Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful and safe holiday season. I enjoyed the holidays with my amazing family.

It is an honor to serve you in the Wisconsin State Senate. I'm happy to report we had many important victories for the taxpayers in our state in 2019. We were able to pass a responsible budget, invest a record amount of funding for education, and deliver a tax cut for the middle class. You can read my top 10 accomplishments for 2019 below.

I look forward to building on the successes from last year. 2020 is already shaping up to be another great and productive years!

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.wisconsin.gov.

On, Wisconsin!
2019 Top Ten Highlights
2019 was an incredible year. Despite having a divided government, I'm proud of all my colleagues and I were able to accomplish. Here's my top ten list for 2019.

  1. Responsible, Bipartisan Budget Signed: We took Governor Evers' very expensive wish list, threw out his tax hikes, and delivered a fiscally responsible budget that moves our state forward. We stopped more than $1 billion in tax hikes the governor asked for and instead used the surplus money taxpayers already provided.
  2. Middle-class Tax Cut: After Governor Evers vetoed our middle-class tax cut, we didn't give up. The budget contains more than $457 million in tax relief aimed at middle-class families.
  3. Cracked Down on Drunk Driving: After years of working on cracking down on drunk driving, Representative Jim Ott and I were able to pass important reforms into law that will make our roads safer. Anyone who kills someone while driving drunk in our state will now face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.
  4. Largest Investment in K-12 School Funding Ever: Our school districts wanted three things: sustainable funding, an increase in per pupil funding, and more support for special education. And we delivered. Funding for public education will top $12 billion thanks to a $500 million INCREASE we added to the budget. Our schools are getting more actual dollars than ever before. Special Education will get a nearly $100 million boost. We are delivering the same percentage increase that Tony Evers asked for when he ran the Department of Public Instruction. 
  5. Increase in funding for Mental Health: In the budget, we doubled current funding for student mental health programs so that all students have access to professional assistance. Our total investment in mental health funding reached $18.57 million.
  6. Step Therapy Bill Signed into Law: Step therapy is a process used by health plans that determines the order in which prescription drugs should be given to patients. While the goal is to lower health care costs, it can be an obstacle between patients and the care their doctors prescribe for them. I authored a bill with Representative John Nygren that brought common-sense reforms to the process. Governor Evers signed the bill into law in July.
  7. Improving Free and Charitable Clinics: Free and charitable clinics are an important safety net for the uninsured and under-insured. More than 150,000 Wisconsinites utilize the more than 100 free and charitable clinics throughout the state each year. It’s crucial these clinics be staffed with qualified health professionals. I'm happy to report that two bills I authored to improve care and increase access to free and charitable clinics in Wisconsin are now law.
  8. Helping Homeless Teens: In November, the governor signed a bill I authored that will allow 17-year-olds from broken homes or living on the streets to find shelter and a safe place to sleep. Before this change, minors weren't allowed to enter homeless shelters without their legal guardian. The bill allows 17-year-olds who are homeless and don't have a parent or guardian to get shelter. Kids need a safe place to sleep. DPI's reports say there are nearly 2,300 Wisconsin kids who don't have access to stable housing. This new law removes a barrier for them to access shelters and transitional living programs.
  9. Ending the Miller Park Tax: For many years, I have fought to end the five-county Miller Park tax. This year, it will finally come to an end.
  10. I-43 Reconstruction Back on Track: In the state budget, we enumerated I-43 North South from Glendale to Grafton.. This important road project is critical to safety and commerce in our area.

I can't wait to build on these accomplishments in 2020!
Foxconn Update
In case you missed it, Wisconsin technology giant Foxconn is now the largest taxpayer in the Village of Mount Pleasant. According to the village, Foxconn paid $1,071,899 in property taxes. That number is expected to increase this year. Mount Pleasant also received more than $7 million in special assessments from Foxconn to cover the cost of the land the company purchased.

That's not all of Foxconn's investments in the area. They have awarded $350 million in contracts for work at the facility - most going to Wisconsin-based companies.

This week, Foxconn announced their one million square foot advanced manufacturing facility is sealed up and ready for winter. That's a huge step to reaching their goal of being up and running by the end of 2020.
Wisconsin is Still Winning!
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