Dear Friends,

A new survey shows Wisconsin is leading the nation in the number of employers planning to hire. According to Milwaukee's ManpowerGroup, Inc., thirty-two percent of Wisconsin companies plan to add employees this year.

Some Wisconsin companies are already getting a head start on hiring. The latest jobs report shows our state added 8,000 jobs last month - including 2,000 in manufacturing. Those numbers make Wisconsin a top ten state in the rate of jobs gained in January, and we had the fifth highest labor participation rate in the U.S. for the month. It's amazing how far we have come as a state. In 2010, our unemployment rate was above 9%, now it's around 3%. With common sense budgeting and real tax relief, Wisconsin didn't just recover - we are thriving!

In fact, Wisconsin's budget surplus grew to $385 million. Next week, we plan to give a big chunk of that surplus back to you, the taxpayer - because it's not our money, it's yours.

As always, if you have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 608-266-5830 or by email at Sen.Darling@legis.wi.gov .

On, Wisconsin!
Alberta
Governor Walker Unveils School Safety Plan
This week, Governor Walker unveiled his seven point School Safety Plan.

Nothing is more important than the security of our children. A parent should never worry about the safety of their child at school, and students should never fear walking into a classroom. Governor Walker gave us a strong plan, and I intend to support it.

The Governor’s plan builds on the reforms we have already passed. Our recent state budget made the largest, real dollar, investment in our schools of $11.5 billion. We also created funding for mental health services in our schools. The additional resources in the Governor’s proposal for school safety will support our schools in their efforts to keep our kids safe.

This proposal will also help complement what many of our school districts are already doing. School leaders know best about what they need to protect their students, and this plan gives them flexibility to make changes where needed.

A Theory on the Psychology of Active Shooters  
As we look for ways to prevent gun violence, I invited everyone in the Legislature to attend a very informative discussion on the topic from an expert. Milwaukee area psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Taxman, has studied the behaviors of shooters and how to prevent them from acting.

Dr. Jeffrey Taxman is a practicing psychiatrist and trained psychoanalyst with over 35 years experience. In addition to serving as the Medical Director at Mequon Clinical Associates, Dr. Taxman is an Associate Clinical Faculty Member of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Psychiatry where he teaches theory and clinical technique to psychiatry residents.  

Last year, the International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies Journal published an article by Dr. Jeffrey Taxman on his theory called “Tri-Vector Model.” This model helps to better understand the forces that may generate gun violence, particularly active shooter events.

Click on the video above to see a clip from Dr. Taxman's presentation. You can also read his article here .
Senator Darling on UpFront
Tune in to WISN Channel 12 on Sunday at 9:00 am or 11:00 am. I'm scheduled to be on UpFront talking about the last day of session for the State Senate next week!
The Word is Out About Wisconsin
The word is out about Wisconsin! Tourism is up $5.2 billion over the last six years. That's a 35% increase! Our tourism industry is so powerful it generates $1.5 billion and employs nearly 200,000 jobs in Wisconsin.

This week, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism released a new commercial featuring U.S. Paralympian gold medalist Matt Scott. Click on the link above to see how Matt enjoys his visits to Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Proud!
  • Continuing unemployment claims in Wisconsin ended 2017 at their lowest level since 1973.
  • According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, property taxes on a median-valued home are estimated to be more than $100 lower in 2018 than they were in December of 2010.
  • Wisconsin taxpayers have saved $8 billion over the last eight years thanks to Republican tax cuts.
  • State funding for K-12 education reached an all-time high in actual dollars in the most recent state budget - $11.5 billion!
Around the 8th...
Congratulations to Hannah Belanger from Grafton High School! She won the WIAA 3-Point Challenge last week.
Good Luck at State!
Congratulations to the Hamilton Boys Basketball team! The Chargers play #1 see Oshkosh North tonight at 6:35 pm at the Kohl Center in Madison. Good luck and go Chargers!
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