Legislatively Speaking By State Senator Lena Taylor In Spike Lee’s early film School Daze, his central character, Dap Dunlap screams “wake-up” in an effort to get members of his community to come together for a common cause.  I have replayed that scene a thousand times as we discuss the issue of gun violence in our […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor The system of “Shared Revenue” in this state has been around for a long time. It was started in 1911, when a Ford Model T Town Car cost $1,200 with bells and whistles like three oil lamps, a horn and tools for repairs. Back then, shared revenue was […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor Recently, I congratulated TeKema Balentine for winning the coveted title of Ms. Black USA. TaKema is a native of Madison, Wisconsin and represented our state in the national pageant, after being crowned Ms. Black Wisconsin. It was with great pride that I wanted to acknowledge the hard work […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor Due to the size and layout of Milwaukee, it is possible to rarely see homeless individuals sleeping on city streets overnight. Although the issue exists, often, it is a problem hidden in plain sight. Whether under bridges or low hanging trees, the homeless are shielded from passing cars […]

Legislatively Speaking In the United States we’ve been taught that the color red can mean danger. A flashing red light signals a need to stop. Most of us sense internal red flags that let us know that something may be wrong. In Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul is seeking legislation often referred to as the […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor Column written along with Sen. Taylor’s intern Lauren Sorenson On July 7, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team contributed to their already long list of accomplishments by winning their third World Cup title. While serving as an inspiration and source of pride for us all, some players exercised their […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” If you are like most people, you can’t hear the above referenced passage […]

Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor This month, the Wisconsin State Legislature took up the state budget. Ironically, June is also “Migraine and Headache Awareness Month”. While sitting in the Senate Chambers debating the merits of the budget sent to the legislature by the Joint Committee on Finance, these two events seemed related. I […]