Welcome, everyone, to Midday Magazine for this Friday, September 20th, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailov here.
At 4.30 today, we're going to talk with Kevin about scouting.
We're looking forward to getting into that.
Right now, we have Wisconsin State Senator Patrick Teston joining us.
24 Senate District Representative, how are you today, sir?
I'm doing well, James. How about yourself?
Doing good. Doing good. Always look forward to hanging out and talking with you.
Appreciate the time.
And you've been very busy. We'll get into some of the things you've been up to.
But first off, I wanted to touch on you were a part of you were able to attend.
I should say groundbreaking ceremony recently.
Can you tell us what happened and what that was about?
Yeah, so it was actually down in the Wauwatosa area, which is one of the suburbs of Milwaukee.
And it's the Versa de Blood Research Center.
We had a groundbreaking ceremony.
So in the state budget, I was the lead author and the state senate on an appropriation.
I gave them 10 million dollars to expand their operations along with many other donations that came from the private sector as well.
And what's so so incredible about this is that one prior to them coming to my office and making the pitch.
I had no idea who they were that they even existed in the state.
But they are doing some of the most critical and groundbreaking research for bloodborne illnesses in the entire world.
And with everything that's going on down there with children's hospital at the medical college of Wisconsin.
You have this whole collaborative campus down there and the research that they're doing it's saving lives and it's groundbreaking.
And it's already attracting researchers from around the country who are looking to come here to Wisconsin to learn on how we can prevent bloodborne illnesses, which is remarkable.
It's and you you hit on the head with the groundbreaking work.
It really is.
I also like to use this opportunity because Versa de does a great job of having blood drives and doing a lot of these.
We promote them and talk about them a lot on our shows.
There is a number of different opportunities for you to be a hero out there.
And you can donate and you can donate even today.
Our Stevens point real close to us right here.
Stevens Point Blood Donation Center.
They are kind of always open and taking donations.
There's a number of different ways you can do that.
Going back to the beginning of summer are we have been really over the fourth July weekend.
Our reserves our blood reserves were really, really tapped out.
So whether it's versity or the Red Cross, they are looking for donations right now.
And if you can help help them do this groundbreaking work, help them really help us because that's what this is all about.
It's really strangers helping strangers and oftentimes you might even be helping yourself by donating.
Well, that's just it.
And so, you know, if you're able, you know, they're especially in the wake of, you know, disasters and storm, hurricanes, you name it.
You know, the organizations like the American Red Cross organizations like Versa de are always looking for new blood.
So, you know, go down, give a pint and save life.
Yeah.
I like to always remind people that you don't have to have to have a catchphrase or a cape to be a superhero.
You know, you don't have to come up with a tragic backstory or where tides or anything.
You could be a hero just by donating blood.
You can be a superhero just doing that.
You were recently named the 2023-24 Wisconsin State Legislator of the year by veterans of foreign wars department of Wisconsin.
I know you have been humbled and honored by many of these awards over the years, sir.
But I can't imagine what this one must mean to you.
It means the world to me and it's always great when you receive an award and be recognized for the work that we do down a Madison on behalf of.
The people we represent different organizations, but anytime when veterans approach you to say we really appreciate all that you do it really means the world to me given the fact that they are the ones who have sacrificed so much.
The men and women who have done the uniform to go out and protect our nation.
It truly is a humbling experience and it's the second time I've received this award the first time was back in the 2017 2018 session my very first session.
And as the chair of the labor regulatory forum veterans and military affairs committee that has always been one of my priorities is doing what we can to make sure Wisconsin recognizes sacrifices that the men and women uniform as well as our families make to serve our country and ensure that we have the liberties and freedoms that we have today.
It's it's it's something that I think falls on all of us certainly to to look out for veterans represent our veterans help in any ways we can whether it's you know getting a brought you know and a brought fry or or it's being a part of causes like this and pushing for things like this.
But what you're able to do as a representative takes it to another level and it's appreciated not just by the veterans, of course, but by your by your communities by your constituents.
We always appreciate seeing these things one of the get into this one to with you to because it's that time of year again.
It is time to vote on the coolest things made in Wisconsin. You can do this right away by going to made and with calm made and with calm and I know this is one that you like to highlight every year sir.
Yeah, this is a really, really neat competition that's put on Wisconsin manufacturers and commerce so every year.
Individuals and businesses are able to submit the coolest and that's made in Wisconsin to highlight products and companies right here in our own backyard and so right now nominations were accepted between August 19 through September 6 and right now currently on WMC's website.
You can go and vote for the things that you think are the coolest and the top voters move on in the next bracket sort of like a.
Yeah bracket, which is cool and so the first round of ballot is going on through September 16 through the 24 so get out there and vote for the cool since made in Wisconsin in the past.
I've nominated a number of different products and businesses right here in the 24 Senate district from things like Matthews bow to King cone ice cream and you name it.
Yeah, one of the other things I first off I'm a big homer. I love whenever we can highlight products that are made right here in the state.
The other cool thing about this I think it's oftentimes we're learning about products for the first time when we see some of these things and oh I didn't even know what let alone this existed let alone we make it here.
That's kind of cool too and it gives us an opportunity to maybe highlight some of those things learning about new industries and where they're going with some of them you kind of touched on this a little bit too.
For every fun product there is things that products that are being made that are advancing our society that are helping society that are working to kind of fill gray areas along with of course hand strong string cheese which I love.
So that's great too. That's just as good as all these other things but it's such a cool thing that we do every year encourage you to go to madeinwis.com madeinwis.com get in on the voting have some fun with this one and see where your vote ends up.
See where what how who wins this thing will be certainly coming back to this story once they announce winners and all of that.
Absolutely and you brought up a really good point there James this is what's so great about this this competition I guess it's not a competition but really to highlight just the unique products and businesses that we have is that you know as well scouts well scouts nights we are so darn humble that I think oftentimes we're we're hesitant to be to break and show off what cool things we have.
And this is just one of those fun ways that we can really try and raise awareness and just highlight some of the unique and awesome products that are being made here in the state because there's a lot going on out there.
Prime example I was at a canine fundraiser for the canine the Juno County last weekend and met the business owners of a company just outside of a receipt of who make the video poker machines and other types of arcade games that get sold.
Across the state which I had no idea this is now in the 24 senate district so I'm going to be working with them to hopefully set up a day to do one of my in the jobs in their place and make some video games.
Oh man that sounds fun. Oh that sounds like you made the kid in me immediately like jump like sit up in my chair.
Oh I did that sounds and I heard about that a little while ago I look forward to talking with you and hearing how that goes.
And we actually would love to even talk with them ourselves on midday magazine here I think they'd be a great interview.
That's cool that is good to hear about sir.
We are speaking with state senator Patrick testing right now and sir I wanted to get into this one and I know this happened a couple months ago but I wanted to come back to it because we just didn't have a chance to talk about it.
You recently congratulated the Wisconsin Veterans Museum for receiving an award of excellence from the American Association for state and local history for its exhibit souvenirs of service the things they kept.
Not only did I appreciate that but it also gives us an opportunity to highlight and remind people about the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Yeah this is it was so great to see that they were recognized for this because Wisconsin has the third largest veteran Veterans Museum archives in the entire country.
So put that in perspective how much we care about our history and the men and women who have served from our state.
I think that speaks volumes and even going back and I know we talked about about this while back my my visit and tour the Wisconsin Museum archives which is just off of East Washington.
And downtown Madison where many artifacts are being housed while the new Veterans Museum is being built and it was absolutely incredible.
I can't tell you how I've just taken a back I was walking through with these archives seeing the banners of Wisconsin regiments that were carried in the Civil War that still have musket holes in them and cannon shot.
Seeing the the combat boots of individuals like Ray Stuby who was a Vietnam veteran who was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and better than Marines during the siege of case on saw some of the absolute most carnage.
But you know shipped his boots back home and preserved the red clay that was caked onto them so he would never forget the men that he served alongside and then spent the remainder of his life into this day reaching out to others who served through the siege case on the record their stories.
And every single artifact that's within the museum has a story to it there is it's tied directly back to a veteran and they have done an incredible job of taking the oral histories of our surviving veterans from conflicts like World War II Korea Vietnam even to some of our more modern conflicts like desert store my racking freedom.
The Afghanistan it's truly is if you get the chance ever to be near down a Madison take some time go to the veterans museum and especially when they open the new facility in a couple years it's going to be a site to be seen.
I cannot wait to see that I'll be up and running I mentioned before I think you and I've even talked about this before big history fan I love history.
But I like learning about history then there's history that I feel like we all need to learn we all need to be reminded of and it's it's not only one of those things that we should do as an honor but also as something I know we're not we are asked so little I feel as citizens I don't feel like we're really asked to do that much as American citizens I think that there's plenty of people that can argue with me about that or bring up this or that but I don't think that we are asked a lot and then we're certainly not asked of lot from.
The least we can do almost the least we can do is learn this history take this and take a moment out of your day take an hour or two out of your day and take some of this history in and give some appreciation and have some perspective of what these individuals did for us and did for democracy did for freedom did for us.
I'll go ahead sir.
I was going to say you're 100% spot on James and it is a history book myself you know in when we we learn about some of these major conflicts I think oftentimes we focus on the key players the main generals the elected officials but you know oftentimes what gets overlooked is that individual soldier that sailor that airman and that's one sense I have the opportunity to go through the archives because they have a history linked with an individual.
A soldier for service member I think it's important to actually hear their stories and experience what they went through and whether it's through letters that they wrote home.
Through the stories that they told to the curators and those who have archived their oral histories it really puts things into perspective that well oftentimes we get taught these things that they 30,000 foot level but to actually hear what it was like for those individuals on the ground.
And I think it's probably the most impactful thing that we can take and learn from moving forward.
Well said I thought you were a fellow history buff I thought so you can find out more online at wispvettmuseum.com that's wispvettmuseum.com but as Patrick's telling you and I second you really got to take this in in person you really got to go there and see it for yourselves encourage you to do so.
Hopefully you at works are I see that the Wisconsin State Senate is now accepting applications for the spring 2025 Senate scholar program the deadline to apply is November 15th for those that may not know what is the Senate scholar program.
This is a tremendous and great program where juniors and seniors have the opportunity to come down the Madison for a week and really get a front row seat on the inner workings of the state government particularly the state Senate.
So these Senate scholars they get to work alongside our Senate pages would do a tremendous job they're the ones that help staff our committee hearing they're the ones on the floor when we need to get messages out to individuals or correspondence to our staff.
And what I really like about at any time that we've had a Senate scholar from the 24 Senate district.
I always make it a point to sit down with them and basically have a little interview on how you know what they're what their interest is within state government how they're enjoying their time down a Madison.
And really you get to see the behind the curtains which is pretty unique because anyone can go on the Wisconsin eye and watch our floor proceedings but to actually see and have the interactions between our colleagues when we're discussing bills off of the floor or.
But within our respective caucuses it's really invaluable and it's an opportunity to open doors for those who have interest in government or public service to really kind of get their toe in the water and say this is something that they want to continue to pursue and I think it's really one of those experiences that not a lot of people get to have and the chance to you know be in the capital when when we're there and be on the floor it's a it's really unique and if anyone's interested.
Please reach out to my office and we'd love to sponsor another scholar from the 24 Senate district and thank you very much for the break down there sir I we need more young people involved in politics.
We I think that over the recent elections we've seen you know you look at the polls a lot of younger a lot more younger people are voting we need even more we need more younger people caring about politics and getting engaged and getting involved.
A little behind the curtain look for everybody here and I've talked with every one of our representatives that join us on the airwaves here about this I do this show very similar to something the Carl used to do with the show.
I feel that and and so did Carl there are a billion outlets out there for people for Senator testing or representative crew or anybody to go on the air and debate heavy issues debate the current issues of the day and all of that and getting back and forth and you know yell at each other or whatever that might be.
I like to use this half an hour that we get together to show that you are a human being to show that we have actual human beings doing these jobs you and I have but it heads before but we also wrap up every conversation usually laughing or wishing each other a good weekend or something like that it's very important that we go forward here where yes there is accountability yes as an American you have the right to you know bark at your screen or bark about a politician or what have you but you also have to remember that there are young people seeing you do this.
And the more more we do this the less and less those young people are going to want to do these jobs and we're going to have less and less people doing the jobs doing being politicians for the right reasons and some people just doing it because they want 15 seconds of fame the more younger people we get involved more we treat each other with respect and humanize ourselves more and get back to that the more hopefully we get younger people engaged in politics because none of this works if they don't care none of this democracy doesn't keep going if we know the younger generations engaged.
Yeah I think you're absolutely right. Sorry got on soapbox there sir sorry I get out by soapbox.
No I was sitting there I'm sitting here clapping. I didn't interview recently with Wisconsin I which is typically what they do for anyone who is up for reelection they sit down all incumbents and candidates seeking that office to kind of give them the way of the land and you know I they always end up with one of those one questions
Hey if you had a magic wand what what would you do to fix things here in the state and my response was I didn't even I didn't even flinch was you know I hope we can get to a time where we can tone down the rhetoric where we can get to a point where we can understand that Republicans Democrats liberals conservatives everywhere in between.
Yeah we've got different ways on how we want to approach things and how we'd like to govern and do what's best for our country our state and our communities.
But let's do no respectful manner and rather than the politics the personal destruction which have been you know dominant in our politics for far too long now for going on the better part of a decade and a half.
You know what like I tell people time when I'm out in the bottom communities and I go up to make the introduction also I'm a Democrat I always start laughing I say so are my parents I still love them and talk to them so what do you say I like shake my hand.
And it seems like that that I think you know kind of take down the the partisan divide in the wall and realizing yep there are going to be some issues that we are very far apart on.
But I think there is a lot more that that unites us and divides us and I'm always reminded of that quote from Bill Clinton and his inaugural address in 1993 that there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed by what is right with America.
And I firmly believe that still holds true today but it's going to require a lot of us to really you know come out of the partisan trenches roll up our sleeves and understand that after the once the elections over once the dust is settled.
You know what it's time to put on the policy caps and get back in the public policy arena and you know work on some of these tough issues that's going to require some compromise and that's something I've never been afraid to do and we'll continue to do in the states on it.
Appreciate that and I really do appreciate that quote it's such a good one in our last minute here sir you got to recently on your job series be at Wisconsin River meets how was that.
James even though this is a meat store I was a kid in the candy shop for about eight hours this was probably one of the coolest on the jobs that I've done.
And I told my wife I'm like look before I left I'm taking a giant cooler with me because I'm coming home with and sausage and it's the Wisconsin River meets its outside Boston on county H H if you've never been get there not only is the store incredibly beautiful but they have some of the best products and sausages bronze you name it and so.
One of the reasons why we picked this not only because is it new to the 24 senate district but you know and wake up.
Everything happened during the pandemic and the how fragile our food supply chain was it really want to see some of our local food processors and.
And John him which is the one of the owners which is probably the greatest name for some of the jobs such a good name really it is he put me to work I got to make sausages.
They had me cut inside the beef got the hand sides of be so I got to do my rocky impression in the cooler and it really paid to see that.
That's so great that it's good to hear I really appreciate you sharing and not only with us but on your social media some great video from that to you look like a kid in the candy store you look like you had a good time.
We always have a good I can't say oh yeah I was just going to say James real quick I can't say I'm probably have the same experience for our next one because I'm going to be in one of the crop dust complaints that are.
You know doing the crazy maneuvers that in the central sands doing some cover crops here and it's going to be one of those we're going to get short notice but they're going to have me up in the in the plane and I'm going to be.
I can't wait to talk to you about that that's going to be an experience man that that is pretty that is pretty cool it's always cool talking with you we appreciate the time so much if people have follow questions want to talk with you a little bit more how can they do that.
Yeah I think when he's going to hold me feel free to reach out to my office our number is 608 266 3123 shoot us an email at scn dot my last name test in at l e g is that w i dot go follow us on social media and of course.
Between now and November 5th i'm going to be out there going door to door so if you see me out in the boat going door to door or at an event pull me aside you don't have chat with me i'm pretty accessible.
Always appreciate the time sir have a great weekend.
You as well James and we'll talk again next month and we'll have more midday magazine coming up for you right here at WF HR locally grown radio.
