Contact: Stephanie Miller 608-267-8823 Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced he is partnering with six school districts to expand his Access to Opportunity Initiative and help teenagers who otherwise could not afford driver’s education an opportunity to earn their licenses. Parisi started the program in the Madison School District in the summer of 2015, helping 100 young people each year earn their driver’s license without their families having to worry about how to afford the more than $400 price tag of the course. Now the program is being expanded to six more Dane County schools, with 119 more students

Contact: Katie Crawley Statement of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin on sale of Oscar Mayer to Reich Company: Congratulations to Reich Company and Kraft Heinz. For Madison this is the first of several critical steps. We will now see the site prepared for redevelopment. The city will simultaneously work with the new owners on concepts for development.

Contact: Joe Scialfa or Gina Paige ― 608-266-9000 (MADISON) – In 2016, over 7,000 human trafficking cases were reported nationwide to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, including in Wisconsin. To help combat this growing problem, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Department of Justice (DOJ) implemented the Wisconsin Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force in 2015. Since its inception, the Task Force has been developing a cross-system, comprehensive, trauma-informed service and response system for minors who have been trafficked or are at-risk of being sex trafficked. This year, the Task Force is unveiling a new series of webinars developed

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Oct. 17 it would be terminating the Farmer Fair Practices Rule on Competitive Injury, and taking no further action on the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Unfair Practices Rule. These rules would have reaffirmed the most basic of protections to American family farmers and ranchers as they endure increasingly concentrated markets and unfair treatment from multinational meatpackers. After numerous delays, the Fair Practices Rule was set to take effect on October 19th, and would have clarified once and for all that an individual farmer or rancher who is harmed by a

Contact: David Hunt, WisDOT Division of Transportation System Development (608) 261-6121; david.hunt@dot.wi.gov During a visit to Rest Area 10 near Mauston today, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch recognized workers associated with the state’s 30-year-old Rest Area Maintenance (RAM) program. Since 1987, the RAM program has provided employment opportunities to workers with disabilities who enhance public safety and the state’s tourism industry by handling maintenance duties at Wisconsin’s 30 rest areas and 13 Safety and Weight Enforcement Facilities (SWEFs). Earlier this year, Governor Scott Walker issued an official commendation of the RAM program anniversary. “Today, we celebrate a unique state and

MADISON, WI – Senator Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) offered the weekly Democratic radio address today. The audio file of this week’s address can be found here: http://media2.legis.wisconsin.gov/multimedia/Sen16/ringhandradio101917.mp3 A written transcript of the address is below: “Hello, this is Senator Janis Ringhand with this week’s Democratic radio address. “Senate Democrats are committed to supporting ideas and policies that increase the economic well-being of all Wisconsin families. “Democrats have authored a plan, Senate Bill 215, to expand and improve our current Family Medical Leave Law and create a Family Medical Leave Insurance Program. “Expanding our Family Medical Leave Law to allow employees to

Contact: Brian Reisinger 715-579-9679 br@platform-communications.com [Madison, Wis.] – Today, Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin joins with local victims’ advocates to hold the annual “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” event, raising awareness and money to fight domestic violence and sexual assault. This year, Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin joined the cause as the premier sponsor of the event, part of its broader organizing efforts in Green Bay and across Wisconsin as it fights to update our state Constitution to ensure equal rights for crime victims. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® is the international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault and

CONTACT Nicole Tieman, 202-225-5101 BROOKFIELD, WI – Today, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner held his 100th town hall meeting of 2017 in Johnson Creek. It was the first of four meetings today and part of his 32 meeting tour through the Fifth Congressional District during the month of October. The Congressman is on pace to hold a total of 113 in-person town hall meetings by the end of this year. Sensenbrenner holds an average of 100 meetings annually throughout this district, visiting 49 unique communities – big and small – to listen to the concerns of his constituents and answer their questions.

MEDIA CONTACT Mike Browne, Deputy Director mike@OneWisconsinInstitute.org (608) 444-3483 MADISON, Wis. — The State Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety is scheduled to consider a series of bills, Senate Bills 303, 304 and 305, that could chill free speech in Wisconsin and threaten peaceful protesters with criminal charges for exercising First Amendment rights today. The legislation as introduced would create broad new definitions of what constitutes a “riot” and threaten peaceful protesters with criminal penalties if they are present at a gathering that is vaguely determined to present a threat of damage to property or to cause personal injury.

Contact – Dennis Hughes | (262) 455-1542 | dennis@cathymyersforcongress.com Janesville, WI – On Sunday, October 22nd, Cathy Myers will host the first public town hall meeting in over two years for voters in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. Cathy Myers, a 24-year high school English teacher and two-term Janesville School Board member, called the town hall on Monday after announcing her support for the impeachment of Donald Trump. “It is irresponsible and unethical to wait any longer for a better political moment to demand impeachment,” she said. Myers hopes the town hall will provide everyone involved with a deeper understanding of

Contact: Cheryl Wittke, Executive Director, Safe Communities at 608-256-6713 11th Annual BeSafe Awards to Recognize Community Safety Champions Six community safety leaders will be recognized this evening at the 11th Annual BeSafe Awards. Sponsored by Safe Communities, a local nonprofit safety and injury prevention coalition, BeSafe award recipients were nominated by community members and selected for recognition based upon their outstanding contributions to community safety. Public Health Madison and Dane County will also receive Safe Communities America’s Community Safety Leader Award during the event. Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County identified Public Health as local designee for this award

Contact: Brad Bainum, bradb@wisdems.org MADISON — Brad Bainum, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson for the 2018 Senate race, issued the following statement on the latest pro-Kevin Nicholson investment from Illinois CEO Dick Uihlein-bankrolled super PAC Solutions for Wisconsin: “Despite support from numerous out-of-state special interest groups, Kevin Nicholson can’t find anyone from Wisconsin to back his candidacy. That’s why his top supporter — a billionaire CEO from Illinois who can’t even vote in next year’s GOP primary — is throwing money at the problem, adding to the $15 million he’s already invested in trying to buy Nicholson a Senate seat.”