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This past week, I introduced three bills in the Senate.
Senate Bill 278 would allow municipalities to purchase their ancillary insurance plans for employees through the state’s Group Insurance Board. These insurance products typically cover areas such as vision and dental. By allowing municipalities to purchase insurance through the larger state pool they should be able to lower costs and save local taxpayers.
Senate Bill 283 (known as the “Growler Bill”) would allow Class A license holders, such as grocery stores, to sell growlers. Growlers are refillable bottles, usually between 32 oz. and 64 oz., that are used to transport draft beer. Typically customers can purchase them at craft breweries or brewpubs, but they have become more popular will filling stations at grocery stores across the country. With the growing popularity of craft beer in United States, allowing another outlet for breweries to market their product will help increase entrepreneurship and allow for more consumer choice.
Senate Bill 290 requires the verification from court orders for eligibility for public assistance programs. This bill helps fight fraud by requiring that if an individual's eligibility or benefit amount for a public assistance program is dependent on custody of their children, the department must verify that the individual in fact has custody of the children claimed. The department that administers the program would verify custody by accessing the applicable court order.
As always, please let me know if you have any comments or concerns regarding these, or any other, pieces of legislation. You can call me at my office at (608) 266-9174 or email me at Sen.Kapenga@legis.wi.gov.
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Last week, I had the opportunity to visit a class of students at Richmond School. This was a great chance for me to teach the children about how our government works and what legislators do when they are at work in Madison and back in their districts. Their enthusiasm for learning about the governmental process was fun to see and I enjoyed the discussion!
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Another Productive Town Hall Discussion
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On Saturday, I joined U.S. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner and State Representative Scott Allen for a town hall discussion at Waukesha Public Library. The town hall was well attended and we had a lot of productive discourse. These town halls are a great opportunity to voice your opinion on, and give your suggestions for, our government at the federal and state levels.
In addition to voicing your thoughts at these town halls, please feel free to contact me at (608) 266-9174 or Sen.Kapenga@legis.wi.gov with any questions or concerns about in-district or state-level matters.
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October is Manufacturing Month
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Manufacturing is a celebrated industry in Wisconsin and October is Manufacturing Month. In 2014, the manufacturing sector was responsible for more than $55 billion worth of economic output alone.
An aging population coupled with the expansion of many companies within the industry has demonstrated a need for keeping the pipeline for manufacturing talent strong. The average yearly pay for a worker in manufacturing in Wisconsin is $54,400. This is $10,000 higher than the average yearly pay for other private-sector workers in Wisconsin. Additionally, 84 percent of manufacturing workers in Wisconsin receive health insurance benefits from their employer, as compared to 77 percent of all workers.
Over 450,000 people work in manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin, which fuels the state's manufacturing job concentration at 87 percent above the national average. The Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and Department of Revenue are all involved in promoting Manufacturing Month.
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1860 - A telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opens.
1871 - The Great Chicago Fire begins, reportedly when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicks over a lantern; the blaze destroys downtown, kills 250, and leaves 90,000 homeless.
1871 - A horrific forest fire burns a broad swath of Wisconsin and Michigan, killing 1,200 people.
1918 - Alvin York almost single-handedly kills two dozen German soldiers and captures 132 prisoners in France's Argonne Forest.
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