(Beaver Dam) State Representative Mark Born is applauding the governor’s signing of two bills that he authored. One bill gives school officials the opportunity to warn select students of an upcoming fire drill. The Beaver Dam Republican says he created the bill in reaction to meetings he attended by a task force established by the Dodge County Emergency Management with school officials and police officers. The old law prohibited teachers from telling students when a fire drill is about to happen, which can cause problems especially with special needs students who can react negatively to the surprise fire alarm.
“After participating in meetings with the local workgroup on school safety, I appreciated the hard work and dedication they had to making our schools safe for our communities. When they told me about an issue they were having with notifying students before fire drills, we worked together to find a practical fix. Because of their input, schools across the state will now be able to give students a warning before a drill when staff believe it is in the best interest of the kid.”
The other bill signed into law by the governor streamlines the process for transferring credits from a two-year school to a four-year school. Born says it was inspired by a constituent worried about their daughter giving up on her bachelor’s degree because only 15 of her 72 credits from Moraine Park Technical College were accepted at a UW system school. The legislation increases the number of credits in the Universal Transfer Agreement from 30 to 72, helping students and advisors more clearly understand which classes will be accepted when transferring.
Born says it’s been very rewarding to shepherd these two constituent-inspired bills through the legislative process, both prime examples of how some of the best legislative ideas come directly from constituents.
Listen to State Rep. Mark Born’s most recent appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment:
Photo caption: Amy Nehls, Dodge County Emergency Management; Jason Hraban, Waupun School Resource Officer; Mike Reissmann, Dodge County Detective; Governor Tony Evers; State Representative Mark Born
