Dear Friends,

Congratulations to Immanuel Goveas of Menomonee Falls North Middle School. He earned the title of co-champion in the Badger State Spelling Bee. Immanuel will now compete this summer in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Orlando, Florida. Good luck!

The City of Mequon will host twelve COVID-19 vaccination clinics at city hall. Click here for times and details.

TMJ4's website now features interactive COVID mapping. The website provides information on cases, deaths, and vaccination statistics by county. The state's vaccine registry is live. However, only a few health departments are currently included. The registry 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 information from area pharmacies including Walgreens, CVS, and Northshore Pharmacy.

If you are eligible and having trouble finding the COVID-19 vaccine in your area, the State of Wisconsin now has a map of vaccine providers. The website not only helps link people to the vaccine but also provides information on how the state is distributing doses. The state also has a COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Hotline. The hotline is offering personal assistance for vaccine-related questions. The toll-free number is 1-844-684-1064.

While it's encouraging to see more and more communities easing their restrictions, please be careful and continue to follow CDC guidelines. That includes wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands.

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!
Darling Renews Call for Investigation into Green Bay Election
After more revelations into election irregularities in Green Bay, I am renewing my call for Attorney General Josh Kaul to investigate. On Monday, Empower Wisconsin revealed a former Democratic operative had access to “hidden” internet networks where ballots were counted. Frankly, it's time for an investigation.

Attorney General Kaul can’t pretend there were no irregularities in Green Bay’s handling of the 2020 election. It’s important that the Attorney General begin a thorough investigation into what happened last fall, especially why partisan activists had exclusive access to passwords, keys, and access to where ballots were stored.

Despite claims by Green Bay officials that the November 2020 election was “administered exclusively by City staff,” emails prove a former Democratic operative had similar access to election officials and significantly more access to the process than the public. And now Green Bay officials are in hiding.

After complaining he wasn't allowed to tell his side of the story, the Mayor of Green is now refusing to testify in Representative Janel Brandtjen's Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections. Frankly, the mayor has a lot of questions to answer.

  • A Democratic operative had access to absentee ballots and given keys to the central count area before November 3rd. 
  • Outside operatives sought to assist in correcting absentee ballots returned to the city clerk’s office in Green Bay.
  • Outside operatives may have assisted Milwaukee with rejected absentee ballots. 
  • The Clerk’s office made local political leaders aware of the frustrations and possible violations but was largely ignored. 
  • Despite these complaints from the Green Bay clerk, the outside operators were given more control over the election.
  • Brown County’s clerk said Green Bay went “rogue.”

This newest revelation suggests big-money donors can buy access to our electoral process. The Attorney General has an opportunity to restore confidence in our electoral process. I demand a full investigation into what happened during the election in Green Bay.
Audit Needed on Evers' Undercount of COVID Deaths
Last week, I asked the chairs of the Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the Department of Health Services and their handling of COVID-19 data. Governor Evers is now doubling-down on his mistake and accused me of "weaponizing" the Audit Bureau.

It’s disappointing, but not surprising to see Governor Evers claim transparency is a weapon. An investigation is needed because DHS undercounted 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities for months. The public deserves to know how inaccurate reporting affected the Governor’s response. The story is getting worse for the governor.

This week, WISN's Dan O'Donnell broke a story that raises questions about Governor Evers' administration and their undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. O'Donnell's sources claim it would be nearly impossible to undercount due to reporting requirements in the health care industry.

Last Thursday, it was revealed that Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS) undercounted 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. Their severe underreporting and lack of transparency put more lives at risk and diverted attention from the crisis in our long-term care facilities.

While previously, the administration’s data attributed 26-30% of COVID-19 deaths to long-term care facilities, accurate reporting now shows that 45% of all COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin were linked to long-term care facilities. Less than 10% of the $2 billion in federal dollars Governor Evers received for COVID-19 relief was made available to Wisconsin's long-term care facilities. As DHS was undercounting COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities, our state was one of the last in the nation to begin vaccinating our long-term care facility residents.
Senate Approves Bill to Protect Student Athletes
This week, the State Senate approved an important bill I authored that will protect student-athletes. 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.

The bill is called 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.

The Kai 11 bill now heads to the State Assembly.
Milwaukee Teachers Union Continues to Fail Students
I am disappointed to see Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) won't allow every student back into the classroom next month. The plan currently only allows students in grades K-8th and only high school students in danger of failing. MPS did not define what "in danger of failing" means or how many students qualify.

Due to virtual learning, 30% of MPS are failing. That's up by 11.5% from the previous year. It's unacceptable that it took so long to come up with a plan that still doesn't bring all students back into the classroom.

Kids need to be in school. Period. However, even with CDC approval, the Milwaukee teachers’ union, the school board, and administrators dragged their feet for over a year. When they finally came up with a plan, it punished kids and parents who were able to keep up, despite the challenges of virtual learning.

Most of Wisconsin's schools are offering in-person learning. According to American Enterprise Institute, less than 5% of Wisconsin schools are still keeping kids out of the classroom. Even though they are moving so slowly to get students back in their schools, MPS will receive more federal funding from the Biden Administration than any other district. Instead of helping all students with that money, MPS is choosing to punish families whose children still need interaction with their peers.

The lockdowns are having a devastating effect on children's mental health and academic success. Students are falling behind and low-income, minorities, students with disabilities, and students learning English are suffering the most. We can't let our children's future be another victim of this pandemic.
Help Sex Trafficking Victims
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 March 17, 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.