It was an honor to present Grace Fuss with the Hometown Hero award today during session. A “hometown hero” is someone who works hard to make a difference in their community, and as a thank you, the Wisconsin State Assembly recognizes them before the legislature at the beginning of session.
Grace, at the age of 12, created a nonprofit organization that focused on bringing joy to cancer patients and their families. In 2019, she created Fighting Cancer with Grace. When Grace first started, the goal was to raise enough money to donate 20 care packages to local cancer patients. By 2022, she was able to increase the annual care package to 128 patients.
In addition to her charity work, Grace is also a successful student at West De Pere High School. There, she has been selected by district employees and her student peers to be a member of the HOPE Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that helps others through difficult times and guides them towards seeking help from an adult as needed.
It is encouraging and inspiring to see such a young individual with a passion and heart to serve others. I look forward to witnessing whatever great things she does next!
Regulatory Licensing Reform Committee
Last Wednesday, my committee held a public hearing on four bills. All four stemmed from the Study Committee on Occupational Licenses. This study committee focused on solutions that would decrease the significant backlog the Department of Safety and Professional Services was seeing. The overall goal was, and still is, to get people licensed and able to work as soon as possible.
AB 200 will require data transparency from the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), which will aid the legislature in understanding the extent of how long license applications are taking for each profession.
AB 201 revises the language regarding the effect of the renewal date to specify that the renewal date is the date on which a credential expires and before which a credential holder must submit a complete renewal application in order to maintain without interruption the rights, privileges, and authority conferred by the credential. This legislation will require data transparency from DSPS, which will aid the public and prospective licensees in understanding the extent of how long license applications are taking for each profession.
AB 202 allows DSPS to complete its investigation as to whether the circumstances of an arrest, conviction, or other offense are substantially related to the circumstances of the licensed activity without reviewing certain types of violations. This legislation will create better flexibility for what DSPS can look at in a background check, decreasing the time they spend in legal review.
AB 206 requires DSPS to determine, for each health care provider credential, whether the profession’s reciprocity standard requires an examination of the equivalence, comparability, or similarity of a prior issuing state’s or territory’s credentialing requirements. This legislation will require data transparency from DSPS, which will aid the public and prospective licensees in understanding what states WI healthcare licenses have reciprocity with.
Testify on AB 173
Last week, Senator Jesse James and I had the opportunity to testify in front of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention Committee on a bill we’ve been working on together this session. AB 173 will help prevent suicide by firearm, provide awareness of mental health issues, and equip more people with the tools and understanding to recognize someone considering suicide by firearm.
This bill requires the Department of Health Services to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, counties, and federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands, for 1) training staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person that may be considering suicide; 2) providing suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range; or 3) providing voluntary, temporary firearm storage.
It’s been an honor to work alongside Senator James on this bill, and I appreciate all of the time and effort he has put into working to push this legislation through. To hear me briefly touch on AB 173, click here or on the photo above.
Welcome to the Capitol!
I had the privilege of welcoming both Wrightstown and O.H. Schultz Elementary Schools to the State Capitol las week! I appreciate the opportunity to chat with them about how our state government operates, and I’m already looking forward to the next visit.
Listening Sessions Announced
Get excited! I will be hosting two listening sessions in the district this upcoming Saturday and Monday! The locations/times will be:
Saturday, May 20th, at 10:30 AM at the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers (Community Room) and Monday, May 22nd, at 5:30 PM at the De Pere Library (Kress Branch – Emil Gail Fischer Room).
The intention behind a listening session is to understand any opportunities or challenges surrounding a topic as community members perceive them. Anyone is welcome to attend the listening session and contribute ideas that they would like to bring to the attention of the state. I hope to see you there!
2023 Business Friend of the Environment Awards – Nominate Today!
The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Association is now accepting nominations for the 33rd Annual Business Friend of the Environment Awards! If you are not familiar with this award, it highlights what Wisconsin companies are doing to demonstrate environmental leadership.
Winners will be selected in each of these three categories:
• Sustainability
• Use of innovative technology
• Environmental stewardship
In each category, an award will be given to a small, medium, and large business.
Applications may be submitted online by going to www.wmc.org/bfoe and clicking “Nominate a Company.” To be considered, a nominator must submit a completed nomination form along with a 1-2 page narrative of the project description (Microsoft Word preferred), a company logo, and 2-3 project photos. Alternatively, you can also e-mail a completed PDF nomination form and other required application materials to csummerfield@wmc.org. The deadline to apply is Monday, May 22, 2023.
In-District Events
May 27th through May 29th will be the Celebrate De Pere annual festival held at Voyager Park in De Pere. On Saturday, the 27th, and Sunday, the 28th, the festival will be going on from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Monday, the festival will last from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit Celebrate De Pere.
The De Pere Kiwanis Memorial Day Parade will be on Memorial Day, May 29th, at 10 a.m. The parade will start at West De Pere High School and end at Voyageur Park.
The Brown County Breakfast on the Farm will be on Sunday, June 4th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Collins Dairy, LLC (3489 Hill Rd., Greenleaf). For more information regarding pricing and attractions, visit Dairy | Brown County Dairy Promotions | Wisconsin.
Head on down to the library for some friendly competition! Every Tuesday from 6-7:30pm, the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers (1001 Adam St.) hosts a Family Game Night. Games and popcorn are provided.
