Progressive Thinking

Sen. Smith and Rep. Emerson highlight the bi-partisan achievement last legislative session of funding a new Science and Health Sciences building for the UW-Eau Claire campus.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - Breaking ground for the new Science and Health Sciences building on the UW-Eau Claire campus is a big deal. It’s been a long haul, but we’re finally there. Planning for a new state-of-the-art facility has been in the works for at least a decade, and now it’s becoming a reality.

The need has been evident to anyone who walks through the current Phillips Science Building. Built over 60 years ago, it has far outlived its usefulness.

When it was built, the Phillips Science building met all the expectations of the times. So many students started their journey there, and it ultimately led them to great careers and discoveries. But current science applications have outgrown what the current building can support. Of course, that’s not to mention the maintenance needs of a 60 year old building.

As with any worthwhile endeavor, getting to this point in time has not been easy. UWEC officials have worked hard to convince many others that investing approximately $340 million into a science building in Eau Claire would be a smart investment.

Local officials needed to be on board, the UW System Board of Regents needed to support the idea and, finally, legislators and the governor had to agree to make its construction a spending priority. A lot of politicking goes into such a big project and all for good reason. If it makes it through such a vetting process and convinced that many people, it was worthy of approval. And this one sure is.

The funding approvals in 2019 and 2023 happened in the biennial state budgets. Early in both the 2019 and 2023 budget processes, we requested the Governor to include the science building project in his budgets. Thankfully, Governor Evers also recognized the importance and included the project in his budgets.

The hardest part was getting the project approved by the Republican-controlled legislature and Joint Finance Committee. There were hiccups along the way. For instance when Republicans blocked approval of the project on the building commission, but it eventually got done, despite political nonsense.

In the last four-years, Republicans and Democrats haven’t agreed on much, but we all agreed that the UWEC Science and Health Sciences building needed to get done. As rare as that is, both sides came together for this big investment in the Chippewa Valley for the course of 5 years.

The most unique and exciting aspect of this process was Mayo Clinic Health System’s $14 million investment in the project. This is the largest private donation to a UW-System academic building outside of Madison or Milwaukee in our state’s history.

Once completed the UWEC Science and Health Sciences building will be the largest in the Universities of Wisconsin. With Mayo as a partner, we expect big things to happen on Eau Claire’s campus.

The new Science and Health Sciences building will enable UWEC to build on their nationally recognized reputation for producing top-notch chemists and researchers. In the past decade, research experiences at UWEC have resulted in over 130 students appearing as co-authors on articles published in peer-reviewed journals, and a similar number presenting their research results at national scientific meetings. These high-impact outcomes help to explain why UWEC ranks in the 97^th percentile among its peer institutions as the baccalaureate origin of students who go on to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Growing off past success demonstrates how well earned this project is. Our entire state will benefit from the research and the draw of talent that the new Science and Health Sciences building will attract to our community.

We haven’t even mentioned the immediate economic benefits to the Chippewa Valley with such an immense construction project. The professionals that will be employed throughout the construction phase is just a sweet bonus.

This is what can happen when we come to an agreement and choose to work together. Everyone benefits and not one person can take the credit. We look forward to more opportunities like this. After all, we all do better when we all do better.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Representative Jodi Emerson represents District 91 including eastern Eau Clare and rural areas to the east.

Senator Smith celebrates June Dairy Month by inviting readers to plan a trip to one of the many County Dairy Breakfast events happening across Wisconsin, all in the month of June.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - June is my favorite time of the year for many reasons. The weather is absolutely beautiful, school is out and people are generally in a great mood during my Stop N’ Talk events. But most of all, I love spending time meeting people and getting to know the farmers who host our County Dairy Breakfast events.

For over 50 years, dairy breakfast events have been an iconic staple of our great Wisconsin summers. They are a great time to visit a family-owned farm, eat some amazing, locally grown food and make some memories with your family. It’s also a great time to celebrate all that our dairy industry does for each of us in the state.

Wisconsin has celebrated June Dairy Month with dairy breakfasts in nearly every county. Each year a different farm will host a dairy breakfast in their county, making it even more fun and interesting. Anyone can attend, and they do by the thousands. You’ll find hundreds of people in line for delicious pancakes, waffles, milk, cheese curds and ice cream served by the host family and volunteers from the area.

While our state is a national leader in cranberry and potato production, dairy is still king in Wisconsin. Despite the loss of many farms in our state, we’ve still held on to the title of America’s Dairyland – and for good reason.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)*, we have 1.28 million cows and almost 5,500 dairy farms in Wisconsin, which is more than any other state. Dairy alone accounts for $45.6 billion to our economy in Wisconsin. If these numbers didn’t convince you, the fact that Packer fans wear foam cheesehead hats to games is evidence enough that we take our title of America’s Dairyland very seriously.

Year after year, Wisconsin cheesemakers prove their products are incomparable. From Colby to aged Sharp Cheddar; from Gouda to Asiago; from string cheese to cheese curds, we’re spoiled here with the best tasting cheeses in the world. With over 1,200 licensed cheesemakers producing over 600 types of cheeses, we have almost twice as many cheese choices than any other state. Our cheesemakers produce 25% of the cheese consumed in America, which amounted to 3.51 billion pounds in 2023, including a whopping 942 million pounds of specialty cheeses.

Dairy breakfasts are more than just about the food, though. It’s about learning where our milk comes from. As visitors meander around the grounds, they’re able to take hay rides, examine the latest equipment and even watch demonstrations. Of course, the animals are often the main attraction for young kids.

Dairy breakfasts have proven to be extremely successful over the years. Host families put in a lot of work to make it a memorable experience for every visitor. Show your appreciation for our farmers and members of Wisconsin’s agricultural industry by visiting a dairy breakfast this June. Find your nearest dairy breakfast at WisconsinDairy.org and bring the family out this month to enjoy some live music, farm activities and the best breakfast you could ask for.

So, what are you waiting for? Go to www.wisconsindairy.org and plan on attending one (or all) of these Dairy Breakfast events in our area:

·         Chippewa County Dairy Breakfast: June 5 @ Riverview Park

·         Pepin County Town and Country Dairy Breakfast: June 8 @ Koller Farm

·         Eau Claire County Dairy Breakfast: June 15 @ Bischoff Farms

·         Pierce County Dairy Breakfast: June 15 @ Randy and Lori Larson’s Farm

·         Buffalo County Dairy Breakfast: June 22 @ Mar-Bec Dairy

·         Trempealeau County Dairy Breakfast: June 22 @ Bert-Mar Farms

·         Dunn County Dairy Breakfast: June 29 @ Gilbertson Farms

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Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Sen. Smith sets the record straight on misinformation floating around about why Republicans on Joint Finance continue to stall the release of $15 million in already-approved money to address the health care crisis facing the Chippewa Valley.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - Social media can be a useful tool. We can easily share pictures and stories with friends and family. It can be used for business applications from marketing to educating the public. And there is no doubt that we can search for answers to problems and questions we may have.

But social media can also be a tool to deceive or confuse followers. By now most of us know to be leery of what we see on Facebook, Instagram and other media. It can be bothersome, but it is always best to question what someone may claim in a post, especially if it seems too good to be true or too horrible to believe.

That’s why I do what I can to provide background that readers can search for themselves so they know where I get my information from and I didn’t just make it up.

The shocking hospital closures we have seen here in western Wisconsin seemed to open the door of opportunity to false information and rumors. Not unusual when we are desperate for answers; especially when your health is at stake.

I’ve seen and heard comments regarding the actions taken in the Capitol on the hospital closures that are simply ludicrous and harmful. When we should be joined together in solving this problem, it has become another opportunity for some to make it political.

I don’t want to accuse my own colleagues on the other side of the aisle of purposely spreading falsities. I’d rather believe that it’s ignorance or a simple misunderstanding.

There were two bills introduced by Republicans – Senate Bill 1014 (SB 1014) which restricted funding for the closure crisis. Senate Bill 1015 (SB 1015) transferred $15 million to the Joint Finance Committee to release to area health care providers. The Governor vetoed SB 1014 so we won’t be restricted for responding to the crisis. He also partially vetoed SB 1015 and signed the $15 million into law. The funding is currently awaiting release from the Joint Finance Committee. Republicans control the Joint Finance Committee with 12 members while Democrats have 4.

I’ve heard outrageous claims that the Joint Finance Committee cannot release funding because of the Governor’s vetoes. That’s flat-out false. The Joint Finance Committee has released money countless times after Governors partially veto bills. The $15 million was passed into law.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has already requested the funds and the Joint Finance Committee is refusing to act. Instead, they offer excuses and try to blame the Governor.

Instead of restricting the funds for only emergency room construction, the Governor’s veto allows area health care providers to use the funding for all of the following:

a. Increase Emergency Department Capacity/Service

b. Expand Urgent Care Services

c. Expand Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

d. Expand Inpatient OB/GYN Services

e. Expand Mental Health and/or Substance Use Services

f. Expand or Establish Hospital-Owned and Operated Ambulance Service

Republicans know they are wrong and they don’t want to hear the truth. Instead of releasing the money from the Joint Finance Committee like they’ve always done, they manufactured their excuse and are doubling down on restricting the money for this crisis. All of this after Gov. Evers called for them to meet twice to no avail.

They know they are wrong and it couldn’t be more evident than how they acted on the Senate floor last week. When I attempted to speak on their misguided attempt to override the Governor’s veto, I was ignored and Republicans immediately voted despite numerous objections. This is yet another example of Republican refusing to acknowledge the truth.

Now, Republicans have chosen to ignore the desperation felt over the closures, and they've chosen to weaponize this for their campaigns. As Senator Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said last week, this is, “the last gasp of a gerrymandered majority.”

We will need to wait until after the election for the legislature to do the right thing. New, more competitive maps will produce a legislature that will listen. In the meantime, Republicans are leaving the rest of us in the Chippewa Valley to fend for ourselves.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Senator Smith asks everyone to thank our dedicated teachers by sharing his personal experience and discussing the importance of our educators.

MADISON - Last week we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week. Summer is approaching as students and teachers look for a successful close to the school year. Now is the time to thank our teachers before everyone moves on to new summer adventures.

Wisconsin’s K-12 schools are the cornerstone of our communities. Our teachers are tasked with building up our kids so they can reach their full potential. It’s our responsibility to ensure teachers have the support to help all Wisconsin students.

Long before I served in the senate, my wife chose a career as a teacher. When our first child was born she let me know that I’d be responsible for volunteering in our daughter’s classroom when she reached school age. I understood the importance of our teachers as a former student, but little did I realize what an important job my wife and other teachers had day-in and day-out.

I volunteered as much as the school would allow. Gaining an understanding of the needs of our schools, kids and teachers, I helped organize as an active participant for the passage of an important referendum in the late 1990s.

It didn’t stop there. I created a parent advisory committee that’s still involved with the Eau Claire School District. My activism in education morphed into engagement in the Wisconsin Parent Teacher Association Board, the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools and an appointment to the Governor’s Task Force for Educational Excellence.

Years spent learning about how Wisconsin’s public schools prepare kids for the future has given me the perspective and appreciation for our teachers. As former students, each of us can see how teachers make a difference for our kids in the classroom and beyond. Our society as a whole depends on talented teachers rooted in our communities and serving families.

Challenges for teachers and our schools continue, especially when it comes to the recruitment and retention of quality teachers and staff. Finding teachers is hard, but keeping them is even harder. Housing, inflation and worker shortages are making a difficult job impossible for school administrators who are trying to piece together a crew of top-notch teachers.

I’ve seen the work and commitment my wife had outside of the classroom. Long hours preparing, bringing the challenges of individual students home with her and continually pushing students to be their best selves is the kind of work teachers don’t get paid for. It takes special people to go beyond. Acknowledging these difficulties deserves attention and appreciation for those who do it for our kids.

The conversation about how we fund our schools has fallen by the wayside as we’ve invested more into education, but we need to keep discussing the inequities that exist in our school funding formula. Some teachers get more and some teachers get less – it all depends on how much property value is within a school district. It should depend on how difficult it is to educate the students. It’s wrong to pump money into a broken system, especially into a failed voucher school program. We can’t lose focus of our constitutional requirement to fund our schools equitably.

Another significant challenge schools are facing is the cost of special education. Students with special needs often require extra attention and resources to ensure their success and make sure no student falls behind because of a disability. Working around and through these challenges to help students learn is as varied as each individual student. More focused and tailored education is required to get each cohort of students ready for the world as adults.

Special education is costly and schools are trying to absorb the costs. Teachers are the ones faced with the challenges, and they are the ones who lose when special education costs ratchet up each year. It’s unfair and we need to figure out solutions to help. It takes a village of dedicated people to confront these problems and keep our schools strong.

Our teachers deserve our respect and they need our help. If there’s one thing you can do before summer, it’s acknowledging the challenges facing our educators and thanking them for their dedication to their honorable profession.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Sen. Smith highlights the important role study committees play in drafting legislation for the upcoming session, and he invites members of the public to consider applying to serve on one before the May 17 deadline.

MADISON - Study committees are formed during the spring of election years after the legislative session ends to investigate new issues that surface in Wisconsin or to examine old issues that may need a refreshed look to keep up with current events. This is usually a bipartisan process geared toward enlisting experts and community stakeholders to play a direct role in introducing legislation.

Joint Legislative Committees (JLC) are made up from legislators of both houses. Often, the topics each committee brings up are issues that are difficult to resolve in the regular course of business during the session and they require further investigation. The end goal is to recommend legislation for introduction in the upcoming session.

This year, the committees, along with their assigned Chair and Vice-Chairs, were just approved, which means they are now looking for individuals from the public to serve on the committees. This is your opportunity to volunteer.

The nomination form for study committee membership applications is now live on Legislative Council’s website, as well as links to each committees. This list links to the committees’ websites, which will be updated with meeting information once the committees start their work. Currently, they list the scope, chair and vice chair, and the JLC staff for the committee.

According to JLC, study committees generally meet from three to six times during the summer and fall and ultimately report their recommendations, in the form of bill drafts, to the full Joint Legislative Council for approval and introduction in the next legislative session. Committee meetings usually begin mid-morning and continue through the entire day.

Here’s a list of the approved committees assembling this year:

• Study Committee on Emergency Detention and Civil Commitment of Minors
• Study Committee on the Future of the University of Wisconsin System
• Study Committee on Recodification of Battery Statutes
• Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin
• Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes
• Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations

This is a finite list and there are plenty of other issues that people believe are important that didn’t get approved by Republican leaders. I submitted a request to study hospital closure regulations so Wisconsin can be better prepared for a situation similar to what we experienced with HSHS earlier this spring.

While some important topics were not chosen, topics like, “the Future of the University of Wisconsin System” sound very ominous based on the attacks Republicans leveled against the UW System earlier this session.

Joint Legislative Council Study Committees have been the last refuge for bipartisanship in the legislature and I hope these topics do not turn into something other than honest and open dialogue to improve our state rather than tear it down. Either way, these study committees need dedicated and passionate people to serve on them this summer and fall.

This is a golden opportunity for civic engagement. These committees dive deep into issues that matter to everyone in our state, and the result of their work is usually concrete legislation that has more thorough vetting and public input than many of the other 1000-plus bills we see during the course of our two year legislative session calendar.

Do you feel like you would bring a unique perspective to any one of these committees? If so, please apply today so you may be considered for membership. The deadline to apply is May 17^th. Feel free to contact my office for more information or if you have specific questions by calling (608) 266-8546 or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.