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Reps in the News: Evers Establishes ‘Juneteenth,’ Johnson Introduces MILK Act

Governor Tony Evers

Gov. Evers is recognizing Juneteenth in Wisconsin by proclaiming June 19 as Juneteenth Day across the state.

Juneteenth dates back to the day in 1865 when the last slaves were informed of their freedom, effectively ending slavery in the United States.

“This is a time to recognize the struggles of African Americans in our country’s modern history,” Evers said in a press release. “While we use this time to reconcile with our past, we must also continue to make progress by moving forward in solidarity and strength.”

Source: wtmj.com

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Sen. Baldwin announced that Fincantieri Marinette Marine has been awarded a $1.1 million 2019 Small Shipyard Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Commerce Committee, Baldwin has long supported the Small Shipyard Grant Program, which helps small shipyards such as Marinette Marine to repair and modernize equipment, improve efficiency and increase productivity.

“In Wisconsin, and across America, small shipyards are considered the lifeblood of the maritime economy. I am proud to have secured this critical investment to support our Made in Wisconsin economy and a workforce that is second to none,” Baldwin said. “I worked in support of this grant because it will allow Marinette Marine to expand opportunities for workers, invest in capital improvements and remain competitive in the global maritime industry.”

President Trump’s proposed fiscal-year 2019 budget would have eliminated this critical program.

The Small Shipyard Grant Program provides assistance to small shipyards to make capital improvements and train workers to remain competitive in the global marketplace. The program provides Wisconsin manufacturers with opportunities to sell their products, and because Buy America provisions are applied to grant awards, the program supports American-made equipment and good-paying jobs.

Source: Baldwin press release

Senator Ron Johnson

Sens. Johnson and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced the Milk in Lunches for Kids (MILK) Act legislation to allow schools to serve all forms of milk, including flavored and unflavored whole milk and 2-percent milk. Currently, schools are allowed to serve only flavored and unflavored skim and 1-percent milk with lunches.

“Overregulation has limited the healthy varieties of milk [that] schools can serve students. Since these Obama-era regulations went into place, milk consumption has notably declined in schools across the country,” Johnson said. “I’m pleased to co-sponsor this legislation that would give schools the ability to serve all forms of milk, including whole milk and flavored milk. Greater choice allows schools and students to make the best choice for them.”

The MILK Act also requires the secretary of agriculture to revise regulations to exclude milk fat from the cap on saturated fat in school lunches.

Source: Johnson press release

President Donald Trump

More than a decade after the exoneration of five black and Latino teens accused of raping a woman in Central Park, President Trump indicated on Tuesday that he still doesn’t accept their innocence. Nor does he think he owes them an apology for publicly calling for their executions.

The teenagers, known as the Central Park 5, were exonerated by DNA evidence and a confession from the true perpetrator in 2002, 13 years after they were vilified by prosecutors and in the press after being charged and convicted of the rape of a white woman who was jogging in the park. The story is back in the news because of a recently released Netflix series about the case, When They See Us.

Before leaving for his re-election campaign launch rally in Florida, Trump took a number of questions from reporters outside the White House. April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks asked if he’ll “apologize to the Central Park 5” for taking out a full-page newspaper ad calling for their executions. Trump indicated he will not.

“Why do you bring that question up now? It’s an interesting time to bring it up,” Trump said, apparently not aware of the Netflix series. “You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein [the discredited prosecutor who oversaw the case], and if you look at some of the prosecutors, they think the city should have never settled that case. So, we’ll leave it at that.”

Source: CNN