Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this Friday, April 18th, 2025.
Have your host, James Damail, off here.
And 430, we're going to wrap up the week with the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center.
Stephanie Hartman is going to be joining us looking forward to that.
Right now we have with us on the phone lines, Wisconsin State Center, Patrick Teston joining
us.
Sir, how you doing?
Sir, how you doing?
I'm doing great.
James yourself.
Doing good.
Thanks for asking.
And good to hear.
You have been, it has been go time for you and your teammates over there.
You guys have been hard at work.
A lot of things going on.
I'm going to try to cover as much of this as we can.
One of the start, if you don't mind, with the potato bill.
And I don't know how often I'll be saying the potato bill or bill like that.
But the name stands out and in the purpose of it certainly does.
Yeah, so this guy goes back to my very first session.
In fact, this was one of the first bills I had introduced and now we're back again to
modify that bill.
So since 1913, Wisconsin has had a seed certification program here in the state.
And potatoes are a highly valuable crop here in the state of Wisconsin, value that over
$300 million per year.
And we are the third largest producing potato crop in the entire country, just behind
Idaho and Washington.
It's important that we have certified seed to help make sure that we have the best crop
that we possibly can that limits the risk of things like potato blight and other types
of diseases that the potatoes are very susceptible to.
And what happened was up in northern Wisconsin where a lot of our certified seeds are grown,
there were a couple of bad actors who had planted crops and basically the Department of Agriculture
came in and said those aren't certified seed.
We have to get the story of that crop.
But these individuals, they took a look at the penalties, which currently they are maxed
at $150 and then $150 per acre of non-certified planted potatoes.
And basically they just looked at the department and said, well, pound sand, we're not going
to, we'll just pay the fine, which really puts the entire crop at risk.
And so we were approached by the Wisconsin Potato Investment Growers Association shortly
after this incident occurred, along with the Department of Agriculture and they said,
you know what, we need more teeth to enforce this law.
And so we, I offer legislation with Representative Kruege and I'm hopeful that next week it's
going to pass out to both houses and we'll just have another tool that our department can
use to ensure that our crop remains safe.
And we're, you know, doing what we can to punish any bad actors that occurred up in northern
Wisconsin.
When it comes to that, certainly appreciate, you know, the attention to this and the work
on it.
Another part of this bill that I don't know the necessarily, it was the point of it certainly,
but another advantage of it or a side effect of it is I think bringing attention to where
you started with this and reminding people of how important potatoes are in this state.
You know, Idaho takes so much of the attention of this one, but they're big in this state
as well.
Oh, absolutely.
I mean, that's why you've got so many of our potato growers, you know, Fredo Lades is
a huge component of this.
I mean, many of our big growers, apartment farms and particular, they contract with
ladies for, you know, making sure they have stable and available crop for things like
potato chips and then obviously all the other markets that our growers go into, whether
they're directly to the store and so, you know, this is a huge business here in the
state of Wisconsin and especially right here in the central sands area, which is the key
area for potato growers in the state and so making sure that this crop remains valuable
and making sure that we are doing what we can to protect it is critically important for
our food security and our supply chain here in the state because the ancillary industries
that go around, it's also have a huge impact when you're talking about processors like
McCain's, Del Monte, all the egg implement dealers around here.
So I mean, this is a big deal and so what's great is that it passed out of my committee,
the Senate egg and revenue committee with unanimous support and same with over in the assembly.
So I think we're really well positioned at the good bipartisan bill that once it hits
the governor's death, he'll sign into law.
So I like most people out there and yourself certainly paying attention to local and in Wisconsin
and national politics and I think especially with the focus being on Wisconsin here, I
skate past this way too often, you mentioned this bill being bipartisan and two notes on that
one that we say that so often around here on this show that we've kind of normalized it a little
bit, which is great. It's a good thing, but I do want to highlight it because it's so valuable
at any point in history, let alone now in this day and age, but also the fact that it's become
that common here in Wisconsin, that we are not that it's not that uncommon to hear a bipartisan
bills. I just always want to note that I want to get better about noting that when we can
for myself, you do a good job, sorry, but I want to note it.
Well, in prime example, like last night I was down in Milwaukee to be on a panel with one of
my Democrat colleagues from Milwaukee, Senator Dore Drake, who is just phenomenal to work with,
and there was a panel discussion about cryptocurrency and she's working on legislation that is going
to be pre-innovative and will help sort of foster this environment for more crypto growth and
opportunities on that front. And I'm working on legislation that kind of focuses on the consumer
protection side of things and again, very similar to trying to weed out bad actors. I know we've had
a number of incidents where individuals have been defrauded through these crypto kiosks that are
popping up. And I know Sheriff Becker and Sheriff Lucas, they really were the ones that put this
on my radar. And so, you know, it just goes the show that yes, we all have our disagreements at
times, but by and large, at least in Madison, we have a much different atmosphere compared to
the climate out in Washington, DC, where, you know, we're well in the role of our sleeves and put
our heads together and put forward good ideas that regardless of what party came up with it,
you know, if it's good for the state, you know, what's let's get the job done and work together.
But, you know, understanding too that there are going to be times where that's not necessarily
going to be the case and we'll just have the cordially agreed to disagree and hash out our differences
and arguments both in committee as well as on the floor. And I think that's that's a healthy
and robust debate that I think our counterparts out in Washington, DC, could take note from.
Yeah, yeah. It's something that Representative Kruegen, I have touched on a number of times,
and recently, especially the idea of this going forward and how important that is and how valuable
we feel that we take it here in this state. And also keeping in mind, well, there are some things
that certainly do affect us on the national level. We, every state, not just us, but every state
also is doing their own thing. And it's important to kind of not just read headlines,
but read articles, get good reporting and everything when it comes to this stuff because
sometimes that headline may be misleading or make you think that it's happening in your state
when it isn't. So it's important to talk to your representatives and to trust reputable sources.
We appreciate you doing that. Now, we're talking about bipartisism. So I just want to take the lead
and I did want to touch on one other thing. Again, with so many bills passed and so many things
you would think in a 24-7 news cycle, this wouldn't happen. But there's a lot of bills and a lot of
things that I think it lost, lost in the shuffle. And you were the lead co-author of a bipartisan
legislation that will improve the quality of life for those suffering with Alzheimer's disease
and lower their health care costs. I will admit to the audience, this one is affected my family
quite a bit. I lost my nana to Alzheimer's and I just like two weeks ago lost my great aunt,
two Alzheimer's after fighting it for a very long time. And I don't think I'm alone on that one.
Six degrees of separation. You don't even have that when it comes to Alzheimer's or dimension
nowadays. It's important. And I think that's part of the reason why there was bipartisan
legislation on this one. Is that correct, sir? Yeah, this is another another great example of,
you know, both sides coming together to do what's best for families that are going through
really difficult times. And Alzheimer's is one of these diseases that, you know, it's absolutely
heartbreaking because you're watching individuals that you love with their way who don't remember
who they are. And it's very difficult. It's an emotional strain both on individuals who are
personally going through it, but as well as the family members. And so recently,
legislation was introduced that I'm proud to be a co-sponsor of that would provide assistance
for caregivers who are helping individuals who are going through dementia as well as Alzheimer's.
And because there is a huge strain both emotionally as well as financially. And this is one of
these, you know, not a huge bill as far as a fiscal component to it, but it's a step in the right
direction. And doing what we can to acknowledge those who are taking time off them away from work,
away from their own families to take care of loved ones who are on a cognitive decline,
which is again, it's truly heartbreaking to watch and go through that. But if we can get this done,
I think it sends a really strong message that look, we want to help and assist those who are
taking care of those who are the most vulnerable among us and who are going through just something
that we hope never happens to anyone on families. But as you referenced with your own personal
story, I think we all know someone both directly and indirectly who has been impacted by this
terrible and awful disease. And we just want to put ourselves in position to help those
who are helping those folks out. And I'm hopeful this is another one that when it gets through
committee, you know, it should sail through both houses. And again, hoping to get the governor's
signature and the time comes when it hits his desk. We're speaking with Wisconsin State Senator
Patrick Teston right now. And we're going to talk a little bit about on the job series in a moment,
but you've been on the road. The joint finance committee has got a road show going on right now.
Can we tell our audience about that? Yeah, so the joint finance committee, which I'm a member of
this session, I have the privilege to serve as the co-vice chair. And so we're typically every two
years. We go around the state. And so far, we've gone to Cacana as well as West Alice. Those were
widely successful, although I will say they are marathon days because usually get a few hundred
people. I think in West Alice, we had just shy of about 350 people that showed up. And we sit
there and listen to individuals give their input on the state budget. So basically people have two
minutes to come up, say their piece, what they like, what they don't like, what they would like us to
focus and prioritize on. And we still have two more to go. On Monday, April 28th, we are going to be
up in Hayward at the Hayward High School from 10 a.m. until about 6 p.m. And then the next day,
we're going to be a little bit closer to home. We're going to be up in Warsaw at the technical
college from 10 until 6. And so this is really a tremendous opportunity for folks to come and
address the entire joint finance committee as well as aerial legislators who would like to attend
and participate as well. And so if people are able to make it, one thing I would suggest get
there early because oftentimes people start showing up at 7 a.m. and they might not get their
slip pulled until 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. to come up and testify before the finance committee. And if
you can't make it to either of these last two, feel free to reach out to my office to submit
your testimony. We can incorporate that into the record. And I know myself as well as many
other aerial legislators have listed in sessions within their respective districts. And so
really, this is the prime time to be in contact with lawmakers as it relates to the state budget
process because now that once we wrap that up, it's really going to be crunch time because our
fiscal year ends June 30th, that's a tourally, we have to have a budget done. Although the good
news is unlike the our counterparts out at the federal level, if we don't have a budget
signed sealed and delivered by June 30th, our government doesn't shut down. We just continue to
operate under the current state budget that we operate under right now. But we want to make sure
that we are taking input and feedback from folks because that gives us a good idea of, you know,
sort of what's on people's minds and what's, you know, the top priorities of what we need to fund.
And so really encourage folks to be able to take the time, make the trip up to Hayward or
Wassa. And again, if you can't make it reach out to my office and we'll be halfway there to take
your suggestions and pass that on to our colleagues on the finance committee. Encourage people to attend
these if you can bring your questions. It's amazing and we need more of this of our representatives
doing these kind of town hall listening sessions and going about to reach reaching not just
meeting people halfway, but going to their area to their zip code to hear from you. Encourage
people to be adults when talking to other adults, you know, and keep yourself in check, of course,
and bring those questions because they want them. They're looking for them. I'm curious, sir,
in the time that you've done this, are there any questions that have been asked more than
and wants? Are there current, you know, common themes that you're hearing from people or anything
like that? Oh, absolutely. So when I met these these sessions, I normally have a legal pattern
in front of me and I literally keep a tally marker going to all different issue areas of what
people are talking about. And there are some common themes that have popped up at the two that
we've done already in Cacana as well as West Alice. And I think number one is obviously K-12 education
that is the the largest portion of our state budget that we fund every two years. And then also,
you know, projects within the UW system, you know, we've heard from a number of the campuses
throughout the state. I'm very building projects that they want to see enumerated. Hear a lot
about infrastructure making sure that our roads primarily. We heard this a lot in Cacana. How
valuable the agricultural road improvement program has been. This was a new program that was
created in the last budget to help our farm the market roads with some grants to local communities
to beef up their infrastructure where, you know, the roads are taking a heavy toll to the heavy
egg usage. And then we also we've heard, you know, very specific regional issues. Like, for instance,
when we were in Cacana, we had a number of individuals from the village of Manawa who came and
testified before the committee. They had a dam burst last summer and it's a $13 million replacement.
And if you can probably imagine a small village like Manawa does not have $13 million
sitting in the bank. So they're looking for some state support. So what's unique about this is,
yes, you get to hear a lot of common denominators all across the state on various issues. But
then periodically you'll get these these very hyper local issues and projects that pop up that
may not have been on anyone's radar before. And so it's always interesting. And it's like I said,
it makes for a long day. You got to have plenty of coffee and gas in the tank to sit through it all,
but this is part of the process. And we want to encourage as much public feedback as possible.
Encourage people to sign up for the newsletter. The Senator has. It's a great way to keep up the
date and the things we've been talking about, along with finding the dates for those road show events.
One of the wrap up with you, sir, in two spots. One, just to shout out to you about the reading to
the Noble Community Clinic and Steven's point reading books to the young kids there as part of the
Reach Out and Read program. Look like you had a lot and a lot of fun and a shout out to the
Reach Out and Read program. We're a big fan of the what they work they do over there. And you were
did you want to touch on that at all? I don't want to skip past that.
Yeah, no, this is a great program. This is actually really a what I would consider a foundational
piece for the development of our our children, you know, primarily birth to three where the
Reach Out and Read program works with various physicians and clinics around the state to
get hands in the books of kids and encourage parents to read to their their young children because
really those first three years are the most formative as it relates to a child's brain development.
And anything that we can do to get more books and hands and encourage kids to read early on
is a valuable tool that's going to set them up for future success. And you know, I've been working
and sitting down for Reach Out and Read and their program coordinators to see what can be done
to expand this program here in the state. You have more clinics and
physicians to sign up with this program. And so yeah, I got the chance to read to some young
kiddos in the area and then take a tour of Nobles Clinic, which
there exists in clinic as a small footprint. But by mid July, they're going to have a brand new
facility just up the road and downtown Stevens Point that I can't wait to see because these
these community clinics are a valuable tool, especially for those individuals who might not
have the means to be on private insurance. And these clinics like Nobles, they help fill that gap.
And keep in mind our United Way of Southwood and the Amps counties also has their
great book Giveaway going on right now where they're collecting gently used books and reading
mentorship that's coming up this summer. All kinds of great things that a lot of our great
nonprofits are doing to help our kids with literacy in this area. I encourage everybody to
read up more about those. And as we're wrapping up, sir, I wanted to talk with you about your
on the job series. You were really recently at Wabash in New Lisbon.
Yeah, Wabash in a great company. This was actually a double header. So last month, I was in
New Lisbon. I worked at Lear Manufacturing. And then just on Monday was in New Lisbon for Wabash.
And this is a again, just like Lear was, another leading manufacturer right here in our area
in Juno County. And what's so unique about them there are a innovator and a national leader
in manufacturing for semi-trailers. And in particular, our liquid semi-containers. And so,
you know, again, one of the reasons why I do this is the highlight the great employers,
but to show what opportunities are out there. And prime example here is they actually do a great
job with training employees. They created a training center and literally anyone can walk
off the street. And they will train you to be a welder, a grinder. And regardless of your
experience, they will pay while you're being trained and build up your skill level. I will say this.
I am not a good welder. I was much more frustrated at grinding. They had me inside a couple of
tanks, grinding down the wells that need to be food grade. So, I mean, it's a very technical
job. Everything is built by hand there, which is absolutely incredible when you think about it.
You're seeing these 80-foot trailers and every component of that is done by hand. I mean, it's
just absolutely impressive. They've seen tremendous growth. And they've got about 80% of the market
share. So if you're going down the highway and you see a liquid container or semi-trailer,
chances are, it was made right here in Central Wisconsin. It's a great opportunity to bring
attention to something. In industry, we don't get too very often. And some really good workers.
I've had some friends in that industry before. Appreciate that. Glad you had a good time with it.
Looking forward to more of these on the job series. And certainly looking forward to talking
with you again next month. We'll have plenty to talk about. I'm sure. Before we let you go,
though, sir, one again, remind everybody to sign up for the newsletter. And of course,
reach out to Senator Tesson if you have questions. How can they do that, sir?
Yes, I want to get a hold of my office. My office number is 608-266-3123. You can always
shoot us an email at SEM. My last name is Tesson at legis.wi.gov. Follow us on social media.
Sign up for my newsletter. And if you ever need to get in touch or meet with me in person,
as always, I'm an old-school doctor. I'm not afraid to make a house call. So get in touch.
This is a busy season for us down in Madison, but always willing to sit down and meet
with constituents and hear us on your mind. And if you've got issues or concerns,
never hesitate to give me a call. Always appreciate the time and conversation, sir. We'll talk
again next month. You take care. And we'll be back with more Midday magazine coming up right here
at 97-5 FM 13-20 AM WFHR. We are locally grown radio.
