Dear Friends, Congratulations to Whitefish Bay High School Seniors Maya Smith, Kathleen Murphy & Katie Gerend. They won Honorable Mention in C-SPAN's 2019 StudentCam documentary competition! C-SPAN received nearly 3,000 documentaries from 6,000 students in 48 states on the theme of "What Does it Mean to Be American?" The film is entitled " Coming Together: A Story of Americans Overcoming 9/11," and talks about how that day changed our nation. Their hard work paid off with national recognition. Good luck to our Milwaukee Bucks as they take on the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs! Game one tips off at noon on Sunday. Go Bucks! 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!

Green Bay Public Hearing

Wednesday marked the last public hearing on the state budget. The committee met at UW-Green Bay for another all-day listening session. More than 270 people spoke to the Joint Committee on Finance. The information we gather from these listening sessions is incredibly helpful as we work to put together a state budget that is responsible and doesn't raise taxes. In total, more than 1,300 people testified or registered their opinions at the four public hearings. It's great that so many people took time out of their busy schedules to talk with us about the budget. If you were unable to attend a public hearing in person, written comments can be emailed to the committee at BudgetComments@legis.wisconsin.gov until Monday, April 29th.

Titletown Tech Tour

Members of the budget committee toured  TitletownTech in Green Bay before the public hearing at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. Located in the 45-acre Titletown District west of Lambeau Field, TitletownTech is a partnership between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. The goal is to encourage economic development by connecting new and existing businesses with resources, expertise, and guidance to help them grow and thrive. TitletownTech focuses on five business areas, including sports, media and entertainment; digital health; agriculture, water & environment; advanced manufacturing; and supply chain technology.  It's also getting national attention and investments. Owners of the New York Mets, Boston Bruins, and the founder of Noodles & Co. announced investments in Titletown Tech this week. Also, Noodles & Co. Founder, Aaron Kennedy, was named UW-Green Bay entrepreneur-in-residence. Big things are happening this year in and around Lambeau Field! Read more about TitletownTech by clicking the picture above.

Wispolitics Luncheon

On Thursday, State Representative John Nygren and I were part of a luncheon hosted by Wispolitics. We discussed what we heard during the budget public hearings and when the Joint Committee on Finance will start voting on the budget. Thanks to Jeff Mayers of Wispolitics for hosting the event!

Darling Bill Featured in the News

This week, WBAY in Green Bay interviewed parents from Waupaca whose twin girls were stillborn. Not only did they go through the loss of two children, Troy and Angie Nielsen found themselves facing expenses they did not expect. They are strong supporters of my bill to provide a tax credit to help cover those costs. Under my bill, parents of who suffer a stillbirth are eligible for a $2,000 refundable tax credit. The funds are higher than that of the federal credit because parents of a stillborn child may not be eligible for maternity leave.  Many parents undergo the same medical costs as parents of a healthy newborn. The funds are meant to address lost wages during the miscarriage and recovery. It's time Wisconsin joins other states in ensuring our tax code recognizes the parents of a stillborn child. This tax credit is crucial to aiding these parents during one of the hardest times of their lives. Click on the picture above to see Troy and Angie's story.

Wisconsin's Economy Still Rolling

Thanks to Republican reforms, Wisconsin's economy is still humming along. Our unemployment rate is STILL under 3%. It's been that way for 14 straight months. Unfortunately, Governor Tony Evers' budget tries to remove many of the reforms that got our state back on track. I'm not going to let the governor take our state back to the days of high unemployment, businesses fleeting, and deficits.

Go Bucks!

Around the 8th...

‌ ‌ ‌