By The Associated Press
Racine Journal Times. December 10, 2023.
Editorial: Shelve library bills of GOP lawmakers
Republican lawmakers advanced two bills recently that they say would boost parental oversight by requiring school and library staff to tell parents what materials their children under age 16 have checked out.
At a hearing in Madison, bill author Sen. Romaine Robert Quinn, R-Cameron said, “These bills are meant to provide more transparency to parents and guardians about what materials their child is allowed to access at public libraries.”
We agree with Quinn that parents have the right — and the responsibility — to monitor what books and other materials their young children are looking at.
But that’s where our agreement ends.
The problem is that the GOP proposals are not only redundant, since parents already have the ability to monitor their child’s library activity, but having librarians in both schools and municipalities have to take time from other duties to notify parents of their children’s check-out status — within 24 hours — would likely be massively expensive.
It’s unclear from the legislation how, exactly, such notifications would be made. By phone? By email? By postcard? Exactly how much staff time would this take to notify parents or guardians for each and every book that little Johnny or Cindy Lou takes past the checkout line?
And who pays the bill for that? Is the Legislature going to take a few million out of the state’s budget surplus to boost the staffing capabilities of school and public libraries, or is this just another unfunded mandate?
The Wisconsin Library Association testified against the public library bill at the hearing, with the chairman of its legislative committee, Peter Loeffel, writing, “Wisconsin state statutes allow custodial parents or guardians to request library records relating to their child’s use of the library, and public libraries have been diligent in complying with all statutory requirements.”
Loeffel, who is director of the Wauwatosa Public Library, said the legislation is “creating a solution to a problem that does not exist.”
“All public libraries in Wisconsin allow parents to review checked out items online, and many libraries also have apps that allow families to link library records so that a parent can view multiple accounts on their phone.”
The GOP legislation is not needed. The monitoring transparency is already in place and these bills would only run up the costs of operating school and public libraries.
The bills should be quietly put on the shelf where they can gather dust and then discarded.
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. December 11, 2023.
Editorial: A good moment for Van Orden
It’s very difficult to refute one of Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s arguments for federal aid to communities, like Eau Claire, which are dealing with PFAS contamination. We like several things he said on the issue during last week’s visit.
In short, Van Orden said that since the federal government has long required use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, it bears part of the responsibility for the contamination. That responsibility is clear to us, especially given federal authorities’ foot dragging on certifying replacements that don’t include PFAS chemicals.
Eau Claire is hardly in the worst shape with regard to PFAS, but the reality is that this is going to be a long, costly process to get them out of our drinking water. It’s not a cost that will be easily borne by communities nationwide. While some will have the financial wherewithal to shoulder a significant part of the burden, smaller communities will be hard hit.
It’s encouraging to see both federal and state officials beginning to take note and work toward finding ways to assist communities. Back in May the Wisconsin Legislature voted to set aside some $125 million to help cover the cost of removal. That’s a step in the right direction, though more will likely be needed. Eau Claire’s new facility to remove the contaminants will cost about $20 million, and other communities will have their own costs. Covering a meaningful portion of those expenses will require a lot more money.
For communities already struggling to maintain infrastructure amid dwindling populations, a situation faced by much of the Midwest, financial aid is going to be a requirement. It’s unacceptable to argue that people should be knowingly, continuously exposed to man-made contaminants based on where they happen to live.
There was another point Van Orden made during his visit that we find particularly encouraging. It’s worth giving the full quote here:
“Water is non-partisan. Public safety is non-partisan. There’s so many things that you can fight about in Washington D.C. This should never be one of them.”
We could not agree more.
For all the sniping that takes place in Congress — and Van Orden does his share — it is welcome to see a member make such a clear, unambiguous statement.
Ensuring the safe delivery of potable water for consumption is one of modern society’s signature achievements. Think about it for a minute. There have been societies in the past that had public water supplies, even a few that managed to pipe it into buildings.
They’re the exception, though. Public wells and cisterns were much more common for most of human history. The idea that it should be safe to drink water immediately, with no boiling or other decontamination, is fairly new. The fact it is so often taken for granted is extraordinary.
Time will tell whether the current sense of bipartisan responsibility holds. There are some tough debates to come. When this much money is involved, unanimity is extremely rare, and we expect significant differences of opinion in how state and federal funding is allocated.
Still, the fact we’re starting from a point in which the people involved are taking their responsibilities seriously and are actively taking stances against unnecessary partisanship is very encouraging. It doesn’t guarantee future harmony, but at least it means we’re not starting from a position of deep division.
Van Orden deserves credit for his stance. This was a good moment for him and for his district.
Wisconsin State Journal. December 10, 2023.
Editorial: Make Wisconsin a DACA magnet, just like Republican lawmaker says
Wisconsin is home to 5,800 DACA recipients — immigrants brought to America illegally by their parents when they were children.
Our state should encourage these young people to get an education and find good jobs, rather than treating them with hostility. For many DACA participants, America is the only home they’ve known because they arrived as babies or toddlers prior to 2008.
A group of bipartisan state lawmakers last week proposed more fairness and encouragement for recipients of DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
The lawmakers proposed a tax credit to partly offset DACA fees, in-state tuition and access to professional licenses. They hope to advance their straight-forward package of bills this spring.
The noble effort deserves strong public support.
Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, said his goal is to make Wisconsin “a DACA magnet across the country.”
That’s a daring and refreshing position for a Republican, given former President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. Trump this fall falsely claimed undocumented immigrants were ” poisoning the blood of our country.”
In reality, DACA recipients are working hard to contribute to Wisconsin, which is graying fast and needs more young people. According to Kids Forward of Wisconsin, more than 1 in 6 are enrolled in higher education. Many more are employed in food-related jobs, manufacturing and health care. Some work for the military.
DACA status helps them thrive, rather than live in the shadows, fearing they could be deported at any moment.
Collectively, DACA recipients in Wisconsin pay $45 million in federal and $31 million in local and state taxes, according to Kids Forward. They spend more than $200 million a year.
No wonder the public is so supportive. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults said they favored permanent legal status for DACA recipients. So did more than half (54%) of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents.
Created in 2012, DACA delays the deportation of more than 500,000 young people who entered the U.S. through no fault of their own. Applicants must renew their DACA status against deportation every two years. To be approved, they must be going to school or holding a job while avoiding criminal records.
“DACA recipients are here,” Macco said last week. “What is the state of Wisconsin going to do about it? It’s time to get out of their way and let them get educated and contribute to the workforce.”
He’s right. And more of his colleagues should get behind this sensible effort.
Macco and Reps. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, D-Milwaukee, and Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, proposed three bills last week to open educational and employment opportunities for DACA recipients.
They hope to create a nonrefundable $250 tax credit to offset about half of the fee DACA recipients must pay to maintain their status. Another bill would grant in-state tuition at Universities of Wisconsin schools for DACA participants who have lived in Wisconsin for at least a year. The final bill would allow these young people to secure commercial and professional licenses to work as barbers, plumbers and more.
These small steps toward fairness and respect should help keep and attract more DACA recipients, rather than losing them to other states. About 16 states already grant professional licenses, and about 25 allow in-state tuition.
Gov. Tony Evers proposed professional licenses for DACA recipients earlier this year. So he’s another powerful advocate.
DACA recipients have earned their place as rightful residents of Wisconsin. They will fill jobs, increase prosperity and strengthen local communities.
