Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend, the town of Vernon and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Good luck, Mark!
Today, one of the Assembly representatives in our state Senate district and my good friend, Mark Gundrum, left for Fort Bragg.Mark will undergo weeks of training before heading to Iraq to serve his country.
I will miss Mark a great deal as will his constituents and the Wisconsin Legislature.
May God bless him during this tour of duty and bring him safely back to Wisconsin and his wonderful family.
Congratulations, Wisconsin hunters!
The just-completed 2007 deer hunting season was the second-safest hunting season on record, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
There were six hunting incidents and three fatalities.
The DNR reports that the 10-year average for total numbers of incidents during the regular nine-day season is 16.4. The state averages two fatalities per year.
Wisconsin gun deer license sales through the end of the nine-day hunt totaled 641,432. The DNR reports that with six incidents, that means that the incident rate was about 1.06 per 100,000 participants. The national average for hunting incident rates is around five per 100,000 participants. The DNR says Wisconsin has been able to reduce the hunting incident rates by 90 percent over the last 40 years, and that no other safety education training program in the entire country has been that successful.
Wisconsin hunters are exhibiting the proper behavior necessary for a safe hunt. They are to be commended for following the rules of safety.
I discuss photo ID on WISN
This morning, I was a guest on the Vicki McKenna show on Newstalk 1130 WISN. We discussed my call for the state to approve photo ID.You can hear the interview on the WISN podcast.
Click on LISTEN on Thursday, Hour 1, Part 2.
The podcast will be available for a limited time.
Do not call the No Call List
Many Wisconsinites are trying to beat the Friday midnight deadline to register for Wisconsin’s No Call List so they can get on the list January 1, 2008.So many people are dialing 866-966-2255 that they get this message:
"We're sorry. All circuits are busy now. Will you please try your call again later."
The message is followed by an annoying ring tone.
The Appleton Post Crescent reports:
Glen Loyd, spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said that people who can't get through should try back again later, and people may have greater success getting through late at night. He said the system works "if you give it a chance."
"It isn't broken … normally everyone gets through eventually," he said.
People must sign up by midnight Friday to get on the list, which aims to block telemarketing calls. People who signed up for the list two years ago will drop off if they don't renew. The next chance to get on the list will be in March.
Loyd said the state has added additional lines to handle the increased calls that came in as the deadline neared, and the automated system has been taking in about 25,000 calls daily. He said some people also are having difficulty getting the Web site to work at certain times because of increased traffic.
Loyd said people who can't get through can call the agency's general line for help signing up. That number is 800-422-7128.
While some people are having a hard time getting through, Loyd said the system will record as many as 100,000 numbers in a week.
As I wrote in a previous blog, the easiest way to register is by filling out the online form. Click on the link to my previous blog and you will find the form.
I renew the call for photo ID
After the Legislative Audit Bureau released its audit today on compliance with election laws, I issued the following press release, renewing the call for photo ID in Wisconsin
