Senate Resolution
1
Relating to: notifying the assembly and the governor that the 2007-2008 senate is organized.
By Senators Robson, Risser, Hansen, Fitzgerald, and Leibham.
Read.
The question was: Shall Senate 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 Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, Kreitlow, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Lehman, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout and Wirch.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Adopted.
__________________
The President, Fred A. Risser, the President Pro Tempore, Tim Carpenter, the Chief Clerk, Robert J. Marchant, and the Sergeant at Arms, Edward A. Blazel, having been duly elected by the adoption of Senate Resolution 1, appeared together before the bar of the Senate, took and subscribed the oath of office which was administered by the Honorable Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Senate President Risser in the chair.
__________________
Remarks of President Risser
“Before I make any remarks, I notice that we have former Senator Rude with us. I would like to invite him up to the podium to join us for a minute. The three of us, Senator Lasee, Senator Rude, and myself are the only Senators to have served as President of the Wisconsin state Senate and I am so pleased that Senator Rude could join us today.
The gavel just handed to me by Senator Lasee is still warm and I notice several new notches in it. Senator Lasee has had a distinguished record as President of the state Senate for the last four years. One of his legacies is his effort, under very difficult circumstances, to run the Senate on schedule even to the exasperation of his own party at times. It's an effort that I am going to continue. Senator Lasee did a very admirable job and I'm going to try to do as well as he did, and yet better if possible. I consider this an important part of Senate procedure.
I would like to express my appreciation also to Rob Marchant, our Chief Clerk, and to Ted Blazel, our Sergeant at Arms, for their past services and for their willingness to continue. It used to be that these jobs were patronage jobs and whenever the party shifted in the state Senate they would shift the Sergeant and the Clerk accordingly. Under our previous Chief Clerk Don Schneider, who served for 26-1/2 years, we professionalized these positions. I am so pleased that we have kept this tradition. I have full confidence that Rob and Ted will continue to serve Democrats and Republicans alike in the Senate in the same professional manner as they have in the past.
I am also pleased that Senator Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee has been selected as the President Pro Tem. He's a student of the rules. He served in a similar position in the Assembly as the assistant to the Speaker Pro Tem. I am sure that he will serve us well.
Just a little bit of history: We became a state in 1848 and until 1979 the presiding officer of the state Senate was the Lieutenant Governor. In 1979, a constitutional amendment was overwhelmingly supported by the voters of this state to provide that the state Senate select its own presiding officer as is done in 25 of the 50 states in the U.S. I was selected the first presiding officer. Since then there have been several shifts in the majority party and in the presiding officers of this body. Four years ago I handed this gavel to Senator Lasee. I'm honored to have it back again.
I want to welcome all our guests here today. We're glad you could join us in our swearing-in ceremony this afternoon. In the same 50 years I have served in the Legislature, neither the Senate nor Assembly Chambers have been closed to the public. We welcome you to come and watch your government in action at any time. Later this spring or early this summer you may not have to travel to Madison to see what we are doing. The state Legislature has made an agreement with WisconsinEye to have them cover our sessions from gavel to gavel and also to photograph and broadcast some of the more important hearings. In the interest of good and open government I think this is a very desirable innovation.
I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve as President of the Senate again and I pledge to all of you that I will try to make this body the best legislative body in the country and that we will be having an open and a fair forum to discuss and address the issues of the day.
Thank you so much."
__________________
With unanimous consent, Senator Robson addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Majority Leader Robson
“Mr. President, leader Fitzgerald, fellow senators, public servants, family, friends, and proud citizens of the state of Wisconsin:
“If not us...who?"
The words of Robert Kennedy from so many years ago remain relevant today. These precious words offer us a starting point...a stepping stone...a bridge to accomplish our shared goals.
As we begin this New Year and begin this 98th session of the State Senate, we embark on a journey together as public servants.
We are teachers, bricklayers, lawyers, dairy farmers and nurses. We are veterans, business entrepreneurs, factory workers, and truck drivers.
Diverse...yet...united. United as a community. A community of senators.
The first Wisconsin State Senate convened 159 years ago in 1848. Many eloquent speeches given...one thousand senators having served.
We now stand with each other before you...the people of this state as colleagues. Colleagues linked to this history but also linked to the future with our shared goal: to renew our commitment to uphold, honor and revere the legacy of this great institution.
With this power comes great responsibility: the awesome responsibility to protect and reaffirm the public's confidence and trust in its government.
For better or worse, the manner in which we work...the manner in which we speak...and the manner in which we act inside the walls of this chamber...places a public face to this process of trust.
We may have different approaches...but we have shared interests...working for the best interest of a representative democracy.
When this day of celebration is done and the music has faded...I hope we will continue to feel the strong, positive energy of this day.
I am honored and privileged to serve as the Senate's Majority Leader. I accept this new opportunity with all the fervor and enthusiasm of my being...and respect.
I ask you to assist in helping Wisconsin be a leader...a place where all people want to live, with good jobs, affordable health care, and a good education for our children.
We proudly call Wisconsin our home.
In conclusion...I would like to quote President Abraham Lincoln. He once said, “the fundamental test of a democracy is its capacity to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial weights from all shoulders, and to clear the laudable paths.. for all."
This is our challenge today and for tomorrow.
During this 98th session of the Wisconsin State Senate let our actions raise the bar of justice.
Let our work set a positive record in history.
Let our legacy plant the seeds for future leaders.
If not us...who?
If not now...when?
On Wisconsin!!"
__________________
With unanimous consent, Senator Fitzgerald addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Minority Leader Fitzgerald
“Mr. President, Majority Leader Robson, fellow colleagues, Chief Justice Abrahamson, families, friends and guests, good afternoon. I'd like to offer a warm welcome to the Wisconsin State Senate. It is an honor to be here today and to have all of you here to celebrate the start of the 98th regular session of the Wisconsin State Senate.
I'd like to thank my Republican colleagues for giving me the honor of serving them this session as their leader. I appreciate the trust they've put in me and pledge to do my best to represent their interests and priorities during the next two years.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “The enormity of the times in which we live has forced me to commit myself to the boisterous ocean of political passions."
While President Jefferson's words were specific to his acknowledgement that public service is a calling for some, and not simply a passing interest, his words carry gravity for all who pass through this chamber.
Like all of you, I am honored to have been elected by the people of my district to represent them in the State Senate. We are all here because we are drawn to public service, because we want to make a difference for our families, for our children and for our children's children. Regardless of our party, we must all remember that we are here because the men and women of our districts have chosen us. They have placed their trust in the 33 of us, and our first job, always, is to repay that trust by serving with honor and principle.
We must also recognize that it is only under the Lord's hard and good will that we assemble here today. We find ourselves at the start of a new year, with the holidays and the business of the last legislative session behind us. Inauguration day always signifies the beginning of something new. And this session, like those before it and those yet to come will offer unique challenge and opportunities.
Last fall's elections once again changed the make up of this body. This is the third time control of the state senate has changed during my twelve years in office.
As Senate Republican Leader, I pledge to offer assistance to the majority party in measured form to reach common goals that serve the citizens of this great state. We will do our part to ensure that the senate runs smoothly, efficiently and respectfully.
I'll also do whatever I can to ensure we have a good relationship with our colleagues in the Assembly. Please know that I'll always be happy to reach out to a member of the Assembly leadership I've know for a long time, who I consider a good friend and someone I have a great relationship with. And if Speaker Huebsch isn't available I can always call my brother.
But I will also not hesitate to serve as the “loyal opposition" when our goals and our beliefs diverge from those of the majority party or the governor. Our two-party system has served us well and remains necessary to demonstrate that there are different ways to address the important issues that come before this body.
While we have an obligation to find solutions, we also must recognize that compromise does not mean abandoning our core principles. While we all agree on the major issues we must address during the next two years, we may have different solutions in mind.
We cannot and should not shy away from discussing and debating those differences.
S8
We agree that the tax burden on Wisconsinites is too high. We should have an open debate on whether we address the problem through tax shifting or through meaningful caps on property taxes and tax cuts that benefit us all.
We agree that health care is too expensive and that we must work to make health care more accessible and more affordable for Wisconsin families. I look forward to a vigorous debate on whether the answer to the health care crisis is more regulation and policies that move us closer to socialized medicine or if the solutions lie in promoting private sector innovation and giving more control over health care dollars and decisions to Wisconsin families.
We agree that ensuring our children get the best education they possibly can at both the K-12 level and in our university system is vitally important to keep our economy moving forward. And we will debate whether the best path to achieve these goals is through higher taxes and simply throwing money at the problem or whether fundamental change in the system, how it is funded, and where dollars are directed is the path to a brighter future.
These are important issues, important differences and important debates to have. And I look forward to them.
As we prepare for the session that lies ahead, I call on the senior members of this body from both parties to use their institutional knowledge and command of parliamentary procedure to help guide the operation of the senate. And I challenge you to rekindle your want and will to work with a fresh perspective to help solve the state's problems.
For legislators in leadership roles, take your new charge humbly and seriously. With any shift in political control also comes a shift in responsibility. The majority has many jobs, they must lead, they must articulate and enact an agenda and they must run this body efficiently, effectively and fairly. I hope you will work with both parties to craft a legislative agenda that blends bold strokes with fairness. We must always remember that our job is to leave this state in better shape for the next legislature and the people of Wisconsin.
To the freshmen senators - the gentlemen from the 5th, the 21st and the 23rd and the lady from the 31st - you'll be getting a lot of advice in the next few weeks. Let me offer some of my own. Some may say you should just sit back and listen for your first two years, but only you can judge what you are ready for and when you are ready for it. When you raised your right hand today and took the oath of office you were thrust into a leadership role by the 170,000 citizens you represent. They elected you to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to Madison. Don't let them down.
Former President Gerald Ford, who passed away last week put it well: “A government big enough to give us everything we want is a government big enough to take from us everything we have."
As we head into this new legislative session we should bear these words in mind. The money we will debate spending during the next two years is not ours - it belongs to the people of Wisconsin. We must spend it wisely and sparely. We must fight the temptation to be all things to all people. We must focus on key priorities and fund them using real dollars and abandon the past practice of using segregated funds as piggy banks to plug budget holes and duck tough choices.
It's time to get back to basics, to get our fiscal house in order and give the people of Wisconsin who have sent us here to serve a government they can be proud of once again.
We're ready to get to work and look forward to working together with the outer ring, our colleagues in the Assembly and the governor to do the job the people expect from us. I'm optimistic and excited for the next two years.
Thank you very much."
__________________
The joint committee on Legislative Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Relating to: the session schedule for the 2007-2008 biennial session period.
Introduction.
Ayes, 10 - Senators
Risser, Robson, Hansen, S. Fitzgerald and Leibham; Representatives Huebsch, Fitzgerald, Gundrum, Kreuser, and Richards.
Noes, 0 - None.
Fred Risser
Senate Chairperson
Considered as privileged and taken up.
