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The dust has hardly settled from the recent Spring Elections and in about seven weeks the ballots for the August 11th Primary must be completed and printed. This is the Primary leading into the partisan fall election where in some cases multiple contestants will be reduced to one candidate per party per contest.
If you’re not familiar, the Farm Bill comes around about every five years and supports the programs our farmers rely on to keep America the world’s leader in food production. After eight years, these programs were long overdue for an update, and this bill delivers.
Modernizing these programs for the challenges of 2026 and beyond is paramount for the livelihood of our producers and America’s food security, because we live in a much different world than we did in 2018.
The critical need to have Voter I.D. required and enforced nationally, was magnified locally in March at the trial of Wisconsin resident Harry Wait.
Wait was wrongfully charged with voter fraud and identity theft by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, after successfully and transparently exposing massive vulnerabilities in the Wisconsin Elections Commissions’ MyVote website. The charges were brought to destroy Wait’s credibility by having him branded as a felon, and to keep the serious election problems he had uncovered hidden from the public.
Four Representatives have introduced the Living Wage for All Act. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.; Chuy García, D-Ill.; Lateefah Simon, D-Calif.; and Analilia Mejia, D-N.J introduced the bill on Tuesday. It would raise the federal minimum wage to $25, up from $7.25. $25 per hour means $1,000 per week.
On Monday, Wisconsin Family Action released our annual Legislative Scorecard assessing how all thirty-three State Senators and all ninety-nine State Assembly Representatives voted on WFA’s core issues during the legislative session. State officials who were given a score of 100% agreed with every WFA position on various bills. In total, eight Wisconsin senators and four Wisconsin representatives received a perfect score.
Since 2019, Gov. Evers’ hand-picked members of the state Public Service Commission have approved increasing utility fees by more than $2 billion, resulting in Wisconsin having one of the highest electricity rates in the Midwest.
Unfortunately, the state Legislature does not have the constitutional authority to involve itself in the PSC’s decision-making process. However, in the 2025-27 state budget, my legislative colleagues and I did what we could do to help lower costs by eliminating the state sales tax on your electricity and natural gas bills.
Thanks to Gov. Tony Evers, his Public Service Commission (PSC) appointees, and costly state energy mandates, Wisconsin families are facing higher utility bills. Under Evers and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes' push for aggressive carbon-free energy goals, utilities have been steered toward expensive renewable infrastructure projects, large-scale transmission upgrades, and the accelerated closure of traditional coal and natural gas plants that have historically provided affordable, reliable energy.
National Travel and Tourism Week is May 3-9. This is a great opportunity to recognize the vital role tourism plays in Wisconsin’s economy and to start planning your next Wisconsin getaway today.
Here in the 17th Senate District, we have no shortage of reasons for visitors to stop by. From scenic landscapes and beautiful drives, to agritourism, unique stores, outdoor recreation, and a vibrant arts scene, our region offers something for everyone. Our position on Wisconsin’s border makes it a short drive for visitors from Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.
