Issues

Access to Affordable Health Care
With studies showing that nearly a half-million Wisconsites have no health insurance, increasing access to affordable health care has been - and is - one of Andy Jorgensen's top priorities.

In office, Andy has championed the expansion of the BadgerCare program, so that all Wisconsin kids are covered, when they

need to see a doctor. Andy believe every child deserves a healthy start in life. To learn more about the program, click here: www.badgercareplus.org

When SeniorCare, a popular prescription drug benefits program, was on Washington's chopping block, Andy started a petition drive in his district. Thousands of his constituents signed on, and Andy made sure their voices were heard. Ultimately, along with his colleagues on the state and federal level, Andy helped save the program - and ensure that seniors in Wisconsin won't have to choose between buying their groceries and purchasing their medications. To sign up, click here: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/seniorcare

Andy also understands that, when families pay for health insurance coverage, they expect their insurer to deliver, when they're in need. That's why he co-authored legislation to require insurance companies cover therapy and other services for kids with autism, just like they do for any other cognitive disorder. He also sponsored legislation to require insurance companies cover cochlear implants for kids with hearing problems. Andy knows that, when kids get care early, they benefit long-term - and families and the state save money.

Andy has also co-authored legislation to help farmers and small-business owners access catastrophic care coverage, at a more affordable rate.

For more on Andy Jorgensen's record of working to deliver greater access to affordable health care, visit his legislative website: www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm37/news
Tax Relief for Working Families
Andy Jorgensen believes that, in tight economic times, state government should tighten its belt right along with working families. As the 2007-08 budget was drafted, he was an independent voice for his district, calling for cuts at the agency level.

Andy also believes that we need to reform business taxation in Wisconsin to ensure that everyone pays just their fair share.

That's why, in the 2007-08 cycle, Andy Jorgensen introduced a bill which would have lowered property taxes for those hard-working families of Wisconsin, feeling the squeeze of a tremendous tax burden. The Home Owner’s Property Exemption, also known as HOPE, restores fairness to the property tax system by giving homeowners a long-overdue tax cut.

The HOPE plan works by exempting the first $60,000 of a home’s value from property taxes, saving the average taxpayer at least $500 each year. HOPE would also provide relief for renters by increasing the credit they receive from 12% to 16%. The difference in revenue would be balanced by closing corporate tax loopholes.

Andy continues to encourage his colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, to take an important step towards tax fairness by supporting the kind of tax relief HOPE would provide for Wisconsin families.
Quality Education for All
With three children in school this fall - Jens, a sixth-grader, Myles, a third-grader, and Camryn, just starting kindergarten - Andy Jorgensen considers a quality public school system a top priority. He understands that parents want the best possible educational opportunities for their kids, at the best possible price. Andy has always supported 2/3rds funding from the state for public schools.

But, Andy thinks our system for financing K-12 schools in Wisconsin is flawed; though our teachers are among the best in the nation, district budgets are holding them back. In many communities, districts are forced to call for referendums, to ask property taxpayers for money the state won't provide - money that might be used to replace heating systems or update computer labs. These votes force difficult decisions in our communities.

That's why Andy Jorgensen co-authored a bill in the 2007-08 cycle to hold the legislature’s feet to the fire on the issue of school financing; the proposal would have required the state to come up with a new funding formula by 2009.

He's still pushing for an overhaul of the financing system, and is hopeful about the chance to work on the issue in the next cycle.
Keeping Our Kids Safe
A study, done by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Justice Department, states that one in five young people will be solicited by an adult online, in the next year. Another report, from the Crimes Against Children Research Center, states that teenagers are victimized online, to varying degrees, at a rate of 77 percent.

There’s a lot parents can do to protect their kids (for tips, click here:www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm), but Andy Jorgensen believes the state should be a partner in the fight against online predators.

This past cycle, he authored a bill known as the “Sex Offenders’ E-Disclosure Bill.” This legislation would have required convicted sex offenders to provide the state’s Sex Offender Registry with their e-mail addresses and the Internet address of every website they maintain for personal use – including pages on MySpace and Facebook.

Many of Andy's colleagues supported this update of the Sex Offender Registry. The bill passed the Senate unanimously – on a voice vote! Unfortunately, in the end, partisan politics got in the way of this bill becoming law.

Despite this disappointment, Andy's not giving up. Andy continues to talk with his colleagues in the
legislature about the need for safeguards for our children online, and how we can accomplish meaningful change together. He also is talking with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to draft more legislation to address the issue.

Recently, Rep. Jorgensen was proud to announce changes in national sex offender reporting guidelines, alongside representatives from the Department of Correction and the Dane Co. Sheriff's Department, and Jefferson Co. Sheriff Paul Milbrath. This new law, with which Andy is pictured above, require states to collect "Internet Identifiers" from convicted sex offenders.
Creating Economic Opportunities
You see it in the news, and in our communities: businesses shutting down, home foreclosure, and tight family budgets. There's no doubt about it, these are tough economic times for Wisconsin, along with rest of the nation. Andy hears about this issue all the time, as he talks with neighbors at his listening sessions, as he talks with them door-to-door, and even along parade routes.

Andy Jorgensen believes federal government must take action to turn the economy around, but he believes the state should address economic issues, too. By maintaining our quality educational system, supporting job training programs, and keeping the quality of life high, our leaders - like Andy - can ensure Wisconsin is an attractive place to open and grow a business.

Andy Jorgensen also believes that Wisconsin should participate in rapidly-developing fields like biotechnology and renewable resources. In the last cycle, he introduced legislation to encourage growth in these fields.

We can also help assure that mortgage and lending businesses adhere to fair lending practices that fully disclose the costs and risks of borrowing. In the 2007-08 cycle, Andy introduced legislation to set up consumer protection guidelines for payday lenders. Learn more about the bill here: blogs.jsonline.com/allpoliticswatch/archive/2007/08/14/payday-lending-could-face-regulation.aspx