Good morning.  I want to thank the Milwaukee Police Association and the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police for their endorsement and their service to the state of Wisconsin. We’re here today to discuss the record violent crime in Milwaukee and throughout the state, and to unveil the first steps to address it; the “Safer Streets, Safer Homes” plan. When Attorney General Josh Kaul announced his reelection bid last year saying he’s “proud of his record on public safety”. Is Josh Kaul proud of the record murder rate in Milwaukee, which set an all-time record for homicides in 2020, broke that record in 2021, and we are on

Madison – The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) is partnering with a company to start photocopying the personal mail of all adults in its care, a response to the growing problem of dangerous drugs being sent into DOC institutions through personal mail. DOC has seen an increase of drug incidents among persons in its care, including increased use of K2 and other synthetic cannabinoids, which have no odor and can be difficult to detect. Paper and envelopes can be sprayed with or soaked in these drugs. This paper is then sent into DOC institutions via mail, where some persons in DOC care tear it into small

Washington D.C. — As ongoing, pandemic related supply chain disruptions impact businesses and consumers, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is introducing new legislation to help address the issue. The Supply Chain Resiliency Act will alleviate current supply chain bottlenecks and prevent future disruptions by investing in American companies to reduce our reliance on long supply chains and ensure that critical products are made in America. “Since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, supply chain disruptions have impacted businesses, manufacturers, and consumers who are face rising costs for some products. I pushed the Trump Administration to do more scale up production of

MADISON – Today, Democratic legislators introduced the Due Diligence Act, a bill that requires landlords or tenants to apply for emergency rental assistance and participate in mediation prior to eviction during certain declared public health emergencies and prohibits certain rent increases. Covid-19 has left many Wisconsinites without adequate financial resources and, consequently, facing eviction. It is a healthcare emergency and a public health crisis to be without shelter during a viral airborne pandemic. As such, Wisconsinites must be provided the necessary support to maintain their residential security and made aware of the resources at their disposal. The Due Diligence Act would alleviate the

LA CROSSE — Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a vocal skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccine, hosted a media event yesterday to disparage effective vaccine mandates and raise false alarms by spotlighting rare side effects of people who claim to have had adverse reactions to the vaccine. This event comes after Sen. Johnson has repeatedly spread anti-vaccine misinformation and refused to support vaccine mandates. Dr. Bob Freedland, MD, Wisconsin State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care and a retired ophthalmologist in La Crosse, released the following statement in response to Sen. Ron Johnson’s latest disinformation panel: “Sen. Ron Johnson

I am filled with pride knowing that Vel R. Phillips, the first African American woman elected to statewide office, will be honored with a statue on the State Capitol grounds at the corner of W. Main St. and S. Carroll St. in Madison. The statue – approved Monday, November 1 by the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board – will be erected in late 2022 or early 2023. It has been my high honor to serve on the Vel Phillips Task Force, a body that was formed to drive the effort to have Ms. Phillips’ statue be the first depicting an African

OSHKOSH — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced that his staff will be available for mobile office hours at the time and location listed below. These office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator’s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.   Note: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press. Recording devices of any kind are not allowed. These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.   Menominee County Office Hours Wednesday, November 10 2 pm – 3 pm County Boardroom W3269 Courthouse Lane, Keshena, WI, 54135

MADISON – The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is launching a redesigned Child Care Counts payment program to support Wisconsin’s early care and education community. Under the new program, regulated child care providers will be eligible to receive monthly payments through 2023, giving them the stability they need to stay open and continue to care for children. Applications for the new program will open on Monday, November 8, 2021. To date, over $238 million has been paid to child care providers through Child Care Counts payment programs. This historic investment has helped significantly to reduce the number of permanent and temporary

MADISON – Steven Olikara, a Brookfield, Wisconsin native, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader running for the U.S. Senate has been endorsed by the former judge and civil rights leader Paul Higginbotham.   Out of Higginbotham’s nearly 50 years in Wisconsin, he is best known for his groundbreaking service as the first African American Circuit Court Judge in Wisconsin. He also served as the City of Madison’s Municipal Judge, Dane County Executive Richard J. Phelps’ Minority Affairs Coordinator, and as Acting Executive Director of the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission. Higginbotham was a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Law

MADISON – State Representative Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls) issued the following statement regarding the Legislative Audit Bureau’s report on the November 2020 election: “Maintaining voter registration records is the responsibility of Meagan Wolfe and the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC). Providing accurate data to clerks is essential to voter integrity. The Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) provide data for the maintenance of our voter registration rolls. The Legislative Audit Bureau’s (LAB) audit makes it clear that WEC is not complying with state statutes. According to the LAB

MADISON, Wis. — State legislators and representatives of frontline and essential workers today announced the introduction of legislation allowing public employees to have input on working conditions and the freedom to bargain together with their employer over wages and benefits. The following are the statements of A Better Wisconsin Together Executive Director Chris Walloch: “We’ve been through a lot over the last year. As we build back, we need to remember how frontline and essential workers supported our communities and helped keep our economy going through a global health pandemic, despite the health risks to themselves and their families. “These

In early November, the state legislature is expected to vote on new legislative maps as part of the process known as redistricting. These maps will determine the legislative district boundaries in Wisconsin for the next ten years. Using this process in 2011, Republicans shifted hundreds of thousands of voters to create a partisan advantage in legislative districts throughout the state. Despite Wisconsin being a swing state in statewide elections, the Republican maps locked in a Republican majority in the state legislature for the next decade. I am a sponsor of Senate Bill 389, legislation to create a non-partisan redistricting commission.