Dear Friends,

Fresh off of Independence Day, Wisconsin is ranked as one of the most independent states in the nation. According to WalletHub, the Badger State is ranked #8 in the nation and top in the Midwest.
 
The online resource ranked all 50 states based on five metrics despite the pandemic: 1) Financial Dependency, 2) Government Dependency, 3) Job-Market Dependency, 4) International-Trade Dependency and 5) Vice Dependency. I'm grateful to see our state ranked so highly.
 
I've worked hard to protect taxpayers and be careful with the money you provide. This ranking is proof our hard work is paying off. According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, tax collections are up more than 5% compared to last year.
 
Our reforms, tax cuts, and careful budgeting over the past decade have helped deliver this surplus. Since part of the surplus is from one-time federal funds, it would be irresponsible to use that money for ongoing expenses, particularly with the threat of a recession looming. I will continue to work to protect our state from the recession and return as much of the refund as possible back to taxpayers.

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!
Closing the Achievement Gap
Waterford Upstart, a program that’s helped over 100,000 families nationwide, is currently enrolling children in a free program in Wisconsin. The research-based program helps children develop reading skills at home that translate into confidence in kindergarten. 
 
I helped get the program started in Wisconsin with a bill I authored to allow innovative programs like Waterford Upstart to operate in Wisconsin. This will help us close the achievement gap and provide a solid base for children to show up ready to learn when they reach kindergarten. Waterford Upstart helps low-income, four-year-old children prepare for school at home for free. More than 83% of students in the Waterford Upstart program are demonstrating strong readiness for kindergarten.
 
This program works. The expansion will mean more kids can get a head start on reading. Learning to read earlier will build confidence and create lifetime learners. That will help close the achievement gap.
 
Our state is facing a reading crisis. Too many kids are falling behind. If kids don't learn how to read by the end of third grade, they are likely to fall behind in all of their other subjects and struggle with reading for the rest of their lives.
 
Find out more about Waterford Upstart by clicking the picture above.
Protecting Wisconsin's Elections
I continue to have significant concerns about the way our elections are handled. Too often, the rules are enforced differently depending on where you live. That's not fair. Whether you live in Milwaukee or Manitowish Waters, your ballot should be handled the same way.
 
Wisconsin statutes are clear that if a certificate is missing the address of a witness, the ballot may not be counted. However, that is not how ballots are handled by many clerks in our state.
 
While the Wisconsin Supreme Court didn’t take up the merits of the case former President Trump made in his lawsuit, in her dissent, Wisconsin Chief Justice Patience Roggensack noted that clerks were relying on guidance from an agency and not state law when told to write in missing information on ballots. The Chief Justice said guidance by the Wisconsin Election Commission is not law and does not carry the force of law.
 
Fixing problems on a ballot is a good thing. Who fixes those mistakes and whether or not that ballot gets fixed at all is important.
 
Currently, if there was a problem with an absentee ballot, that voter may not find out at all and their vote might not be counted. The statutes state the ballot must be returned to the voter. As we get closer to Election Day, it’s less likely a voter will receive their ballot in time to correct it.
 
Senate Bill 212 requires clerks to update the MyVote website, so voters can find out if there is a problem and correct it before Election Day. This gives voters a second chance to make sure their vote counts. This allows everyone in the state to find out if there is a problem with their ballot and correct it before Election Day.
 
After concerns were raised regarding the influence of outside groups on the election process and the resignation of their clerk in Green Bay, the bill will also ban outside groups from altering information on ballots. When someone besides the voter or the clerk has access to a ballot, it creates distrust in our process.
 
We saw a record level of absentee ballots cast in the last election. Since that trend will likely continue, it’s essential to clarify our statutes and make sure everyone in Wisconsin is voting under the same rules. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed this common-sense change.
Around the 8th...