Anatomy of a Wednesday

Usually this newsletter provides a rundown for you of my week, with commentary here and there about  goings-on in state and national policy and politics. Today I thought it would be fun to zero in on just one day this week—Wednesday—to give you a better sense of the variety of different issues we confront in state government. (And the variety of events and cities my Chief of Staff thinks we can squeeze into a human day.) I started in the Wisconsin Dells with the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals, like Judge J.C. Moore from Milwaukee County. As you know, I believe that drug courts, veterans courts, and other specialized courts can provide a treatment track that often works better than prison and saves taxpayer dollars. As you also know, the Opioids Task Force I co-chair recommended an increase in funding for treatment alternatives and diversion programs in the special session on opioid abuse; the Joint Finance Committee (thanks to the leadership of my co-chair Rep. John Nygren) further increased funding this week, which will allow more counties to offer these intensive interventions to offenders struggling with addiction.

Next stop Appleton and the Department of Workforce Development’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity conference. Helping people get jobs can be a job in itself, and I’m grateful for the scores of professionals from across our state who work at Job Centers, Workforce Investment Boards, technical colleges, and other organizations that connect people to their American dreams.

These kids bleed green and gold, and not only for the Packers! Even before they connect to our workforce, students can have significant skills in manufacturing and technology. Tommy, a student at Florence High School (home of the green and gold Bobcats) showed me a plastic engine light covering that goes on the dashboard of certain heavy duty trucks. The students created them in the Florence Fab Lab for a nearby company. I was on hand to help open the fabrication laboratory in December 2015—what a joy to see students using it!

Local businesses are essential partners in making fab labs and similar school programs a success; and hiring graduates. Brian from Pride Manufacturing was in Florence to scope out potential future employees. His company makes the majority of all golf tees—you can insert your own Erin Hills  U.S. Open reference here...I love that Wisconsin makes the majority of golf tees you buy, and crazy amounts of other things that everyone knows. We make the little brown rippled papers on Reeses Peanut Butter cups. We make the white plastic trash bags with the red pulls (just congratulated that company on their Governor’s Export Award yesterday). We make the pink Mr. Bubble bubble bath bottles and we make the machines that fold the paper napkins you use at the fast food restaurant.  Wisconsin really does supply the world!

My day ended clear at the other end of the state near Racine for an important conference on public safety. Like I said in last week’s newsletter, I am deeply appreciative of the work done by our local Police and Sheriff’s departments. Serving on the streets isn’t easy; you are often called on to make split second decisions that could mean life or death. Wisconsin has been leading the way in creating a fair, neutral process to evaluate officer-involved shootings, and I’m hopeful this summit will lead to continued improvements to ensure a just outcome in these sometimes controversial cases.

Happy Mothers Day!

It was more than a twelve hour day on Wednesday, which is fine. I love my job and don’t mind the miles, though I do miss my family. Thankfully I get some quality time with the girls this weekend, and then with our extended family on Sunday. Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there who put in long days every day to make sure the living room gets picked up, the dishes are washed, the checkbook is balanced, the kids are reading. Whether you have a day job like mine or something completely different, every day is full of challenges, opportunities, and important moments for moms. We’re grateful for you and we’re praying for you on Sunday. And thanks, Mom...because I know you read this newsletter.  I love you!

Forward,

Rebecca Kleefisch
Lt. Governor

P.S.  Speaking of prayer, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one other thing from the week.  Though the newsletter only recounts my Wednesday, Wisconsin taxpayers should know I did still work the other four days this week too.  And on Tuesday, I filled in for my friend Pastor Jerome Smith of Greater Praise Church in Milwaukee, who is recovering from a heart attack.  The man loves the Lord and people so much, and works so hard to serve them, that he’s taken a well-deserved moment to recover.  I taught a class for him to the Joseph Project, which you know is one of my favorite efforts to change lives and neighborhoods through employment.  And though the focus of the Project is on jobs and skills, we ended the session in prayer, a powerful moment to thank God for His goodness and ask for further favor as these students relaunch their lives and careers.