State Rep. Warren Petryk

Last week, the Assembly continued to support our youth's education and wellness by passing a package of bills aimed at combating childhood obesity and truancy. These bills, like the previous human trafficking taskforce bills, were enacted in response to visits from across the state by a group of bipartisan lawmakers. By passing these bills, the Assembly took steps to protect our children and provide them with the resources and support they need to succeed in the future.

The first set of bills came from the Speaker's Taskforce on Childhood Obesity, which was chaired by our local Representative Karen Hurd. She led the committee across the state, including a stop in Eau Claire, to "consider circumstances contributing to childhood obesity, including physical activity, nutrition, medical and other root causes, and physical environment factors." The Task Force will also examine current and previous efforts to prevent and improve weight management in order to identify and expand on effective practices."

The first bill would require the Department of Health Services to work with other state agencies to award $5 million in grants to local governments and school districts to help with obesity prevention and management. By bringing this issue under one umbrella, we can ensure that the state is working in the same direction and collaborating with private industry to have a greater impact. A second bill would require schools to provide at least three hours of physical activity per week for students in grades K through 8. If we can instill these healthy habits in children early on, it will lead to an overall better state of mind and body for them in the future.

The second package of bills seeks to address truancy in our schools. The taskforce's goal was to evaluate current practices for holding parents and schools accountable for student attendance, as well as to raise awareness and resources to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality education and a bright future. That is why the first bill that passed the Assembly would require schools to include information about how parents can evaluate their child for a disability when they receive a truancy notice.

In addition, a second bill that passed would limit the number of days a student could be absent (excluding illness or civic duty) before being held back from advancing a grade. We know that students who miss significant amounts of school are more likely to fall behind academically, and by intervening earlier, we can avoid these negative consequences.

These bills now make their way to the Senate for their approval before being sent to the governor’s desk for his signature.  I hope they become law to help our students and as a recognition to the urgency of tackling these issues.