Foxconn is coming to Mount Pleasant, Free Blue Books, Congressional Medal of Honor Ceremony and Catholic Central High School visits the Capitol

Foxconn is Coming to the Village of Mount Pleasant

On Wednesday, Foxconn announced the future home of Foxconn's manufacturing campus will be the Village of Mount Pleasant in Racine County. The 20 million square foot mega manufacturing campus will be located off the Interstate 94 between Highway 11 and Highway KR. There are many questions that locals have regarding the Foxconn Project. Racine County has set up a website and is holding information sessions to discuss local questions and concerns.

Local Information Sessions

Mount Pleasant Village Hall
Wednesday, October 11
4:30-6:30pm

Memorial Hall in the City of Racine

Thursday, October 12
5-7pm

Veteran's Terrance in Burlington

Tuesday, October 24
5-7pm

For more information regarding the Foxconn Project visit: Click.

Drainage Bill gets Hearing in Assembly and Senate

On Tuesday, October 3rd I testified before the Assembly Committee on Agriculture in support of Assembly Bill 246/ Senate Bill 177. For almost three years, I have been seeking to resolve issues that have arisen with the current drainage district structure in my district. The Wind Lake Canal has not been dredged in over 50 years. In an effort to address this and similar issues I co-authored legislation to help expedite the process of maintaining ditches.

Current law has numerous statutes regulating the oversight, permitting process, membership, transfer and operation of drainage districts, some of which are burdensome to follow. For example, the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) generally regulates drainage ditches, but the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for issuing the necessary permits to dredge and maintain them. There is also nothing that mandates that any of the spots on the drainage district boards be filled by local officials who would ultimately be affected by the actions the boards take.

AB 246/ SB 177 resolves these issues by establishing necessary guidelines on drainage districts that strike a balance between protecting local control and providing the agriculture community with an efficient service that is so essential to their operations.

I look forward to testifying in support of AB 246/SB 177 in the Senate Agriculture, Small Business and Tourism Committee on Tuesday, October 10th.

Changes for Pheasant Hunters at Richard Bong State Recreational Area
Visitor Entrance Station Temporarily Closed

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, pheasant hunters planning on hunting at Richard Bong State Recreation Area will need to do things differently this year when they come to purchase their hunting permit. A vehicle accident occurred at the Bong entrance station last month that has put it out of commission for a while. As a result, customer service staff are temporarily relocated to the Molinaro/Nature Visitor Center. Instead of driving up to the entrance station and purchasing the permit from their vehicle, hunters will need to drive to the visitor center and walk to the building to purchase permits. This is likely to result in some delays in permits being issued. The visitor center will open at 8 a.m. each day of the season and hunters should plan on arriving early so they can get their hunting permits and get to hunting locations by the opening of the season at 9 a.m. Bringing cash to pay for permits will expedite permit sales.

More information on the recreation area can be found on the DNR Website: www.dnr.wi.gov.

2017-18 Wisconsin Blue Books Available

The Wisconsin Blue Book has been published annually since 1853. It was initially an Assembly pocket manual to easily access information about state government. Over the years, the Blue Book has changed size, color, scope and purpose. Originally, the book was under 100 pages but in 2015 it ballooned to almost 1,000 pages. The 2017-18 edition has 677 pages and includes information about current elected officials, legislative committees, units of state government and more.

I am happy to provide a free Wisconsin Blue Book to residents of the 21st Senate District. If you would like a free copy, please send an email to: Sen.Wanggaard@legis.wi.gov providing your name and mailing address. Please note, the Blue Book can not be sent to P.O. Boxes.

Civil Air Patrol Congressional Gold Medal Presentation

Last weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, awarding medals to two Civil Air Patrol members who bravely fought in the Civil Air Patrol Costal Patrol during World War II. Colonel John H Batten and Lt. John S Rowland (both posthumously) are very deserving of this highest award given to a US citizen. Thank you for your service!