Text of Gary Goyke’s statement to a state senate committee:
To: Members, State Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing and Trade Senator Frank Lasee, chair
From: Gary R. Goyke, President, Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin
Re: Support for SB137 relating to Barns Used for Special Events
“Chairman Lasee, thank you for holding this public hearing, and thank you and the members of the committee for giving us this opportunity to speak with you today.
Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin is a proud affiliate of Scenic America. In fulfillment of our mission statement, we are actively involved in the promotion and growth of the Rustic Road program in our state, we actively support the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Scenic Byway system, we believe in the preservation efforts for rural historic barns, we support efforts to enhance agricultural tourism and often join the battle to fight the proliferation of billboards along our state and Interstate highway thoroughfares.
Our board of directors went to Platteville to interview several people involved in the issues included in bill SB137. We met with local news media and with the Assembly author of the bill Travis Tranel. I am happy to say that our board voted unanimously to support this legislation. Iconic old barns can be put to good use as venues for social events. I am leaving the committee a book on barns that we use to promote rustic cultural preservation and rural tourism.
We take this subject very seriously and urge the committee to adopt the bill.
Thank you for your time and attention.”
June 1, 2017