This week, Governor Evers refused to do his job. He hired an outside lawyer and weaseled out of doing the right thing of removing Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.

Whether he likes it or not, Governor Evers has the power to remove District Attorneys who fail to protect the people of Wisconsin. He can't keep hiding behind outside lawyers and refusing to do his job.

I joined other lawmakers who represent Waukesha County and sent a letter to the governor reminding him of his duty to the people. In our letter, we stress that what happened in Waukesha was not just a one-time lapse from DA Chisholm, it's a pattern.

We continue to hear about the damaging effect DA Chisholm’s lax bail recommendation policies are having on our communities. He continues to neglect his duty, and the consequences are deadly: six dead and more than 60 injured in the Waukesha parade. Fox6 Milwaukee reported that of 117 homicide and attempted homicide cases filed through December 10, 2021, more than 20% of suspects were out on bail for other felonies.

You can read the whole letter here.

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.

It's difficult to see the astounding number of repeat drunk driver stories in Wisconsin. It's far too common to hear about someone committing their 3rd, 4th, or even 7th offense.

I have worked hard to try to reduce these crimes with tougher penalties and more funding through the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion Program. This week, the Senate Committee on Health held a public hearing on an important bill I authored to help prevent repeat drunk drivers by getting them the help they need.

Right now, courts must order someone convicted of drunk driving to submit to an assessment of their use of alcohol or drugs and develop a driver safety plan for that person. Substance abuse treatment can be a part of that safety plan.

Senate Bill 327 allows for targeting treatment. If a safety plan recommends substance abuse treatment, it must include an evaluation to see if medication-assisted treatment will help that person recover. By connecting people with the treatment that best suits them, we may be able to reduce drunk driving and the costs associated with that crime.

The companion bill already cleared an Assembly Committee unanimously. I am hopeful we can have the same results in the Senate and help provide targeted treatment to remove drunk drivers off our roads.

As a former teacher, I am extremely concerned about the significant drop in reading and English scores.

As I told the MacIver Institute, our state is facing an educational crisis. We have a reading and learning crisis and the only solution coming from Governor Evers and DPI is to study it more. I’m sick of studies. The shelves at DPI are stacked with studies. It’s time for action.

Sadly, every bold initiative we have proposed over the last couple of years has been met with strong opposition to protect the status quo. Our kids deserve better and I’m not giving up on them.

The Department of Public Instruction's 2020-21 School Report Cards show the need for reforming education.

Many Wisconsin school districts slipped in the 2020-21 school year compared to 2018-19, according to report card data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The department changed the methodology for report cards this year, allowing schools to meet expectations with lower scores.

Click on the picture to see how your school district is performing.

Thank you to all who have requested a 2021-2022 Wisconsin Blue Book. We have fulfilled all requests we received before this week and are in the process of processing a few remaining requests.

If you have not yet requested a Blue Book but would live to receive one, please click the picture and we will mail you one at no cost.

If you requested a Blue Book more than two weeks ago and it has not yet arrived, please reach out via email at Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov and provide your name and shipping address. More recent requests should arrive in the coming days.

Thank you for your patience.