Commemorating Our Fallen Soldiers This Memorial Day
This upcoming Monday is Memorial Day, a day for spending time
with family and loved ones enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin outdoors.
While Memorial Day marks the start of summer, it’s crucial we
remember the true meaning of this holiday.
Brave men and women throughout our nation make the decision
every day to protect their country by joining the Armed Forces. On Memorial
Day, we remember those who paid the ultimate price for our safety by laying
down their lives.
God bless those who died while defending our country and
safeguarding our freedom – their dedication, courage, and honor will never be
forgotten.
We also thank our active members of the United States Armed
Forces. We pray for their safe return, and we will continue our work here in
Wisconsin to make sure when they return home from service they can pursue their
piece of the American Dream.
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30 Listening Sessions Held So Far Across Wisconsin
The state of our state is strong, and as we continue our work
to move Wisconsin forward, we want to hear from you – the hard-working
taxpayers of our state – about where our state should head in the next two
decades.
To accomplish this, we have been holding listening sessions
across the state. So far, we’ve visited 30 communities and heard from nearly
1,000 people about what we’re doing right and what areas we can improve on.
We’ve heard from principals, law enforcement officers,
farmers, small business owners, local government officials, retirees, veterans,
teachers, construction workers, union members, students, nurses, charitable
organization leaders, superintendents, ministers, and insurance agents.
We
have discussed a variety of topics and, so far, the most common issue areas are
K-12 education, jobs, and general quality of life issues facing each community
such as job training initiatives, access to broadband, and workforce retention.
The listening sessions bring together a diverse mix of people
in small group settings and we will continue to hold them over the next several
months. This input will guide us as we approach our next state budget and
legislative session.
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Reforms Bring Unemployment Trust Fund Balance to $1 Billion
Wisconsin’s economy continues to improve and coupled with our significant reforms to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program since we took office in 2011, employers and workers today are benefiting from a fair, cost-effective, and stable UI system.
The continued growth of our UI Trust Fund could spark the second consecutive drop in the UI tax schedule for covered employers in two years, saving an estimated $38 million in UI taxes per starting in tax year 2017.
Combined with last year’s activation of a lower UI tax schedule, which saved $97 million annually, the approximately 134,000 Wisconsin employers covered by the state’s UI program will realize $135 million in savings.
Our unemployment rate is below the national average, initial UI claims are at their lowest level since 1989, and a historic number of people are employed.
Wisconsin’s economy is headed in the right direction.
The growth of our UI Trust Fund provides yet another positive indicator for businesses looking to expand here in Wisconsin and create more jobs.
It has been a pleasure communicating with you. It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the residents of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Governor Scott Walker
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