Dear Friends,

Good luck to our Milwaukee Bucks as they take on the Miami Heat on Saturday afternoon at the Fiserv Forum! Go, Bucks!

Everyone in Wisconsin 12 and older is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. If you are eligible and are 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.

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!

We are continuing to make progress in promoting integrity in our electoral process. This week, the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform, and Ethics approved two more of my bills that will help make our elections consistent, fair, and secure.

Senate Bill 209 will legalize and regulate drop boxes in Wisconsin. Bureaucrats, not lawmakers, allowed dropboxes and that led to confusion and security concerns.

Clerks reported receiving ballots from different communities and even from other states. The City of Fitchburg’s Public Library put a sign above its book drop to warn voters not to place ballots there. While most of the more than 500 drop boxes from the November election were already located at their city or town hall, some were located at grocery stores, in city parks, and even at the home of their local clerk. My bill makes sure drop boxes are a secure option for voters.

The other bill approved this week, Senate Bill 211, clarifies the process and intent of our voting laws to require a separate and distinct application form that contains the information currently asked for in the form EL-122. This simple change will mean our elections will be consistent and equal for everyone no matter where they live.

Both bills are now available for a vote in the full State Senate.

This week, I introduced a bill that will ensure women have affordable access to essential breast screenings. This bill builds on previous legislation I authored that requires places that perform mammograms to provide a breast density notification to women along with the results of their mammogram.

Over 40% of women have dense breast tissue and are four to six times more likely to get breast cancer. Not only is dense tissue a risk factor for breast cancer, but it also conceals tumors that should be identified in a mammogram. For women with dense tissue, a mammogram alone is not always enough to determine the presence of cancer.  With this information, women will be able to proactively discuss their options with their healthcare providers.

While mammograms are covered by insurance, additional essential screenings like an MRI or ultrasound can leave women with high out-of-pocket costs, averaging between $250 to $1,084 per screening. These costs are a barrier to women who need additional screenings.

My bill requires insurance policies to cover essential breast screenings for women with dense breast tissue and women at high risk of breast cancer, with a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $50. I am currently seeking co-sponsors on this legislation. 

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.

The table above contains data reported on May 19, 2021 from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services on coronavirus cases in our area.

Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker