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Morning Update: Friday, Oct. 29

Redistricting + road closures

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Good morning, Madison.

Hayley is doing a live interview today. She’ll be chatting with members of Star 67, which is part of the lineup for Emo Halloween at High Noon Saloon tonight.

Cover bands are great for reminiscing. If you miss the days when Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, All-American Rejects, Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance ruled the airwaves… this event’s for you.

And even if you’re not planning on going to Emo Halloween, it’s pretty cool that 100% of the proceeds from the event are going to To Write Love On Her Arms. Catch that interview on our Facebook page at 12:30 p.m.

- Sam

🗺️ A huge crowd turned out for a public hearing on redistricting at the Capitol yesterday.

  • Hundreds of people showed up at the Capitol for a hearing on maps proposed by Republican legislators, WPR reports.
  • Polling shows that Wisconsin residents overwhelmingly support allowing a nonpartisan commission to lead this process, but Republican legislators are trying to push through their own proposals.
  • This is a complicated process. We continue to recommend WPR's redistricting podcast.

🏥 Do you need to talk to a doctor about lead poisoning?

  • Lead paint was banned in the 1970s, but the problem hasn’t gone away. Public Health Madison and Dane County says it assisted families of 56 children who had lead poisoning last year.
  • Even small exposure to lead can be toxic to children. This conversation is especially important to have with a medical professional if you are raising kids in an older house or apartment.
  • Further reading:

🗳️ April Kigeya is running for a county supervisor seat.

  • If elected, she would represent parts of Middleton and the west side of Madison.
  • Kigeya works at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, Madison365 reports.
  • What she told Madison365: “I just felt like it was time. I’ve been in the community for a little over 20 years and I figured it was time to take it to the next level and run for a County seat.”
  • What is the Board of Supervisors? It’s basically like a city council but for all of Dane County.

🏈 Last night was a good night to be a Green Bay Packers fan.

✖️ The Republican-led state legislature passed two abortion-related bills. The governor is expected to veto them.

  • There’s virtually no chance of these actually becoming law. Governor Evers, who is a Democrat, said earlier this month that “politicians shouldn't be in the business of interfering with decisions a patient makes with their healthcare provider. I will always defend reproductive rights. Period.”
  • Key context: Republicans have tried this sort of thing before. Evers vetoed four abortion-related bills in 2019, the Cap Times reports.
  • Related: In light of newly-passed abortion restrictions in Texas, the Cap Times published this explainer a few weeks ago that explains what would happen if the precedent established by Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. Wisconsin has laws dating back to 1849 that could make performing an abortion illegal immediately.

👩‍⚕️ Legislators advanced a proposal to allow pharmacists to prescribe some forms of birth control. It’s got one more hurdle to cross before becoming law.

  • This bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support, with legislators voting 83-7 to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control in patch and pill form to women who are 18 years or older.
  • The proposal now heads to the Senate.

🚗 The UW homecoming parade will cause some streets around campus to close later today.

  • From the city: “Langdon Street and surrounding streets will start to close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 29 for the UW Homecoming Parade.”
  • The street closures will affect some bus routes, too. The details on those detours are here.

🍂 Ahhh just look at these pretty fall photos from the Cap Times Instagram.

🦠 Covid-19 Resources

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 55%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 71.8%

Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.

Are you eligible for a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna? Find out here.

📅 This weekend...

Friday, Oct. 29

Saturday, Oct. 30

Sunday, Oct. 31

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