Dear Friends,

I hope you are well.

Congratulations to MuL Technologies in Mequon. Their Mobile Autonomous Robotic Cart made it to the Elite Eight in the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce's Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest! Click on this link to help get them into the Final Four!

October is Manufacturing Month. Manufacturing is a big part of our state's economy. In the state budget, I made sure we invested in worker training. We made a much larger investment than what was included in the governors proposed budget for our technical colleges - a total of $100 million per year.

I also helped provide an additional $25 million over the biennium for workforce programming. As our economy returns to full strength, these investments will make sure employers can find the workers they need for the family-supporting jobs they have available.

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!

I'd like to thank Waterford Upstart for giving me their "Champion of Early Learning" award. The group thanks me for my support of Wisconsin's youngest learners and their families. I truly appreciate the honor.

Innovative programs like Waterford Upstart will help us close the achievement gap and provide a solid base for children to show up ready to learn when they reach kindergarten. The Department of Public Instruction awarded $500,000 in matching grants to the Waterford Upstart program. Waterford Upstart helps low-come, four-year-old children prepare for school at home for free.

Our kids are falling behind. The achievement gap in too many school districts is appalling. That's why I authored a new law that creates a pilot program to create an online early learning program to help young children better transition into kindergarten. Especially during these times, it’s important to have online learning options with proven results.

Recently, Channel 58 reported on Waterford Upstart's plan to help end the achievement gap in our state.

The table above contains data reported on September 30, 2020 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on coronavirus cases in our area.

According to data from the Center for Disease Control, emergency room visits for COVID-19 symptoms are around three percent.

Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker

On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Finance met to take up some "house cleaning."

The committee is required by law to meet to approve all the appropriation changes that have been signed into law this legislative session. We voted unanimously to approve the expenditures.