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Vol. 72, No. 5, May 1999

At Issue

Rep. Ward meets with constituents on funding issue

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State Rep. David Ward (R-Fort Atkinson) met with constituents who were concerned about the need for state funding for civil legal services.

Ward has served in the State Assembly since 1992 and was just appointed to the powerful, budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. The committee spends several months reviewing the governor's 2000-page budget bill and making changes to programs' funding levels in the proposal.

Ward has assisted a local group, People Against Domestic Abuse. Members of the group met with Ward to discuss the need for civil legal services funding and the impact the funding has at the local level. The group explained that the civil legal services assistance the group received in real estate transactions and negotiations with funding sources led to the transitional housing units the area now has for victims of domestic violence.

"I understand these legal services are not only important in solving day-to-day civil legal needs of low-income citizens," Ward said, "but they also have an impact on service organizations within our community."

Ward pointed out that the state's budget is tight and that this proposal will have to be weighed with the many other funding proposals that are requested from groups throughout the state. "It will be important to develop bipartisan support on the civil legal services initiative," he said.

"Constituents coming forward and explaining the importance of these programs to their legislators is the best way to get a proposal in the budget bill," Ward advised.

If you are interested in contacting your legislators about state funding for civil legal services, address your correspondence to:

Senate - all correspondence
P.O. Box 7882, Madison,
WI 53707-7882

Assembly - Representatives A-L
P.O. Box 8952, Madison,
WI 53707-8952

Assembly - Representatives M-Z
P.O. Box 8953, Madison,
WI 53707-8953