Neighbors –

Today I’m sharing a few updates on recent local happenings.

First, I’m thrilled to share that at our County Board meeting on Thursday, we passed a resolution declaring Dane County a sanctuary for trans and non-binary individuals. The resolution is here. We received more communication on this issue than anything in the last year, I’m sure. I was a proud sponsor of the resolution, and was excited to see it pass overwhelmingly. However, the vitriol and misinformation we heard the week leading up to the vote and at the meeting itself was very challenging. We heard that trans people don’t exist, that they’re pedophiles and groomers, and fear mongering about puberty blockers leading to sterility and suicide. At the same time, I was filled with joy to see many members of the trans community reach out to the County Board and share personal stories about the life-affirming care they’ve received, how living as their true selves saved lives, and how they wished to see allies share their voices in recognizing their personhood. In closing, I’ll share these comments from neighbors:

“As someone who has just recently admitted that I am trans and begun my journey of self-exploration, I am grateful to live in a city where gender-affirming care is available and my humanity is affirmed.”

“Right now our country is targeting LGBTQIA+ individuals using fear and scare tactics.  This resolution is a light in the darkness that loudly proclaims to our residents and the rest of the country that we will not succumb to fear, but rather we will support, welcome, and celebrate all those who have a right to live and thrive in our communities. All people deserve to feel safe and have a sense of belonging wherever they live.”

I understand that not every person has a trans relative or friend, and that it can be difficult or even impossible, in this case, to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. But I firmly believe that we should lead with compassion, look out for those that are most in need, and at least try to take a few steps together if not a mile. If you have a chance to watch the testimony from Thursday night, I encourage you to do so (it will be available here within the next few days, video from 6/15). There were several individuals who provided extremely powerful testimony, shared personal experiences, and demonstrated pure courage even while hearing extreme opposition from individuals feet away. It made me very proud to be a member of our community, aiming to be as welcoming and open as we can.

A few other issues working their way through the Board:

• Join me for a joint meeting of the Health & Human Needs Committee and the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee (which I chair) on 6/22. We’ll receive updates from staff on a county-wide mental health crisis response, teen mental health report, and opioid settlements.
• Executive Parisi has appointed former Sheriff Dave Mahoney to serve as the first (interim) director of a new county agency, the department of Justice Reform. I had a positive working relationship with former Sheriff Mahoney while we overlapped in county government, and I respect him. At the same time, this office is really intended to look at transformational opportunities to work toward long-term justice reform, collaborating across agencies to do things differently and especially to reduce racial disparities. There are serious pros and cons to former Sheriff Mahoney’s appointment, which the Board will be called on to confirm. If you have input on this issue, I’d very much like to hear it.
• Last week, the County Board also approved a resolution authorizing county attorneys to intervene in a legal case where local utilities are attempting to change the way the county is charged for utility services, as well as how residents access solar through net-metering. This intervention is consistent with our goals in the Dane County Climate Action Plan.
• Finally, it’s always nice to see items I work on in the annual budget come to fruition. I worked with staff in the Sheriff’s Office to find funding for a housing program for jail residents that would be released on electronic monitoring, but are housing insecure. A RFP was released for that program recently, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to find housing alternatives to keep folks out of jail and accessing community resources and family supports.
• There’s lots of other good news to celebrate, from broadband grants to distribution of overdose aid kits and expansion of our regional airport. All recent press releases are available here.  

Finally, today is Juneteenth. Learn more about the history of Juneteenth in Madison here (which we have also declared as a holiday for county employees, and ideally as a day “on” for service and reflection).

As always, please reach out if you would to learn more about the County’s work or touch base on County Board and policy issues. We’ll just be starting the County’s annual budget process in the next month, so stay tuned for info for me as we get rolling. Enjoy the first real weeks of summer!

Richelle Andrae

Dane County Board Supervisor District 11

Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com