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Representatives in the News

Representative Joel Kitchens

Kitchens voiced his strong support for the Joint Finance Committee’s (JFC) decision to reject the Governor’s proposed moratorium on land purchases and restore bonding authority to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. “I am extremely pleased with the JFC’s decision to reverse the moratorium proposed by Governor Walker and restore the Stewardship Program’s ability to plan and improve sustainability statewide,” Kitchens said. “Not surprisingly, this was one of the top concerns I heard voiced by my constituents after the Governor initially unveiled his proposed budget.” Under the motion adopted by the JFC, the proposed moratorium on land purchases was replaced with language that allows for a total of $33.2 million in borrowing authority for each fiscal year until 2019-20. Overall, the motion allows for a limited level of land acquisition authority, which will help to reduce Stewardship-related debt by $140 million in the next 20 years. “Over the past few months, I have met with numerous conservation stakeholders as well as my party’s leadership to try and find a way to restore funding for the Stewardship Program in the budget,” Kitchens said. “I am happy to see my efforts paid off and the program will be funded in a manner that is sustainable going into the future.” The Wisconsin Legislature created the Stewardship Program in 1989 to preserve valuable natural areas and wildlife habitat, protect water quality and fisheries, and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation. The conservation and recreation goals of the Stewardship Program are achieved through the acquisition of land and easements, development of recreational facilities, and restoration of wildlife habitat. The state budget is expected to be voted on by the Legislature in June.

Source:  Kitchens press release

Governor Scott Walker

Walker shared one reason he supports requiring women to undergo ultrasounds before abortions in an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch. Ultrasounds are a “cool thing,” he said. “The media tried to make that sound like that was a crazy idea,” Walker said of the mandatory ultrasound bill he signed into law in 2013. “Most people I talked to, whether they’re pro-life or not, I find people all the time that pull out their iPhone and show me a picture of their grandkids’ ultrasound and how excited they are, so that’s a lovely thing. My sons are 19 and 20, we still have their first ultrasounds. It’s just a cool thing out there,” he said. The bill Walker signed requires the ultrasound technician to point out a fetus’ visible organs and external features to the woman before she has an abortion. The law is intended to make women change their minds about their decisions, he told Loesch. “We just knew if we signed that law, if we provided the information, that more people, if they saw that unborn child, would make a decision to protect and keep the life of that unborn child,” he said. Opponents of the law argue that the procedure is medically unnecessary for abortions in the first trimester and significantly adds to the cost of the abortion procedure.

Source:  Huffington Post

Sen. Ron Johnson

Johnson shared these remarks on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) finalization of the “Waters of the United States” rule. “I am disappointed that the EPA has finalized its controversial ‘Waters of the United States’ rule. This rule is the latest example of executive overreach that could harm Wisconsin farmers and businesses with increased permitting costs and undue litigation. Under the rule, the EPA has expanded its authority over smaller bodies of water like wetlands, ponds and lakes that were previously not subject to federal regulation….I have sent multiple letters to the EPA emphasizing the rule’s burdensome impact on Wisconsin manufactures and farmers. I have requested information relating to the EPA’s considerations in writing the rule as well as documents pertaining to the EPA’s consultation with state and local governments. The EPA’s reluctance so far to provide the relevant information and documentation underscores this administration’s lack of transparency and disregard for congressional oversight. Stakeholders in Wisconsin and around the country deserve to know how this ‘water’ rule will affect their day-to-day business operations without fear of drowning in permitting and litigation costs.”

Source:  Johnson press release

President Barack Obama

Obama has been tweeting for six years, but on June 1 the POTUS finally gets @POTUS, his own personal Twitter account. In its first moments of its existence, @POTUS has been climbing in follower counts, adding hundreds per second. At time of writing, more than 75 thousand people have signed up to get the president’s 140-character messages. A press release from the White House explained that “[t]he @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him.”

Source:  Yahoo.com