Finally, I would like to recognize my wife, Nancy, who is here today. Without her help and support, I would not be standing before you now.
With that, I would like to call Senators Mike Ellis and Joe Leibham, as well as Chief Clerk Jeff Renk and Sergeant at Arms Ted Blazel before the bar to take the oath of office.”
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The President, Michael G. Ellis, the President Pro Tempore, Joe Leibham, the Chief Clerk, Jeffery Renk, 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 Pat Roggensack, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
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Senate President Ellis in the chair.
President Ellis and President Pro Tempore Leibham introduced the Senators returning from the 100th Session: Senators Lasee, Carpenter, Vukmir, Larson, Leibham, Kedzie, Fitzgerald, Cullen, Schultz, Ellis, Lehman, Moulton, Jauch, Erpenbach, Petrowski and Vinehout.
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With unanimous consent, Senator Fitzgerald addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Majority Leader Fitzgerald
“Mr. President, Justice Roggensack, Minority Leader Larson, fellow colleagues, and distinguished guests:
It is with a great sense of humility and honor that I stand before you today as Majority Leader. I thank my colleagues in the outer ring for conferring their trust in me, and I thank Minority Leader Larson and the members of his caucus for their efforts in the transition process.
As we begin the important duty of conducting the people’s business, I welcome and congratulate the 17 Senators whose oaths were renewed or taken for the first time today. Your constituents gave you the privilege and deep responsibility of representing their interests, and I look forward to working with you and each member of this body on the productive session ahead of us.
We began the difficult work of repairing our state in the last session, and we accomplished a great deal. We balanced the budget, eliminated the deficit, and created a surplus. We deposited an historic amount of money into the rainy day fund and passed a host of bipartisan jobs bills aimed at making our state a better place for employers to stay and create jobs in Wisconsin. There’s no doubt that our state is in better shape than it was just two years ago.
Getting those things done for the benefit of the people was not an easy task, and it came at a price for some of our members who refused to put their jobs ahead of what they thought was best for our state. But those days are behind us, and my hope for this session is to transcend the bitterness of the recalls and move forward together with a renewing spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation.
In this new session, we must build upon the proven reforms of the last. Our duty as senators is not to shirk the challenges we face but to confront them head on. We were elected to make the tough calls; not to run away from them. We were sent to this chamber to make Wisconsin better and more prosperous for all.
This is why one of our top priorities will be passing legislation that opens the door for safe and environmentally sound mining in an area of our state in need of revitalization. We have the opportunity to allow for the creation of thousands of good paying, family supporting jobs right here in Wisconsin, and I know that is something we can all support.
In addition to making our state a friendlier place for jobs, we’ll focus on balancing our state budget and keeping spending in line with the taxpayers’ ability to pay. We’re here to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ hard earned money, and it’s our job to ensure it’s used wisely and more efficiently.
As members, we may be defined by districts and party affiliation, but we are united by the desire to make our state a better place. It is in this spirit that I welcome you to the 101st Session of the Wisconsin State Senate. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
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With unanimous consent, Senator Larson addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Minority Leader Larson
“Hello and welcome to Wisconsin’s 101st legislative session. It’s an honor to join my Senate colleagues, their family and friends, and our Wisconsin neighbors at this momentous event.
As we embark on another journey together, we must acknowledge that Wisconsin faces a number of steep mountains we must scale in the new legislative session. From disappointing job creation and economic development efforts, devaluation of our education system, to a lack of accountability and transparency measures for our tax dollars, Wisconsin’s middle class families are counting on us to summit these high ranges.
Starting today, we have a choice between more extreme ideology or real bipartisan solutions. Extremism has cost Wisconsin dearly. Despite jobs numbers growing nationally over the past 34 months, Wisconsin has stumbled; adding only 38,000 jobs during 2011 and 2012. Just last month, Forbes Magazine dropped its ranking of Wisconsin to 42nd out of 50 on its list of best states for business. We have had a costly reminder that putting up “Open for Business” signs is not enough to create real jobs. Wisconsin needs honest change, not just talk and political gimmicks.
By working together, we can reverse the failed policies that led to projections showing Wisconsin’s job growth will be second worst in the country through 2016. Without bipartisan efforts to move Wisconsin forward for all, working families from Menasha to Altoona, Beloit to Superior, will continue to go underemployed or unemployed. As we all know, Wisconsin’s working, middle class families are the key to creating a robust economy, and that is why they are our first priority this session.
Wisconsin also faces the challenge of a growing values deficit. I challenge each legislator to again go out and visit their community schools. See what we have seen. During my recent visits, I saw educators struggling to teach kids in overcrowded classrooms, with up to 44 students in each one. I visited schools that no longer teach art and music. By continuing to steal from our children’s piggy bank, we’re robbing them of their opportunity to live up to their full potential. It’s our challenge to fully restore the devastating cuts to education and reclaim a promising future for our next generation.
If Wisconsin’s going to be a pro-jobs state, it must be pro-education. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between education and one’s ability to obtain a family supporting job. The 2011-2012 budget cut over $1 billion from K-12 and higher education--the largest cut to education in Wisconsin’s history. As a result, Wisconsin has ranked in the top five for cutting education spending per pupil while ranking 23rd on unemployment. On the other hand, states such as North Dakota, Wyoming, and Vermont that chose to increase investments in education have fared much better with unemployment, as they are all ranked in the top 10.
We have another challenge this session. With real bipartisanship we can rip away the curtain of secrecy and let the light of accountability and transparency shine on our state programs.
We recently saw what can happen when accountability and transparency are sacrificed by state agencies, like the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Tasked with creating much needed jobs, this hastily-created agency was handed $85 million in taxpayer dollars, but never given a rule book. As a result, we saw WEDC circumvent our fair and competitive bidding process, ignore federal and state laws when giving out grants, and lose track of $50 million in loans, including about $12 million overdue.
With Wisconsin still struggling economically, it is unacceptable to allow our job creation corporation to continue to play fast and loose with our tax dollars. Wisconsin citizens will not allow us to double down after finding out that the deck is stacked against them.
Wisconsin voters spoke with one voice this fall. They voted for more jobs. They voted for a strong education system. They voted for more transparency. But most importantly, they voted for bipartisanship over the continuation of extremism. Neither political party has a monopoly on good, common sense ideas. My colleagues and I encourage members of the Legislature to heed the calls of those we represent and work together as Wisconsinites. We look forward to tackling these difficult but important issues with our Republican colleagues, as well as the governor, to move Wisconsin forward again.”
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Report of Committees
The joint committee on Legislative Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Relating to: the session schedule for the 2031−2014 biennial session period.
Introduction.
Ayes: 10 − Senators Ellis, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Larson and Hansen. Representatives Vos, Suder, Steineke, Barca and Pasch.
Noes: 0 − None.
MICHAEL ELLIS
Senate Chairperson
hist639Considered as priveleged and taken up. Relating to: the session schedule for the 2013-2014 biennial session period.
By joint committee on Legislative Organization.
hist645The question was: Adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 1? The ayes and noes were demanded and the vote was: ayes, 33; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Carpenter, Cowles, T. Cullen, Darling, Ellis, Erpenbach, Farrow, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Gudex, Hansen, Harris, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kedzie, C. Larson, Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Lehman, Leibham, Miller, Moulton, Olsen, Petrowski, Risser, Schultz, Shilling, Taylor, Tiffany, Vinehout, Vukmir and Wirch - 33.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Adopted.
Senator Fitzgerald, with unanimous consent, asked that all action be immediately messaged to the Assembly:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
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Petitions and Communications
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
December 14, 2012
The Honorable, the Senate:
I, DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE, Secretary of State of
Wisconsin, do hereby certify that the following proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin have been approved by the regular session of the 2011-2012 legislature and duly published as required by Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution: Enrolled Joint Resolution 4 (first consideration)
Sincerely,
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State
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Announcements, Adjournment Honors and Remarks Under Special Privilege
Senator Lasee, with unanimous consent, introduced his guest attending the 2013 inaugural; his wife, Amy Joy Lasee.
Senator Harris, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2013 inaugural; Josephine Montgomery, George Harris, Jr., Karen Thomas-Harris, Nicole Buckley, Tamara Walker, LaTisha Terry, Anthony Dodd, Marina Dimitrijevic, Theodore Lipscomb, Lincoln Russell, Connie Russell, Sarah Noble, LG Shanklin-Flowers, Eyon Biddle, Cory Joe Biddle, Virginia Duiven, Annie Woodard, Wesley Landry, Kenya Johnson and Mark Sanders.
Senator Darling, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2013 inaugural; Penny Krist, Carly Nusser, Jennie Frederick, Kathy Kiernan, and Peter Sorce.
Senator Harsdorf, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2013 inaugural; her son, Ryan, her sisters and their spouses, Roxy and Wade Carlson and Sue and Steve Josephson, and her brother, Jim Harsdorf.
Senator Harsdorf, with unanimous consent, asks that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of her mother, who was not able to attend today’s inauguration, but who is in our thoughts and with us in spirit.
Senator Harsdorf, with unanimous consent, asks that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of her staff for their hard work and commitment to serving our constituents, and for their help in enabling her to serve.
Senator Harsdorf, with unanimous consent, asks that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of the over 30 friends that made the trip to Madison from western Wisconsin for the inauguration ceremony. She is grateful for their support and friendship.
Senator Tiffany, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2013 inaugural; his wife Chris and their three daughters Karlyn, Lexie, and Katherine. In addition, Senator Tiffany is also joined by family members including his mother Virgal Tiffany, his sister and brother-in-law Lou and Jim Welter, his sister Sally and brother-in-law Don Weisenbeck, his brother Richard, and his brother Charles with his son Tanner.
Senator Miller, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2013 inaugural; Jo Oyama Miller, Chandra Miller Fienen, Jeff Miller, Karen Miller, Randy Miller, Debi Leeper, Kabir Moss, and Tyler Verana, and Mia Kuhn.
Senator Lehman, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2013 inaugural; Meg Andrietsch and Kelley Albrecht in the Senate gallery, from the district.
Senator Risser, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2013 inaugural; his wife, Nancy Risser, his daughter, Lisa White and her husband Randy, his son-in-law Doug Falck, and his good friend Kara Sailing.
Senator Risser, with unanimous consent, asks that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of a member of his staff, Dianne Cieslewicz, who will be retiring from state service this month. Dianne has worked for the Wisconsin Legislature for 33 years. In her first 17 years, she worked for 7 different legislators (on both sides of the aisle, we might note): Former Representatives Gary Dilweg, Dave Prosser, Vern Holschbach, and Rosemary Potter, and Former Senators Mordecai Lee, Bill TeWinkle, and John Plewa. Dianne has been on his staff for 16 years, serving as Chief of Staff for the past 8 years. She is a trusted advisor and good friend. Senator Risser wishes her the best as she moves on to her next adventure.
Senator Lazich, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2013 inaugural; Sandy Hammel and Mary Kusz, from the 28th Senate District.
Senator Hansen, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2013 inaugural; his wife Jane Hansen, his brother and sister-in-law Dennis and Mary Jo Hansen, his brother Donald Hansen, and his staff members Ashley Viste and Katie Rhodes.
Senator Shilling, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2013 inaugural; her husband Chris Shilling, her sons Nate and Zach Shillilng, her mother and father-in-law Kathy and Jim Shilling, her uncle Bill Babcock, her aunt Marge Babcock, her aunt Ann Ehlenfeldt and her aunt Barbara Wise.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Ted Blazel, asked that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of his wife, Hanna Blazel, his sons Benjamin and William Blazel, and his parents Robert and Mary Kay Blazel.
Senate Chief Clerk Jeffrey Renk, asked that when the Senate adjourn, it do so in honor of his wife Paula Renk, his son Matt Renk, and his brothers Thomas and John Renk.
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Adjournment
