disorders lead to an array of problems for public health, including more frequent and severe mental health episodes, teenage pregnancy, marital instability, and ineffectiveness at school or work.
“Some surveys show that one in four people suffers from a mental illness. These bills make it easier for those people to seek and receive help,” Rep. Ripp said. “It is important that we continue the process of removing the stigma around mental illness so those needing help don’t hesitate to reach out to those who can give it.”
The package of mental health reforms were developed by the Speaker’s Task Force on Mental Health, a bipartisan group of eleven legislators that were committed to speaking to healthcare providers to find solutions to problems found throughout the state. The task force listened to more than seventy experts during nine months of hearings throughout the state.
Several of the bills increase access to care by providing grants and incentives for people to become mental health providers and to locate in underserved areas of the state. “These grants and incentives are exactly what we need in my district,” Rep. Ripp said. “These bills bring us on the right track to ensuring that those people needing help are not falling through the cracks just because they happen to live in rural areas.”
The task force also heard testimony from experts that state rules currently prevent care providers from sharing information that could be helpful in dealing with a mutual patient’s physical and mental needs. Other bills passed last Tuesday would ensure that those needs are being met by increasing the coordination of care between doctors, while also ensuring that the patient’s privacy is maintained.
All twelve mental health reforms passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support. They now go to the Senate for approval.
OPENING WEEKEND FOR DEER HUNTING SEASON
It’s that time of year again! Opening weekend has always been a great tradition in our family and something we all look forward to as we work hard on the farm. The legislature and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have been working to make it easier for Wisconsinites to continue our sporting traditions, and I wanted to share some recent changes with you that were passed in this year’s 2013-15 legislative budget.
Unfortunately, the number of hunters in Wisconsin and our neighboring states has declined in recent years. With that in mind, the budget included provisions that would help keep our hunting heritage alive.
The first provision would encourage people who haven’t hunted before or are out of practice to try it out. For the first time this year, certain hunting, trapping and fishing licenses are being sold at a reduced fee to people who have not been issued that same type of license, a conservation patron license, or a sports license, in any of the previous 10 years. This “First Time Buyer Gun Hunt” license is only $5. Additionally, if you recruit a friend or family member to try hunting, trapping, or fishing- then you can be rewarded with points toward a discounted license next year. The DNR has also made purchasing your license easier than ever by offering an online portal to obtain a license.
Another provision is the First Harvest Certificate, a new addition this year for those who harvest a deer for the first time. The certificate includes information about when and where the deer was harvested, who they were hunting with. For more information about the First Time Buyer License, recruiter points, or First Harvest Certificate, please visit the DNR website or call 1-888-WDNRINFO (1-888-936-7463).
DRIVER'S LICENSE VETERAN IDENTIFIER
As a great tribute to the great veterans of our state, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Transportation announced last Monday that veterans will be able to obtain a new veteran identifier on their driver’s license or state identification card.
If you are a veteran interested in obtaining this identifier, please go to the following website for more information: www.WisVets.com. The site includes an instructional video on how to apply and will walk you through the registration/verification process. Once you have completed and submitted your application, it has to be verified. You will receive a follow-up email or letter informing you of your eligibility.
You also have the option to submit the WDVA Form 2241,Eligibility Application – For WisDOT Veteran Identifier, along with supporting documentation to the WDVA via fax, 888-237-9926, or mail, PO Box 7843, Madison, WI 53707-7843 Please let me know if there is anything my office can do to assist you through this process and thank you for all you do!
CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE
As we approach the Christmas season, our very own Capitol Christmas Tree was delivered to the Capitol yesterday! It is a balsam fir from Antigo, Wisconsin.
The tree will officially go on display in the Capitol Rotunda on December 2nd. I would encourage everyone to make a stop at the Capitol during this holiday season; the tree is always a magnificent sight to see! The tree is usually displayed in the rotunda until after the New Year.
CONTACT ME
As in the past I would continue to encourage you to contact my office with ideas for this next legislative session and on individual pieces of legislation. Now more than ever your ideas and opinions need to be heard, so we can begin to get Wisconsin back to work. Please contact my office at 608-266-3404 or email me at Rep.Ripp@legis.wisconsin.gov, or stop by my Capitol office at 223 North. I look forward to hearing from you. As always, I will continue to work across the aisle to find common ground and move legislation forward.
Please share this update with your friends and neighbors within the 42nd Assembly District and if there is anyone you know who would like to be included, please respond to this email with their email address.