Dear Friends,

Congratulations to "Team Kraken Pinion," the robotics club from Homestead High School.  The team not only won the Wisconsin State Technical Challenge Competition held at UW-Milwaukee, but they also set a scoring record too.  They now head to the North Super Regional in Cedar Rapids, Iowa starting on March 15th.  Good luck!

Speaking of winning, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)  has a new website to highlight our state's amazing turnaround.  Wisconsin is the best state in the nation to live, work, play, raise a family, and retire.  Now we have to share that secret.  WEDC's new website is great way for our state to show off the great work we've done.

As always, if you have any ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at  [email protected] or call me at 608-266-5830.   

On, Wisconsin!

Wisconsin Continues on Strong Fiscal Path

This week, Governor Walker's administration released a Comprehensive Annual Fiscal Report (CAFR) that shows Wisconsin ended 2017 with a surplus of $579 million.
 
This report confirms what we already know - Wisconsin remains on strong fiscal ground. Through Governor Walker's leadership and Republican fiscal reforms in the Joint Committee on Finance, Wisconsin ended every budget year with a surplus.  
 
We cut taxes by $8 billion, delivered the largest real dollar investment in K-12 education in state history, and three national agencies upgraded our bond rating. Long gone are the days of raiding funds in order to balance budgets. We made common-sense fiscal reforms to ensure that the future of Wisconsin is bright.
 
Wisconsinites know that their tax dollars are being used as effectively and responsibly as possible by the State. Too often it is forgotten in Madison that surpluses belong to the people. It's not our money, it's yours. We look forward to continuing to put taxpayers first.
State of the Tribes Address

Before the State of the Tribes Address on Tuesday, I had the honor of meeting the president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council, Shannon Holsey. 

This is the 14th year for the event.  This year's address was delivered by 
Menominee Chairman Gary Besaw.  You can watch the address by clicking on this link.
WisconnValley.com Connects You with the Foxconn Project

This week, Governor Walker announced a new website to help everyone keep up with the latest information about Foxconn.  Whether you are looking to do business with Foxconn, looking for a job, or want to learn more about the project, WisconnValley.com will be the place to be for all things Foxconn.

Speaking of jobs, there will be a resource fair for construction jobs on  March 29th at Festival Hall in Racine. More information is available on the website.
First Interagency Council on Homelessness

On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca K leefisch gaveled in the first meeting of the Interagency Council on Homelessness. Representative Jim Steineke and I authored a bill to create the council to make sure state agencies are working together to fight homelessness.

Wisconsin has departments in eight state agencies and four federally-designated planning bodies that fight homelessness, but they had no way of collaborating to make sure resources were used wisely.  Now, the council can review and update policies to better coordinate help for the homeless.  
Joint Finance Committee Recap
    I testified in the Joint Committee on Finance in favor of my bill to improve child care options for working families

Thanks to our careful budgeting, the Joint Committee on Finance was able to make some key investments that will make a real difference.  Here is a quick  summary of some bills we approved this week.
 
Child Care Reimbursement Rates in Wisconsin Shares - The Joint Committee on Finance unanimously approved my bipartisan bill with Representative Mark Born to increase funding for child care centers and increase the number of 5-Star options for parents.  The bill passed unanimously

Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan - Governor Walker outlined this bill to stabilize the health care market  in his State of the State Address.  The bill will work to lower premiums for people on the individual markets and was approved on a bi-partisan vote.

Rural Economic Development Fund - Another bill requested by Governor Walker in his State of the State Address.  The goal is to target investments to support and develop jobs in rural Wisconsin.  The bill passed unanimously.    
 
Qualified New Business Ventures Cap - The biggest hurdle many emerging companies face is a lack of capital. The Qualified New Business Ventures Cap is aimed at supporting startups to  secure new investment and increase their growth and job creation.  However, t he current cap on investment is too low for some industries.  This bill raises the cap to accommodate  more types of businesses.  The bill passed unanimously.

Restocking Volunteer Fire and EMS Worker Pipeline - This bill will help restock the pipeline of emergency volunteers in rural areas by providing school districts and students with an incentive payment of $500  after completing a fire fighting or emergency medical technician training.  The $500 award uses existing funds and will encourage students to seek these careers and help offset costs.  The bill passed unanimously.
 
Tuition Deduction for Apprenticeships -  Current law allows tax deductions for tuition expenses paid to a university, college, or tech college.  Unfortunately, a pprenticeships slip through the cracks and current law isn't clear if the costs are deductible.  This b ill clarifies law to ensure tuition expenses are tax deductible.  The bill was approved by the committee by a vote of 12-4.  

It's my hope we can get them to Governor Walker's desk in the next couple weeks.
Cystic Fibrosis Advocacy Day

Mark Volz, Dena Cohen, Wendy Caroline and her service dog Finn, and Rebecca Hays visited with me this week to tell me stories of the struggles and successes people with Cystic Fibrosis face every day.  

 

Cystic Fibrosis is a rare genetic disease that affects around 700 people in our state.  You can find out more here.
Wisconsin Proud!

Around the 8th...
(Photo credit: Nicolet High School)

Congratulations to Nicolet Mock Trial Team #1 who finished first out of 14 teams at the regional competition in Racine.  They now head to the State Mock Trial competition in Madison on March 9th and 10th!
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The spring primary is Tuesday, February 20th.  If you have questions on where to vote or what is on the ballot, click on the button above for more information.
Senator Alberta Darling | [email protected] | 1-800-863-1113| http://darling.senate.wisconsin.gov
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