BELOIT – Today, Senator Mark Spreitzer and Representative Clinton Anderson, who represent Beloit in the Wisconsin State Legislature, learned that President Trump’s cuts to AmeriCorps were forcing the Beloit Fresh Start program to go on hiatus for the 2025-2026 school year and released the following statements:
Senator Mark Spreitzer said, “Since 2006, hundreds of students have directly benefited from the Beloit Fresh Start program, which has been nationally recognized for their excellent service. As a former board member of Community Action of Rock and Walworth Counties, I know that this difficult decision was not made lightly. Community Action staff and leaders have always put our communities first, and seeing a program like Fresh Start put on hiatus represents a tremendous loss. Students in our communities are now paying the price for national chaos caused by the haphazard decisions made by President Trump and Elon Musk. That is unacceptable. The State of Wisconsin has joined a multistate lawsuit to stop these illegal cuts, and I hope that they will be reversed so that critical programs like Fresh Start can continue in the future. In the meantime, we will continue doing everything that we can to advocate for students and the programs like Fresh Start that help make their futures brighter.”
Representative Clinton Anderson said, “Trump and Musk are recklessly slashing programs, and our kids are paying the price. Beloit Fresh Start gives young people real opportunities and second chances to grow, learn, and contribute to our community. Trump and Musk’s actions aren’t just irresponsible; they’re cruel. The loss of this program will be felt far beyond the classroom. It touches families, neighborhoods, and the future of our entire community. I strongly support Fresh Start and our kids. Even when our federal administration doesn’t.”
