As I reflect on my 41 years in education, I am reminded of how crucial it is for all young people to have the supports and resources they need to be successful in school and life. Growing up in Mississippi during the Civil Rights era, I was one of 14 children in our family. We lived in poverty, surrounded by a racially segregated environment. By today’s standards, I would have been considered at-risk.

“Having launched a vaccination site at a few campuses, the system did save the state, and I want to say that publicly. The system saved the state, in its responsibility and its actions.” Those are the words of one of our newest members of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health in Green Bay.

We always hear about the so-called War on Christmas, where people feel that they can’t say “Merry Christmas” for fear that you might be considered insensitive to those who celebrate other holidays, such as Hanukkah.

Things are getting back to normal as the threat of the coronavirus has gone from a deafening roar to almost a faint whisper. Events are coming back in at least a partial form, if not at full strength. The requirements that we hide from anyone not living in our homes and avoid public places like the plague — pardon the poor comparison — have been scaled way back.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, one of the most significant issues facing Wisconsinites was the high cost of prescription medications. With routine health care and medication being vital to a patient’s well-being, increases in medication costs can create untenable, unsustainable situations for our most vulnerable — including deciding between medications and other daily necessities.

It happens all the time. A member of the public or representative of the press will file a request under Wisconsin’s open records law, which applies to all state and local government entities. Instead of records, the requester gets a bill. “The city will require pre-payment in full before we begin fulfilling your request,” read one such response, dated March 17, to a citizen requester by the assistant city attorney of Fond du Lac.