http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/voterid_hand-s5.jpgLeague summary report on state court litigation over the voter purge in the last thirty days.

Union says management offers show disdain for employees and the community that MPM serves.

Three Bills in Assembly would increase access to vaccines and immunization rates in Wisconsin.

MADISON – This week, Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) introduced a legislative package aimed at increasing access to vaccines in Wisconsin. The three bills give Wisconsin citizens and health care providers more avenues to receive and administer immunizations. Representative Hintz released the following statement on these important public health initiatives:

“If we increase access to vaccines we will increase immunization rates in Wisconsin, and that is a win for the health and well-being of our state. These bills are the result of extensive conversations with experts in the field of public health. They all agreed that, in addition to removing the personal conviction waiver, the best thing we can do as a state is to create more access points for vaccines,” Rep. Hintz stated. “We need to do all we can to increase vaccination rates in order to avoid a completely unnecessary outbreak in Wisconsin.”

LRB 4137/1 would make Wisconsin a universal vaccine purchasing state. Currently, 15 states have some form of universal purchasing program.

LRB 4136/1 allows dentists to administer vaccines, as long as they satisfy certain criteria. The bill would add dentists to the list of individuals allowed to administer vaccines, making them abide by the same training requirements and other criteria as pharmacists.

LRB 4135/1 allows a minor aged 16 years or older to make their own vaccination choices. There is evidence that, when given complete information and control over their preventative medical care, teenagers will decide to receive some or all vaccinations that had previously been withheld by their parents.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/lambeau-s5.jpgMayor Genrich and Mayor Breed have selected “youth development” as the community concern behind the Win-Win Playoff Challenge.

GREEN BAY, WI - As the Green Bay Packers head to the National Football Conference Championship game against the Forty-Niners, Green Bay Mayor Genrich has issued another Win-Win Playoff Challenge to Mayor London Breed of San Francisco, California.

Mayor Genrich and Mayor Breed have selected “youth development” as the community concern behind the Win-Win Playoff Challenge. After the January 19, 2020 NFC Championship game, Mayor Genrich, City of Green Bay and Community Foundation employees will volunteer at the Green Bay Boys and Girls Club. Similarly, Mayor Breed, along with City of San Francisco and San Francisco Foundation employees, will volunteer for youth development. In the spirit of friendly competition, both cities’ mayors and volunteers will wear the winning team’s colors.

“We want to win this challenge again, and we hope to follow it up by issuing a final Win-Win challenge to the community we’ll face in the Super Bowl,” said Mayor Genrich. “Let’s keep this green and gold movement expanding across the country, as well as this unique expression of volunteerism.”

“Every day, we see good people making a difference in our community”, said Buehler. “The Win-Win Playoff Challenge allows us to highlight local needs and efforts, and to encourage everyone to get involved.”

In late December, Mayor Genrich and Dennis Buehler, President of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, created the Win-Win Playoff Challenge, a fresh take on traditional “beer, brat and cheese” challenges. Their aim was to leverage the National Football League’s influence to bring attention to community concerns, and garner much-needed volunteer time and talent, making playoff season a “win-win” for everyone.

Shilling/Billings legislation would require DNR to alert county governments when a state pollution violation that may impact drinking water is detected.

MADISON – The Assembly Committee on Environment held a public hearing on a number of pieces of legislation regarding water quality, including Senator Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) and Representative Jill Billings’ (D-La Crosse) proposed Water Pollution Notification Act (AB 700). This bipartisan legislation aims to provide notice to the public of possible contamination that may impact drinking water. If passed, this legislation would require the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to alert county governments within seven business days if a state pollution violation is detected.

“Wisconsin families deserve to know when the water coming from their own wells may be unsafe to drink,” said Sen. Shilling (D-La Crosse). “I’m glad to see this proposal is moving through the legislative process and that we’re one step closer to strengthening clean water protections for our communities. By working with residents, businesses and community leaders, we can ensure fair access to Wisconsin’s groundwater, reduce sources of groundwater pollution and protect the quality of clean drinking water for future generations.”

Sen. Shilling and Rep. Billings drafted this legislation after a case in La Crosse County, where both the county and residents were unaware of a potential risk for over 10 years. A 2016 state audit alerted the La Crosse County Health Department to a potential public health hazard when the report found that a facility in the area had exceeded legal nitrogen levels since 2005. After becoming aware of this incident, county officials requested data from the DNR through open records requests. Once confirming the information, the county proceeded to provide outreach to county residents, encouraging them to test their private well systems for any contamination. Of the residents who had their water tested, nearly a third exceeded the maximum contaminant level for nitrates.

Additional information regarding this legislation can be found here.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/homeless-winter-s5.jpgOn the coldest day of 2020, Republicans in Madison have once again left funding to combat homelessness off the Joint Finance agenda.

Dedicated jurist who is committed to ensuring that all people are treated fairly is first woman of color to serve on the Court.

MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers today announced his appointment of Judge Maxine White to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District 1. Judge White is the first woman of color to serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

“Judge White is a passionate, dedicated jurist who is committed to ensuring that all people – regardless of background – are treated fairly in our courts,” said Gov. Evers. “She will add a much-needed perspective to the Court of Appeals.”

Judge White is currently the chief judge for the First Judicial District, which consists solely of Milwaukee County. In this role, she is responsible for administrative, fiscal, and personnel oversight of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Judge White has been a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge since 1992, presiding over thousands of civil and criminal cases. From 1985 to 1992, Judge White served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Among her many community activities, Judge White is chair of the Milwaukee Community Justice Council, a member of the Statewide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and a board member of the National Association for Presiding Judges and Chief Executive Officers. She has led several statewide justice initiatives and chaired the Advisory Board of the House of Peace, Inc. for 15 years.

Judge White earned her law degree from Marquette University Law School, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California, and her undergraduate degree from Alcorn State University.

Donald Trump spent a rambling night at Milwaukee rally, Dems focus on broken promises on skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs, erratic trade war that has strangled farmers.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/clean-drinking-water-s5.jpgGroup set up by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to protect a healthy and stable water supply receives failing grade from conservationists for addressing the state’s water quality crisis.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-tariffs-s5.jpg"Phase One" trade agreement announced Wednesday freezes 20-month trade war between Washington and Beijing.