The State Senate was on the floor twice in the month of February. Much of the work we accomplished was done on a bipartisan basis. Here are some of the highlights from our work this month:

Keeping fees on the ag industry reasonable: Last year, the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) proposed significantly increasing fees on animal truckers, livestock dealers, and animal markets. Some of these proposed fees rose by 83% on the low end, while others increased by as much as 1,700%. This proposal was outrageous, and after outcry from the ag community, DATCP paused to reevaluate these changes. We passed legislation that would put the current fees into state statute, ensuring that an unaccountable agency cannot unilaterally increase these fees without legislative discussion and approval.

Creating a Veterinary Loan Repayment Program: Our rural areas face a serious shortage of large-animal veterinarians. Graduates often gravitate towards higher-paying jobs in urban areas caring for dogs and cats. While large-animal veterinary care is essential to our ag economy, the financial realities simply do not work for many new graduates. We passed legislation to create a veterinary loan repayment program that provides up to $100,000 in student loan forgiveness in exchange for new graduates going to practice in a rural area, and dedicating at least half of their work to caring for farm animals.

Ensuring transparent state government: The Senate passed legislation to open the operation of a statewide public affairs network to a competitive bidding process. Wisconsinites deserve transparency and a nonpartisan view of what is going on in state government. For many years, WisconsinEye has provided that coverage. However, concerns about financial transparency and leadership have led many to believe it is time to open a competitive process to determine whether WisconsinEye remains the strongest partner for the state. This bill requires the ultimately selected network to provide unedited, gavel-to-gavel coverage of state government proceedings, free of charge. This process will increase transparency and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly.

Protecting Wisconsin from foreign adversaries: We passed a package of bills aimed at protecting Wisconsin from the influence of foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries are countries that the federal government determines have engaged in a long-term pattern of conduct determinantal to the United States. These countries include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.

The legislation prohibits state agencies and the University of Wisconsin System from entering into contracts with entities that have ties to foreign adversaries, protects sensitive genetic data from falling into the wrong hands, and prohibits telecommunications providers from using infrastructure manufactured by foreign adversaries.

Saving newborn babies: Under the Wisconsin Safe Haven law, a parent can safely and anonymously surrender custody of their newborn baby without fear of prosecution if their child is 72 hours old or younger. This law has helped protect vulnerable infants and support parents facing overwhelming circumstances. Since 2012, 224 babies have been safely surrendered under the Safe Haven law in Wisconsin. We passed legislation to extend the safe haven period from 72 hours to 30 days, giving parents more time to make a safe and thoughtful decision during a very emotional and difficult period.

This issue is meaningful to me because of a tragic local story. In 2021, a teenage father in Green County shot and killed his four-day-old daughter after the parents decided that they could not take care of the child. My hope is that extending the safe haven period will help prevent future tragedies and ensure that more precious lives are protected.

If you need assistance with any state-related matters, please call my team at the State Capitol – 608-266-0703 – or email me – Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. My team is ready and willing to help navigate your state government, clear obstacles, and receive your input.