Walker Issues Executive Order for Public Records

Governor Scott Walker

The Governor issued Executive Order #189 to promote open and transparent government through the implementation of best practices and performance dashboards. Executive Order #189 was issued as a part of Sunshine Week. “We go above and beyond what is required by the law when it comes to public records requests to make sure we are being as open and transparent as possible for our citizens,” Walker said. “Today, we are thrilled to highlight some of the great initiatives we have put in place to ensure public access to government across all state agencies. We continue to look for ways to better serve the people of Wisconsin. By implementing these new initiatives, our citizens will have access to government services and processes far beyond what any previous administration has offered.”

Source: Walker press release

Representative Reid Ribble

Ribble introduced H.R. 4732, the Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act, to tweak CMS rules to allow hospitals like St. Vincent and Bellin in Green Bay to offer residency programs to medical students from local medical schools like the Medical College of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Source: Ribble press release

Senator Tammy Baldwin

On March 14 Baldwin introduced new legislation, the Water Technology Acceleration Act, which would accelerate the development and deployment of water technologies to solve our most pressing water challenges, including lead safety, phosphorous reduction and treatment of bacteria and nitrates. “The Flint water crisis, where more than 8,000 children were poisoned with lead and more than 100,000 Americans remain without safe drinking water, is a historic failure of government to invest in protecting a local water supply. However, Flint is not alone; there are many other communities across the United States that face serious challenges. With technological innovation, we could have better solutions to confront water problems,” said Baldwin. Her reforms would create a federal role for accelerating the testing, deployment and encouraging the commercialization of technologies, including pipes with smart sensors that can tell you when water is contaminated or when water pressure is dropping. The legislation would also help accelerate technologies to address livestock waste treatment systems, green infrastructure and updated stream gauges, which can help reduce the costs of a variety of water problems, such as upgrading water infrastructure and treating manure that runs into surface waters. “In Wisconsin, we are leading the development of these new solutions. The Water Council and its partners – from our research labs to the many companies in our region – are doing incredible work to find innovative new ways to better test, monitor, treat and deliver water,” said Baldwin.

Source: Baldwin press release  

Senator Ron Johnson

Johnson joined the 94-1 majority in approving the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, a bill to begin addressing opioid and heroin addiction. Johnson said this after the vote: “America’s insatiable demand for drugs creates so many problems. As I travel around Wisconsin and talk to public safety officials, I ask them the biggest problem they’re dealing with. They tell me drug abuse, citing the crime and the trail of broken lives and broken families that addiction leaves in its wake…. Stopping this problem at the root of so many tragedies unfolding across America is something we can all agree on. I’m pleased to see this bill move forward.”

Source: Johnson press release

President Barack Obama

Federal appeals court judge Merrick Brian Garland is President Obama’s pick to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The president officially named Garland as a Supreme Court nominee as they stood before the media and a large gathering of attendees in the Rose Garden at the White House Wednesday. Addressing the refusal by Republican leaders in the Senate to consider a Supreme Court nominee, Obama said that in Garland, he had chosen “a serious man and an exemplary judge.” He added that in discussions about Supreme Court vacancies – the current one, as well as earlier openings – “The one name that has come up repeatedly – from Republicans and Democrats alike – is Merrick Garland.”

Source: National Public Radio