And let's pass the Impartial Justice Bill so campaigns for our state's highest court are not controlled by big money and special interests.
And let's continue Wisconsin's historic commitment to open government by passing legislation to restore openness and let the sun shine in.
We can make real progress on all these priorities right now. And we can make even more once the budget crisis is out of the way.
Our problems are deep, and our challenge is difficult. But it can be done. It's a new day in Wisconsin -- a bright, beaming hour brimming with possibility.
From Merrill to Madison … Oshkosh to Eau Claire … Peshtigo to Prairie du Chien … great things are happening in Wisconsin. And we shouldn't forget it.
For example, if anyone doubts Wisconsin's determination in the face of adversity, just ask a five-foot-eight-inch kid from Tony, Wisconsin, population 180. He walked onto the UW football squad rather than accept a scholarship out of state. His name is Jim Leonhard. Today he's an All-American who holds the school record for interceptions and punt return yards.
If anyone questions our commitment to kids, just ask Carol Hooker, a star fifth-grade teacher at Franklin Pierce Elementary in Milwaukee. Carol became a teacher through the Milwaukee Teacher Education Center, or MTEC -- a not-for-profit teacher certification program that provides qualified, diverse educators for the Milwaukee public schools. MTEC helps career-track professionals become certified teachers through on-the-job training.
Carol is one of thousands of teachers in Wisconsin who are serving our kids, even though other lines of work might offer more glamour or financial rewards. They're committed to our kids, and we should be just as committed to them.
If anyone wonders about the value of public service, just ask Lieutenant Michael "Woody" Woodzicka from Appleton, Wisconsin. Last year, he and his partner were nominated to the Fire and Police Hall of Fame for forcing open the second-floor door of a burning building and carrying an unconscious 18-year-old woman to safety. If these heroes could brave thick smoke and blazing fire to save a woman's life, the least you and I can do is brave controversy and political costs to balance the state budget.
If anybody thinks we cannot provide health care to our communities, just ask Gus Frank, Tribal Chairman of the Forest County Potowatomi Tribe. Folks in Forest County used to have to travel all the way to Rhinelander for health care. Not anymore. The Potowatomi Tribe built a $10 million health care center in Crandon that's open to every member of the community. In fact, 60 percent of its patients are non-Native American. More than 70 percent of kids are now immunized. Pregnant women are getting exceptional prenatal care. And the clinic is serving 4,000 patients.
If anyone questions Wisconsin's readiness to sacrifice for a better tomorrow, just ask the 1,650 members of the Wisconsin National Guard who have been called up to active duty since 9/11. No matter where you stand on foreign policy, I know every person in this state joins me in saluting these brave men and women for their service.
These people -- and so many more across our state -- are proof of what Wisconsin can achieve. And I'm not asking state government to do anything the people of Wisconsin don't do every day.
Would you join me in thanking them for what they do every day for Wisconsin.
I believe the people of Wisconsin have chosen representatives who can rise to the greatness the moment demands. Just like the people we serve, we know what sacrifice is. We understand the right choice can be painful. But we also know, in equal measure, how meaningful hard work can be.
Lately, people have asked why I'd want this job in these times. My answer is simple. Because I'm a son of Wisconsin.
Whenever today's problems seem like too much to bear, I remember what my parents' generation faced. They overcame a Depression -- fought a world war -- and returned to farms and factories and built an economy that, for all its challenges, remains the envy of the world.
When I remember what they accomplished, and I look at what we face, I think: We can do this, and we can be better for it.
All we need is a government worthy of its people. The state of our government is troubled. But the State of Wisconsin is as vibrant as ever. Thank you and let's get to work.
January 31, 2003
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Adjourned.
7:55 P.M.
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Corrections In:
2003 SEnate Bill 1
Prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau
(January 29, 2003)
1. Page 2, line 20: delete "can not" and substitute "cannot".
