CONTACT: Van Wanggaard May 15, 2019 608-266-1832 Marsy’s Law Gains Overwhelming Bipartisan Support for April 2020 Ballot MADISON – Voters will have the opportunity to support a new crime victims’ rights constitutional amendment after the Wisconsin’s legislature passed Senate Joint Resolution 2 with overwhelming bipartisan support today. Marsy’s Law will be before voters during the April 2020 election. “This is a great day for crime victims in Wisconsin,” said the amendment’s author, Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine). “Victims shouldn’t be treated as second class citizens in the criminal justice system. They deserve to be treated with respect and equal rights.” Senate

Media Contacts: Rick Hummell, Communications Specialist 608-224-5041, richard.hummell@wi.gov MADISON – Wisconsin potato growers have until June 10, 2019 to vote to elect three members to the nine-member Wisconsin Potato Industry Board. One seat is open in the board’s Districts 1 and 2, along with an at-large position that encompasses all three districts. Eligible growers may vote for the candidate in their respective districts, or they may write in alternative eligible producers. Candidates were nominated during the period that ended April 1, 2019. Nominees on the ballot are: District 1: Nominee: Keith Wolter, Antigo. District 2: Nominee: Clifford Gagas, Custer. At-Large Nominee:

Contact:  Karen Hickey, 414-573-7579, khickey@wisaflcio.org Assembly Bill 10 ends tax deductions for moving jobs out of state May 15, 2019 — On Tuesday, April 9, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 10, a commonsense bill to eliminate a tax loophole that allows tax deductions for companies that move jobs out of state. Under current law, companies can deduct from their taxes the cost of moving expenses when they move operations anywhere – be it within Wisconsin, outside of Wisconsin, or to another country. Today, the Senate passed Assembly Bill 10 to end this tax loophole. “Politicians in Madison got it right today

Contact: Rep. Jessie Rodriguez                                                                                 (608) 266-0610 MADISON – The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau announced new revenue projections today that anticipate $753 million more than expected in general fund tax collections over the next three years. The state will have $2.9 billion in new revenue during the current budget cycle. State Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) released the following statement: “This is great news for our state. It shows that our reforms that included tax cuts and led to one of the strongest economies our state has experienced in decades, are working.” “Now is the perfect opportunity to pay down debt, provide

Contact: Amber Meyer Smith, Vice President, Programs & Government Relations, (608) 251-7020 ext. 16 or asmith@cleanwisconsin.org Jon Drewsen, Communications Director, (608) 251-7020 ext. 28 or jdrewsen@cleanwisconsin.org A great bipartisan step in ongoing efforts to protect water from nutrient pollution MADISON, WI — Clean Wisconsin applauds the Wisconsin State Senate after unanimously passing Senate Bill (SB) 91, which sets up a nutrient pollution trading clearinghouse. “Nutrient pollution, especially from phosphorus and nitrates, continues to choke our waterways and contaminate drinking water,” said Amber Meyer Smith, Clean Wisconsin Vice-President of Government Relations. “This bill is another tool to use in the ongoing effort to help communities

CONTACT: Rep. Jim Steineke                                                                              (608) 266-2418 MADISON – The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act, Assembly Bill 179, received support in the Assembly today as it passed on a 62-35 vote. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) and Senate President Roger Roth (R-Appleton) authored the bill, which ensures infants born alive after surviving an abortion receive comprehensive care. “This legislation is so crucial because it provides life-saving clarifications to health professionals on how to act towards abortion survivors,” said Rep. Steineke. “Whether you’re for or against abortion, everyone should be invested in making sure every single baby born gets a fighting chance

Contact State Representative Warren Petryk                                (608) 266-0660 Madison – State Representative Warren Petryk (R-Eleva) today announced that Assembly Bill 76, authored by Rep. Petryk and legislators on both sides of the aisle, has cleared the Assembly by a bipartisan majority. As Chair of the Assembly Workforce Development Committee, this legislation is one way that the Legislature is continuing to ensure that quality long-term care is available for our aging population. “Today, the Wisconsin Assembly took decisive action to strengthen the pipeline of trained workers providing quality long-term care for our senior citizens, people with disabilities and veterans,” said Rep. Petryk.

Contact: Senator Janet Bewley (608) 266-3510 Providing tax breaks for businesses relocating to Wisconsin makes sense. Giving tax breaks to companies that move jobs out of Wisconsin doesn’t.   Madison – State Senator Janet Bewley (D-Delta) released the following statement today after legislation to eliminate tax deductions for moving expenses for businesses that leave Wisconsin passed the Senate. “Providing tax breaks for businesses relocating to Wisconsin makes sense.  Giving tax breaks to companies that move jobs out of Wisconsin doesn’t. Most people are shocked when I tell them that under current law, a business may deduct from its Wisconsin income or

CONTACT: Lisa Subeck, 608-266-7521 (office) MADISON – Today, the State Assembly passed Assembly Bill (AB) 76, which would reduce the number of hours of training a CNA is required to complete. Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) introduced an amendment supported by all Democrats to increase reimbursement rates and raise wages for personal care workers as proposed in Governor Evers’s 2019-21 state budget. The amendment failed with all Democrats voting in support. “Wisconsin faces a significant and growing shortage in personal care workers, while the need for their services continues to grow as our state’s population ages. To recruit and retain more

CONTACT: Rep. Amy Loudenbeck Rep.Loudenbeck@legis.wi.gov (608) 266-9967           Madison- Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a bill authored by Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton). Assembly Bill 52, would allow a minor who is 17 years of age and is confirmed by a school district’s Local Educational Agency Liaison to be both unaccompanied (not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian) and homeless (living situation is not “fixed, regular, and adequate”) to contract for admission to a shelter facility or transitional living program. Rep. Loudenbeck authored the bill with Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). The bill is currently waiting for a

Contact: Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) 1-608-266-5830 Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) 1-608-266-2343 Madison-The Co-Chairs of the budget-writing, Joint Committee on Finance, Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) released the following statement regarding recently released revenue projections: “Contrary to the negativity coming from Democrats, Wisconsin is on solid economic ground. New data released by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau shows we can expect nearly $150 million in ongoing revenue available for the next biennium on top of the $1.8 billion previously estimated. This is even more proof that there is no need to raise taxes on the

Contact: Katie Iliff, katiei@wisdems.org, 608-260-2417 During Wednesday’s Senate floor session, Democrats brought forth Senate Bill 130, which would close the dark store loophole in Wisconsin. Senate Bill 130 is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 Senators. When Democrats brought the bill forward on the Senate floor, Republicans shut down debate and refused to allow the Senate to discuss or vote on the bill. The dark store tax loophole allows big-box retailers to base their tax assessments on shuttered stores, giving them millions of dollars in tax breaks. This is shifting the taxes to already-strained homeowners and local mainstreet businesses.

Contact:  Rep. Michael Schraa (608) 267-7990                                                                                               (Madison, WI) Representative Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh) was pleased with passage of his resolution proclaiming May as Lupus Awareness Month in Wisconsin. “Last year, my family was unexpectedly introduced to Lupus. My youngest daughter developed symptoms of chronic inflammation and pain that resembled those of Lupus. After several tests, she became one of the nearly 5 million people around the world and 28,000 other Wisconsinites who carry this disease. “Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body, though most often occurs in the skin, joints and organs of the patient.

Contact: Kate Constalie, kate.constalie@legis.wi.gov, 608-266-5490 Homeowners to face higher property taxes under Republican control MADISON, WI – Senate Republicans blocked action to close the “Dark Store” loophole that allows large corporate retailers to shift their property tax liability onto homeowners and small businesses. All across Wisconsin, large corporate retailers have challenged their property taxes by arguing that the value of their new property is the same as an abandoned, or “dark” property, in a different location. Democrats have advocated for closing this loophole and preventing corporations from using vacant, abandoned or dark properties as a comparison for determining the value of