Dear Friends,

This week, Waukesha County began testing a new vaccine registry. The state registry is expected to go live on March 1st. The websites will ask questions to determine eligibility. People who are eligible will be able to sign up for an appointment. If you are not eligible yet, you will be put on a waiting list. You can also sign up for alerts from area pharmacies including Walgreens, CVS, and Northshore Pharmacy.

Please be careful and continue to follow CDC guidelines, wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands. It’s important to avoid lockdowns that create their own health crises in delayed medical care, mental health stresses, and the loss of businesses and jobs.

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!
Election Protections Introduced
Our right to vote is a shared and sacred right. However, far too many people have sincere concerns about our electoral system. Voters in Wisconsin shouldn’t have questions about whether their vote counts or if the process is consistent for everyone.

That’s why I joined Senator Duey Stroebel to introduce 10 bills aimed at restoring trust and integrity in our elections. These bills will help restore trust and make sure our elections are handled fairly for everyone.


Senator Darling and Senator Stroebel’s Bills
  • Ballot Security Act: State law doesn’t allow for the use of drop boxes, even though many were used in the 2020 election. This bill will make sure drop boxes are a safe and secure option for voters.
  • Election Observer Protection: Will make sure the public has equal access when observing the election process.
  • Ballot Integrity Act: Reinforces state law that says voters, not clerks should fix any errors on a ballot.
  • Standardizing Absentee Ballot Requests: Everyone who votes absentee in Wisconsin will fill out the same form.
  • Security of Returned Absentee Ballots: Clarify that a family member, guardian, or non-candidate, unpaid designee for those without family may return completed absentee ballots for others. A designee may only return one non-family member’s ballot per election. 
  • Prohibiting Private Funding of Elections: Direct any non-government entity seeking to donate funds or resources for election administration to send the money to the Elections Commission, which distributes the money on a per-capita basis statewide. 
  • Absentee Ballot Uniformity: Ensure that all absentee voters who possess a photo ID present that ID in order to receive an absentee ballot. 
  • WEC Meeting Minutes Transparency: Require the Elections Commission to publish their meeting minutes (to include votes taken and motions considered) on their state website. 
  • Long-term Care Facility Voter Integrity: Ensure family members know when voting occurs in long-term care facilities and nursing homes, prohibit any employee of such a facility from influencing a resident’s decision to vote or not vote.
  • Indefinitely Confined Voter Reform: Require statements of indefinite confinement to be made under oath with penalties for false statements, clarify that a pandemic does not grant indefinitely confined status. 

Senator Stroebel and I are currently seeking co-sponsors for the bills.
KAI 11 Bill Will Protect Student Athletes
Thank you to the family and friends Kai Lermer who testified in favor of the Kai 11 bill.

Kai was a three-sport athlete at Waukesha North High School. Despite being only 16 and a great athlete, Kai died from sudden cardiac arrest. Regular school physicals for sports didn't detect the problems with Kai's heart.

My bill will provide information regarding the risks of sudden cardiac arrest, and how to request an electrocardiogram. The measure is based on a previous law I authored which raised awareness of the dangers of concussions in sports.

Click on the picture for more about Kai and the legislation honoring him.
Education Committee Hears Holocaust Education Bill
Thank you to Bev Greenberg, Eva Zaret, Nancy Kennedy Barnett, and everyone who testified in favor of the Holocaust Education bill this week before my Senate Education Committee.

As the number of living Holocaust survivors and witnesses dwindle, it is up to us to ensure that the unforgivable events of the Holocaust and other genocides are not forgotten and never repeated.

My goal is to ensure that Wisconsin students understand the important lessons of the Holocaust and the dangerous consequences of rising anti-Semitism and religious bigotry. The need for Holocaust education is critical for our society.
Protecting Sexual Assault Victims
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing on my bill to empower victims of sexual assault as their case goes through the legal system.

I authored a bill with Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac to create the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System. It will be a database for health care professionals, law enforcement, state crime laboratory personnel, and prosecutors to update information on the location and status of a sexual assault kit. The bill also enables victims to track or receive updates on the location and status of their kit. The bill provides $400,000 in funding to create the initial infrastructure for the data bank.

Since the bill unanimously passed the State Senate last session, I am optimistic we will be able to put this important reform into law. It’s time for Wisconsin to ensure that victims of sexual assault have access to information about their sexual assault kits.
Please Donate Blood, Plasma
One way you can help is by donating blood. If you have recovered from COVID-19, please especially consider donating your plasma.

You can find out where to donate here and here.
COVID-19 Cases in Our Area
The table above contains data reported on February 24, 2021 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on coronavirus cases in our area.
Emergency Room Visits with COVID Symptoms
COVID-19 Testing Available
Around the 8th...
You can sign up for emails to stay updated on when you can be vaccinated by visiting our county health department websites. Click on your county's health department for more information.





The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also recommends that you contact your healthcare provider to sign up to be vaccinated. You can also register with Meijer Pharmacy and they will notify you when the vaccine is available.
8th Senate District Schools Status
Brown Deer School District
Students are now meeting four days per week of in-person learning. Wednesdays are held virtually.

Erin School District
In-person 5 days a week baseline.

Fox Point-Bayside School District
Hybrid model

Germantown School District 
All of its schools are in-person, five days a week.

Glendale-River Hills School District
Schools are meeting virtually.

Grafton School District
All schools are in-person, five days a week.

Hamilton School District
All schools are in-person.

Maple Dale-Indian Hill School District
Its K4, K5, and first-grade students are in-person four days a week. Students in grades 2-8 are in a hybrid model in which students attend school in-person two days a week and virtually three days a week.

Menomonee Falls School District
Grades 4K and 5K are in person, five days a week.
North Middle School and Menomonee Falls High School are in-person five days a week.

Mequon-Thiensville School District
All schools are in-person.

Milwaukee Public Schools 
All schools are virtual

Nicolet Union High School District
Students are in-person four days a week and virtual on Wednesdays.

University of School of Milwaukee
The pre-K through 12 campus offers in-person learning. University School of Milwaukee students and employees need negative COVID-19 tests before they can return,

Whitefish Bay School District
Most students will begin a phase-in to four days of in-class learning in March.