Janis For Senate

 

By Jeff Simpson

With the upcoming retirement of Senator Tim Cullen, people are lining up for a chance to replace him.   The first to jump into the race is Representative Janis Ringhand!

“After learning of Senator Cullen’s retirement last month, I spoke with my family, friends and neighbors about the future of our Senate seat. The decision for me is clear – now is the time to run.

“Yesterday, I resigned my position as Secretary for the Assembly Democratic Caucus. While I will continue serving in the State Assembly through the end of my term, it is important to me that our leadership team be comprised of members fully committed to returning our Caucus to the majority.

“As the saying goes, do what you love and love what you do. Since 1998, I have served the people of Rock, Green and Dane Counties, and have worked hard to make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family. As a lifelong resident of Rock County, this is a place I proudly call my home. From my time in local government on the Evansville City Council and as Mayor of Evansville, to my election and re-election to the State Assembly – I have truly done what I love and loved what I have done. However, now is the time to start a new chapter. I look forward to the days ahead and am excited to continue serving the people and places I care so deeply about.”

State Representative Janis Ringhand is a lifelong resident of Rock County. She lives in Evansville with her husband, Gordy, where they enjoy spending time with their two children and five grandchildren. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Janis helped run the family business, Ringhand Meat and Beverage, while later moving on to serve Evansville as Alderwoman and eventually Mayor. She is currently a member of the Janesville Literacy Connection, Stoughton Hospital Board, Evansville Energy Independence, Green County Local Emergency Planning Committee and VFW Auxiliary in Evansville. A formal campaign kickoff will be held in two weeks.

"Like" her Facebook page! 

The Darling Smackdown

By Jeff Simpson

H/T Rebecca Kemble:

Alberta Darling was trying to read from the ALEC script and Senator Kathleen Vinehout fed her her lunch(and it wasn't a brown bag one):

As if hitting the play button on rightwing talking point #729 out of the ALEC songbook, Darling said, “You’re interested in the funding of the schools but I’m more interested in the education of the children. We’re at a point in our history where we have to say charter schools are public schools.” She then went on to say that she agreed that the school funding formula should be changed and that she wished there were more money in the public education budget.

Vinehout called out Darling, who is Senate leader of the state’s budget committee.

“Madam co-chair of Joint Finance, it may come as some shock, but there was actually plenty of money in this budget,” Vinehout said. “It spent $4 billion more than the last budget. There was plenty of money to fully fund schools and all of the requests made by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, but that wasn’t done. You had more input into the process than I did.”

Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) agreed: "The fact is there was $500 million in the budget that could have gone to schools but went to roads.”

That's gonna leave a mark!   

Redistricting Reform

By Jeff Simpson

To absolutely no fanfare, a bunch of freshman legislators got together and authored a redistricting reform bill.

  MADISON) State Representative Robb Kahl (D-Monona) is joining with the 13 other freshman
Democratic Assembly members in authoring a redistricting reform bill. The bill is based on the
highly successful redistricting process used in Iowa.

“I am joining with my colleagues, all of whom have not served previously in the legislature, to
move reform forward,” Kahl stated. “Both parties have erred in not acting to reform the
redistricting process when the opportunity presented itself. As new members, we are committed
from day one to seeing reform put into place.”

The bill, now designated as LRB-0665/1, will require the non-partisan Legislative Reference
Bureau to redraw district boundaries following the census. Unlike the current map that is in
place where one district makes a u-turn around another and communities of interest are split,
districts will be drawn to be compact, equal in population and with boundary lines that do not
look like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Anyone who has paid attention these last couple of years, knows that there is not a better issue to showcase the republican parties lack of ethics, morals, honesty than the anti-democratic way they redistricted our state last time.

The republican party has decided its better to chose their voters, instead of the voters choosing their representatives.    In the last election(under the new districts), voters turned out overwhelmingly in support of Democratic Candidates, yet the democrats LOST seats!  

This is not only anti-democratic, it has also proven to be incredibly costly for the taxpayers of WI!  

However, I see two problems with this legislation.  The first being because it had bipartisan support and massive support of people, and press, from all over Wisconsin, do not expect it to be on Robin Vos's agenda anytime soon(which is what happens when the legislators choose their voters). 

Secondly, how long if it does pass, do the republicans wait to pass a bill that takes all power away from the legislative fiscal bureau and makes the whole bureau appointees of the Governor?  

Even when this bill dies in committee, it is nice to see some legislators actually going to Madison to LEGISLATE, instead of sitting in their gerrymandered district forever because they are incapable of ever getting a job in the private sector(see - Nass, Steve)



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