Also, until 1979, the Presiding Officer of this body was the Lieutenant Governor, who served as the President of the Senate. In 1979 the voters of this state amended the constitution to provide that the members of this body should select its own Presiding Officer from amongst its members. Since that time we've had three different Presiding Officers. In addition to myself, Senator Alan Lasee, who's still with us, served as President of the Senate for several sessions. Senator Lasee is also the only other Senator, other than myself, who was here in 1979 when we made the constitutional change, and we're all happy that he's still here with us today. Also we had former Senator Brian Rude serve for several different sessions. So the three of us have served as the only Presiding Officers of the Senate since 1979, when the constitution was changed.
I now want take this opportunity to publicly thank my wife, Nancy for all her help and support. I also want to thank my three children and their families: My daughter Lisa and Randy White and their children Clinton, Adam and Lizzy, my other daughter Sara and her husband Doug Falck, and finally my son Warner, and his wife, Amy and their daughter, Noelle along with two of my good friends, Bonnie Olver and Kara Sailing. They've been able to survive and tolerate my moods throughout my time in the State Legislature.
I want to conclude by saying that I'm truly honored by being selected as President of the Senate. I pledge to all of you that I will do my best to make this body the best legislative body in the country. And further, that we will honor and have an open and fair forum for all to participate in."
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Remarks of Majority Leader Decker
"Mr. President, leader Fitzgerald, my fellow senators and their family and friends, thank you for being here today as we swear in the state senators to new terms of service to our state.
We have two new members to welcome and honestly, I wish we were welcoming them into an easier time.
After John F Kennedy won his election he said, "When we got into office, the thing that surprised me the most was that things were as bad as we'd been saying they were."
So welcome to the state budget.
It's true the state has seen better times.
But our state has always risen to challenges and I'm confident this group of men and women will do the same.
In 1932, Wisconsin created the first unemployment insurance to take care of those who had lost their job. It became the model for the nation.
We didn't wait for anyone to show us how to make sure people had what they needed to get going again.
We provided the safety net of unemployment insurance if they lost their job, but also approved public work projects to make sure there were new jobs for them.
And there is no reason why we can't be the model again for how to turn our economy around quickly and get everyone working again.
We can do it by investing in the roads and bridges our businesses need to move their products.
Those investments mean Wisconsin companies hiring Wisconsin workers and paying family supporting jobs with health care and pension benefits.
Wisconsin also led the way with worker training programs by creating the first technical college system.
It was so successful that Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act to promote vocational education for the first time and it used Wisconsin's system as a model.
We knew from the beginning how important training our workforce was to the success of our state.
So we will make sure our state can still educate the workforce Wisconsin companies need to be the leading companies of the future.
If they have the workers they need to expand their companies here, the company wins, the workers win and the state wins.
The state can help create the jobs of the future by promoting and investing in alternative energies and promising new technologies being developed by Wisconsin universities and Wisconsin companies.
All of these will create jobs that cannot be shipped overseas and generate more jobs right here for those who need one.
We are a state of doers.
We don't let a little snow stop us from getting around.
We invented four-wheel drive.
We didn't just plant and harvest our fields.
We invented gas-powered tractors to make it more efficient.
We didn't wait for others to agree that women should vote.
We were the first to ratify the constitutional amendment.
We didn't just play professional football.
We perfected it and the Packers won the first Super Bowl.
We don't just vote.
We have one of the highest voter turnouts in the nation because we fight to keep the voting booth open for every eligible voter.
And that's something we should be proud of.
In the last election, almost 3 million people voted in Wisconsin.
And they brought us the group of senators that we are swearing in today.
I am honored to serve with you and look forward to working with everyone.
Thank you."
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Remarks of Minority Leader Fitzgerald
"Mr. President, Majority Leader Decker, fellow colleagues:
First, let me congratulate the 16 Senators being inaugurated here today. To those that are returning to this chamber, I am eager to continue working with you this session on the challenges our state will face. To our two newest Senators coming to this chamber for the first time, let me welcome you and wish you luck as you begin your freshman terms. And to the families, friends and guests in attendance, I want to extend a warm welcome to the Wisconsin State Senate to you as well.
I also want to thank my Republican colleagues for allowing me the honor of serving as their leader for the upcoming session. I am humbled by their support and trust and I intend to spend the next two years working with you to represent your interests and the interests of your constituents.
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Inaugurations are about new beginnings. Wisconsin is facing historic challenges in the next two years including an unprecedented budget deficit. For the first time in more than twenty years, the voters have put the Democrats in charge of the Legislature and the Governor's office. As the majority party, it will be your job to lead this body, run it efficiently and fairly, and enact an agenda. It is my hope that the majority will reach out to the minority to craft an agenda that will solve our challenges without increasing the burden on hardworking families or the employers that are struggling to stay afloat.
In that spirit, I pledge the assistance of the minority party in achieving this goal. Elections are a time for choices, and choices naturally put a spotlight on the differences between candidates and parties. But inaugurations should be about coming together. Now is the time for Republicans and Democrats to work together on our shared desire to serve our constituents and make Wisconsin a better place to live, work, raise our families and retire.
During the day-to-day politics that often consumes this building it is easy to forget about how much the majority and minority agree. We agree that our tax burden is too high. We agree that we must rebuild our economy. We agree that health care is too expensive. We agree on our obligation to provide a quality education for our children, both at the K-12 level and the university.
The people of Wisconsin expect us to find solutions, but they don't expect us to compromise our core principles. While we agree on desired outcomes, we will often have different ideas on how best to achieve them. As the minority party, we cannot, and will not, shy away from discussing and debating these differences.
If we agree that our tax burden is too high, then we should also agree that increasing taxes, any taxes, will only make that burden higher.
If we agree that we must rebuild our economy, then we should also agree that making Wisconsin more attractive to entrepreneurs is the answer, not higher businesses taxes and more red tape.
If we agree that health care is too expensive, then we should also agree that increased government manipulation and control of the market will only make it more expensive.
And if we agree that we have an educational obligation to our children, then we should also agree that throwing more money at a broken system will only create a bigger broken system. We need real education reform at all levels that rewards results and ensures that funding ends up in the classroom and not the bureaucracy.
While the outcomes are the same, the differences in achieving them are important. They should be debated and I look forward to those debates.
The minority party is ready to get to work with our colleagues in the outer ring, as well as the members of the Assembly and the governor to do the job the people expect of us. I'm optimistic that we will rise to the occasion.
Thank you."
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The joint committee on Legislative Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Relating to: the session schedule for the 2009-2010 biennial session period.
Introduction.
Ayes, 10 - Senators
Risser, Decker, Hansen, S. Fitzgerald and Grothman; Representatives Sheridan, Nelson, Seidel, J. Fitzgerald, and Gottlieb.
Noes, 0 - None.
Fred Risser
Senate Chairperson
Considered as privileged and taken up.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Relating to: the session schedule for the 2009-2010 biennial session period.
Introduced by the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization.
Senate amendment 1 to Senate Joint Resolution 1 offered by Senator Decker.
The question was: Shall Senate amendment 1 to Senate Joint Resolution 1 be adopted?
Adopted.
The question was: Shall Senate Joint Resolution 1 be adopted?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 33; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Holperin, Hopper, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, Kreitlow, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Lehman, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Risser, Robson, Schultz, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout and Wirch - 33.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Adopted.
Senator Decker, with unanimous consent, asked that all action be immediately messaged to the Assembly.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Messaged.
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Senator Darling, with unanimous consent, introduced her guest attending the 2009 inaugural; her husband Dr. William Darling.
Senator Hansen, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2009 inaugural; his wife Jane Hansen, and his daughter and son-in-law, Christy and Brandon Scharer.
Senator Hansen, with unanimous consent, asked that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of his late father and mother, Don and Clare Hansen; and granddaughter Elliana Zaidel.
Senator Harsdorf, with unanimous consent, introduced her guest attending the 2009 inaugural; Steve, Kathy, and Tommy Metcalf; Jack, Ben, and Josh Eastman; Karen and Rex Bailey; Janey and Whitney Huppert; Anette Olson, Barbara Dillow, Francis Ogden, Don Nellessen, Tony Huppert, Casie Kelley, Naomi Magner, Sally and Bill Friedlander; Ryan Sicard, Janice and Steve Healy; Gordy and Pat Peterson; Lucas and Matthew Pillman; Jim and Jan Jablonski; Nick Henneman, Jonathan and Bridget Harsdorf; Craig and Marie Louise Olson; Chuck and Ricci Struemke; Les and Meredith Berg; Kim and Bill Dailey; Erin and Ian Dailey; Max and Barb Klecker; and Ryan Bailey.
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Senator Hopper, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2009 inaugural; Alysia Hopper, Christopher Hopper, Isabella Hopper, William Hopper, Marylin Hopper, Jim Faulkner, Bettina Faulkner, Marijke Van der plas, Maelchesidech Pongan, Stephanie Denby, Alex Denby, Chandler Denby, Parker Denby, Dan Halfman, Mary Halfman, Anne Schaefer, Martina Horwitz, Glen Horwitz, John Williamson, and Sherry Williamson.
