Get Out and Vote Tuesday! U.S. Senate and Congressional Primaries, Local Races at Stake
 Tuesday, August 14th is an important day here in our state, as it is election day with several important lineups being decided.
The biggest statewide race is for the United States Senate Seat of Herb Kohl. This is an important primary on the GOP side, with former Governor Tommy Thompson, former Congressman Mark Neumann, State Representative Jeff Fitzgerald and businessman Eric Hovde vying to be the name on the ballot in November against Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.
Other highlighted races include a primary for the seat currently held by Tammy Baldwin for the 2nd Congressional District. The Democratic side of that ticket includes front runners Representatives Mark Pocan and Kelda Helen Roys. Republican Chad Lee has no opposition. In addition, there are many local races across the state for Congress and the Wisconsin Statehouse. See all candidates on the ballot here and be sure to get out and vote!
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WCA Presidential Initiative: SCORE with the Fall Elections
With the fall legislative elections fast approaching, now is the time for your county to SCORE with the candidates.
The SCORE (State-County Outreach Effort) program is one of WCA President Dick Koeppen's presidential initiatives this year. The SCORE program is aimed at promoting a better understanding of county issues by getting more grassroots, face-to-face contact between state and county leaders.
Election season is the perfect time to invite the candidates to talk with your County Board about what's important to your community. It gives the candidates a chance to meet their constituents -- and it gives you the opportunity to get your message out to lawmakers.
Remember that because of the high turnover in recent years, many lawmakers and candidates are still learning about the vital role counties play on behalf of the state. Take the time to break issues down for them and, if you can, invite them to spend a day in your county offices so they can see firsthand all the services your county provides.
The contacts you make with lawmakers now -- on your "home turf" -- will pay off when they come to Madison next year to make decisions affecting your county.
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Badger State Sheriff's Association Conference to Highlight New Federal Rules
WCA and the Badger State Sheriff's Association are working together to get the word out to sheriffs, supervisors, and other county leaders about the new requirements under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (or PREA). The Act is aimed at eliminating sexual assaults in prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities.
Although the Act was approved in 2003, the federal Justice Department didn't finish implementing the final rules until May. States -- and counties -- must have policies and procedures in place by next year to comply with the new rules or risk losing federal funding. Audits to check compliance with the rules will begin in August 2013.
The new rules require a "zero tolerance" standard for sexual assaults and sexual harassment in prisons, jails, and other lock-ups. The new rules are likely to affect jail policies and procedures, security arrangements, and in some cases, jail staffing. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates the average cost to comply with the new rules will be about $50,000 for county jails and about $54,000 for juvenile detention facilities.
Because of the tight time frame for counties to comply with the law, WCA and BSSA are encouraging county supervisors and corporation counsels -- as well as sheriffs -- to attend the BSSA Conference from August 14-16 at the Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids.
Given the importance of counties complying with the rules, WCA is helping to sponsor the event, and BSSA is urging sheriffs to bring at least one county supervisor and their county's corporation counsel to the event.
The conference will focus specifically on PREA and related issues on August 15 and 16. Carrie Hill, a nationally recognized attorney and expert on jail litigation issues, will provide a daylong presentation on PREA on August 15. Registration is $100 for sheriffs and $25 per county official. Each county is allowed to register up to 3 additional officials for the conference.
County officials who wish to participate can get details and register through their local sheriff.
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Governor's Weekly Drought Update
 WCA has been actively involved in drought issues and solutions in the state. Attached please find the Governor's Weekly Drought Briefing which provides this week's activities and highlights, the crop and drought reports, and the past week and the week forward weather information. Read the "8.10.2012 Briefing" here. |
2012 Annual Conference Fast Approaching
The WCA Annual Conference will be held September 23-25, 2012 in La Crosse County.
The WCA Conference is a one-stop shop for staying up-to-date on county issues, networking with your peers and utilizing the various resources WCA has to offer. To see the educational programming, speakers and registration information for the 2012 Conference, click here. See you in La Crosse County!
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2nd Annual Lean Government Conference September 19th in Stevens Point
The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence will host the second annual Lean Government Conference September 19, 2012 in Stevens Point. The 2011 Lean Government Conference held in Madison was an exciting and informative day of sessions and speakers, attended by over 200 elected and non-elected government officials from all levels of government.
The 2012 Lean Government Conference aims to improve on the success of last year's conference with an exciting line-up of speakers including Roger Gerard, PhD, lean expert and co-author of On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry, and Mike Levinson, former City Manager of Coral Springs, Florida, the only state or local government to receive the Presidential Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
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Still Time to Get Involved! WCA Presidential Appointments; Steering Committees
 Nominations are still being accepted for Presidential Appointments to the WCA Board of Directors and WCA Steering Committees. The deadline is Friday, August 17, 2012. Learn more here. |
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Disclaimer: "WCA eNews" is provided as a service to the members of the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) and other Internet users. It is derived from sources believed to be accurate and current as of the date of publication. However, WCA makes no warranty and assumes no legal liability for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information herein. "WCA eNews" is provided for general information only, and is not intended as legal advice. Any links to other sites within this publication are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information in such site has been endorsed or approved by WCA. Unauthorized republication of any copyrighted material from this site or sites to which we link, without the copyright owner's permission, is strictly prohibited.
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Concord Coalition's "Washington Budget Report"
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Summer Issue of "The Mutual Effort" Now Out
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WCA August Educational Seminar "Current Issues in County Sheriffs' Offices"
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A.L.E.R.T. Law Enforcement Challenge Coming Soon
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Follow WCA on Facebook Today!
 WCA regularly posts breaking news on Facebook. Search "Wisconsin Counties Association" and hit "Like" to ensure you receive regular association updates. Find our Facebook page here.
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