It’s hard to believe we are entering Memorial Day weekend. While it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, Memorial Day is such an important reminder to pause and pay tribute to the courageous men and women who gave their lives to serve this country. May we never forget, nor take for granted, the enormous cost of keeping our great nation free.
Safety First
Public safety has been one of my top priorities since taking office. As part of that, for the last six years I’ve served as a member on the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Oftentimes, serving on this committee and listening to the stories of victims and their families can be completely heartbreaking. However, having the opportunity to make their voices heard and strengthen our public safety laws is incredibly rewarding. Now that the 2023-2024 session is complete, I’d like to briefly update you on some of my legislative accomplishments this session that will help keep our communities safe.
- Created a timeline for the processing of sexual assault kits
- Enhanced a victim’s statutory rights to participate in a hearing before their offender is released
- Funded 14 positions in the Office of School Safety
- Amended our constitution to allow judges to consider the totality of circumstances when setting bail for a violent offender
- Increased penalties for reckless driving
- Increased penalties for fleeing an officer
- Provided grants to help cover costs for upgrading our state’s 911 and WISCOM services
- Funded an Elder Abuse Hotline
- Helped reduce staff shortages in our prisons by increasing starting pay for Correctional Officers from $20.29/hour to $33/hour
- Increased training in certain industries related to identifying human trafficking and created a human trafficking task force to develop strategies to reduce trafficking in WI
While I’m proud of these accomplishments, there is more to do. I also introduced the Kids Online Safety Act this session, which aims to protect kids online and create some accountability for social media companies. I look forward to continuing to work on this rapidly developing issue next session.
Request a Wisconsin Blue Book
You can now request a 2023-24 Wisconsin Blue Book! Blue Books are a fantastic resource to learn about Wisconsin’s government, geography, history, and so much more. And, they’re FREE! If you would like a Blue Book, email my office at Rep.Steffen@legis.
Follow Along on Facebook
Want to hear more about what’s going on in Madison and the district? Follow my Facebook page for weekly updates and to learn more about bills, events, and efforts I’m involved in. Find my Facebook page here: facebook.com/RepSteffen/.
Contact Me
My office is always available to help with any state-related questions or concerns you may have. You can reach my office at (608) 237-9104, or email me at Rep.Steffen@legis.wisconsin.
