Stanley, WI - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today addressed the vital need for smaller class sizes in our nation's public schools at a Listening Session in Stanley, and praised Wisconsin's Student Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program for acting as a national model for reducing class sizes in the earliest grades. He also addressed the growing problem of market concentration in the agriculture industry at Black River Falls High School.

"I believe the best way to use federal resources to encourage smaller class sizes is to bring the successful principles of Wisconsin's SAGE program to Washington," Feingold said."We've got to ensure that education is a top national priority, and SAGE has proven that smaller class size can play a key role in education reform."

A recent evaluation of Wisconsin's SAGE program, done by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, confirms SAGE students' continued success in all areas of testing: mathematics, reading and language arts. The report shows total test scores for SAGE students were significantly higher than those of students from comparison schools.

At Black River Falls High School, Feingold addressed the growing number of mergers in the agriculture industry, which in many cases have put commodity pricing decisions in the hands of a select few company CEOs. Feingold has asked the Department of Justice to examine all the mergers or acquisitions currently being proposed, and has invited the head of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division to visit Wisconsin on an upcoming trip to the Midwest to see firsthand the effects of market concentration on Wisconsin's agriculture industry.

"I'm very concerned about merger-mania in an industry that plays such a critical role in the livelihood of Wisconsin families and in the strength of our economy," Feingold said. "Our economic system is based on the idea that competition produces innovation and keeps prices down for consumers. Without competition, farmers and consumers can't get a fair shake."

Feingold's 17th Listening Session of 1999, and the 449th since he was first elected in 1992, was held at the Stanley Elementary School, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Feingold's 18th Listening Session of his term, and 450th since he was first elected, took place at Black River Falls High School beginning at 3:00 p.m. Feingold has renewed his pledge to hold Listening Sessions in each of the state's 72 counties every year after keeping his promise to do so during his last term.