Burnett County’s newly sworn-in legislators made a joint appearance on Friday, Feb. 10 in Grantsburg, holding a combined legislative update and listening session at the Brask-Fossum-Janke American Legion Post 185.
Appearing together were new 25th District State Senator Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake), and new 73rd District Assemblywoman Angie Sapik (R-Lake Nebagamon) who both gave outlines of their priorities and several issues they are concentrating on early in the legislative session.
Sapik noted that it was her first such listening session, and said she was glad it was in Burnett County. She also pointed out her priorities in relation to committee assignments, as she serves on the Corrections Committee; the Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee; Workforce Development and Economic Opportunities, as well as serving as vice-chair for the Labor and Integrated Employment Committee.
Sapik noted several issues of concern across the state on prison and jail issues, which are related to staff shortages and employee retention.
“There are some real concerns about having a riot (with not enough staff) at some facilities,” Sapik noted, adding that she has heard of several ways they are trying to correct the shortages, through additional hourly pay, which is part of a special program that is soon to expire, and she is hoping will be renewed. “I’m newly addicted to this corrections thing!”
Burnett County Board chairman Don Taylor was in attendance and talked at length with Sen. Quinn about county and municipality money issues, due to the state-imposed levy limits.
“Local governments are starting to bump up against the levy limits,” Taylor said, noting a proposal to base funding for counties and municipalities on sales taxes, versus shared revenue formulas, and how it might be a big help for counties, as they would have additional authority for localized sales taxes.
“There’s been efforts to revamp shared revenue,” Quinn said, pointing out how the formula only allows for increased local revenues though increases in new construction. “The problem is it’s broken.”
Taylor pointed to dramatic health care cost increases, on top of steadily rising road building and labor costs, as well as general inflation and supply issues.
“The only real way to (stay under budget) is to cut services, and the only way to do that is to cut people,” Taylor said, pointing out that school districts are also feeling the pinch, and how over 75 of them had levy limit overrides or referendums on their ballots last fall, and all but a few succeeded. “Everybody realizes something has to be done.”
Quinn and Sapik noted the so-called “Rainy Day Fun” the state has accumulated, as well as the estimated multi-billion-dollar surplus, which some have estimated at as much as $7 billion.
“That’s the big question: How much is too much (for Rainy Day Funding) when keeping it in a savings account loses money to the CPI (Consumer Price Index),” Quinn said. “Versus giving it back to the taxpayers.”
Sapik said the actual surplus is about half of the $7 billion, and pointed out that much of the money is from several one-time windfalls that will not keep happening.
“We’ve got to be careful where we give it out,” Sapik said. “Now, people might expect it every year.”
Other topics the duo addressed included foreign ownership of property, gerrymandering, abortion access and the 1849 law, mental health funding and a lack of facilities, as well as the rising volume of fentanyl overdoses and fatalities across the state, and how to deal with extensive transportation costs for law enforcement and treatment facilities, which are almost all several hours away.
“We need more facilities, and we need more staff,” Sapik concurred, with Quinn adding that the need for additional mental health therapists is also a growing problem that needs to be addressed, either through staff retention incentives or new hires and training.
“Yeah, we just don’t have enough therapists,” Quinn said. “We’ve got to build up that pipeline.”
The two also opined on everything from audience questions about “socialism,” property tax increases, ballot access for confined residents, “wokeness,” free speech on campus, and “election integrity.”
Chairman Taylor expounded on “election integrity” concerns by noting certain elected officials may not be following residency requirements, how it needs to be more fully enforced - citing issues with their local prosecutor living in another county, and allegations of fraudulent nomination papers, which Quinn said he was not aware of but “Would look into.”
Duke Tucker of Grantsburg raised his concerns with the legislators on Crex Meadows water levels, DNR control over those levels, and how it may impact local water quality.
“The DNR has gotten reckless about the water levels,” Tucker said. “We should be looking at more natural water elevations.”
Quinn and Sapik were aware of the issues, and said they supported Tucker and other residential efforts to make the water level controls more locally based.
“We all love Crex Meadows, but the DNR just doesn’t follow the law,” Tucker said.
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