Representative Rob Kreibich

For all those who ever served, suffered and made the ultimate sacrifice—-thank you for protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day. We are eternally grateful.

Frustrating day at the Capitol yesterday: a rare bipartisan agreement with Gov. Evers that would have sent 80 pct of our 2.4 billion dollar surplus (this is not the rainy day fund which has more than 2 billion in reserve) back to the taxpayers.

The measure included:
1. Property tax relief
2. No tax on tips
3. No tax on overtime
4. Property tax break for disabled veterans
5. Special ed funding boost to K12 schools.

53 of 54 Assembly Republicans supported it. About 1/4 of Democrats.

Then the package went over to the state senate where all democrats and 3 Republicans killed it.

So no relief and now the surplus sits there while special interests have 7 months until the next Legislature convenes to come up with ways to spend it. You’ll likely never see a dime.

Manitowoc County just put a moratorium on data centers and it’s time for St. Croix County to follow suit. New supervisor Dani Erickson of Somerset campaigned successfully on curtailing data centers and tonight she’s aiming to put a moratorium on a future county board agenda item.

I’m going on the record supporting this action after I saw one attempted in the Village of Hammond. Elected leaders there quickly put a kabosh on the idea but who knows when the next one will be proposed here. The public hates these for all the obvious reasons: water usage and utility bills skyrocket and property values plummet. No thanks.

It seemed like every resident in the Village of Hammond was in one place tonight: the Village Hall where a proposed small data center was shot down by the Plan Commission unanimously. The information session that followed produced more questions than answers. The public comments were overwhelmingly against the project—no surprise. State polling shows about 90 pct of state residents are against these.
Twin Cities TV covered the event and I’ll be on TV tonight blasting data centers.

A major intersection that has seen many crashes is just one of several major projects that will be addressed by the WISDOT in coming months. You’re invited to an event featuring the top state officials in District 6, which covers 20 northwest counties.

Join us Friday at Northwood Technical College for an Eggs and Issues focused on transportation updates on state highways in western WI. Top Department of Transportation officials will explain some very important road projects which will improve safety and efficiency for motorists. The 90 minute discussion is free and open to the public.

So appreciative of these two young men who interned in my office this legislative session.

Update on some highway improvements in St Croix County. General transportation aid went up 3 pct and 150 million for rural roads in the budget we passed 8 months ago. Transportation infrastructure is a bipartisan issue. We did it without raising the gas tax or increasing vehicle registration fees.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation Governor Evers approves WIS 35/64 and WIS 64 improvement project To invest in Wisconsin’s transportation system, Gov. Tony Evers has signed $9.96 million contract with prime contractor Chippewa Concrete Services, Inc. of Chippewa Falls for a pavement improvement project on WIS 35/64 from 150th Avenue northeast of Houlton to County C and WIS 64 from WIS 35 to 14...

Governor Evers signed another bill that I authored. Assembly Bill 19 was formally signed into state law after it passed both the Assembly and the Senate by unanimous votes. The bill strengthens protections for adults at risk—the most vulnerable among us, especially against sexual or financial exploitation. Pictured at the signing in the Governors conference room were Sen Andre Jacques, the Senate lead on the bill, and my two fabulous staffers Faith Alpaugh and Garrett Cook, and an at risk advocate.

Making WI a more tax friendly state for seniors was a highlight of the bipartisan state budget that included 1.6 billion in tax relief. Please note seniors over age 67: your first $48,000 in income is exempt from state income taxes ($24,000 for individual filers).
I’m sending out the reminder below to 1300 senior households in my district. We hope next session to expand this tax benefit and continue making WI a retirement-friendly state.