Born Chicago, IL, November 16, 1963; married; 3 children. Graduate Hustisford H.S. 1981; B.S. in journalism UW-Oshkosh 1985; U.S. Army Armor Officer Basic Course 1985; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Former associate newspaper publisher; U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Colonel (ret.). Member: Dodge Co. Republican Party (chm. 1992-94); Juneau Lions Club; Reserve Officers Assn.; Knights of Columbus.
Elected to Senate 1994; reelected since 1998. Majority Leader 2015, 2013, 2011 (through 7/24/12); Minority Leader 2011 (eff. 7/24/12), 2009, 2007; Majority Leader 9/17/04 to 11/10/04.
(first or second author, first sponsor)
2/8/2016: 2015 Senate Bill 707
Relating to: prohibiting a legislator from concurrently holding office as county executive.
2/5/2016: 2015 Assembly Bill 868
Relating to: prohibiting a legislator from concurrently holding office as county executive.
1/11/2016: 2015 Assembly Bill 673
Relating to: creating a program to protect the confidentiality of addresses for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. (FE)
1/7/2016: 2015 Assembly Bill 657
Relating to: treatment and diversion programs and making an appropriation. (FE)
1/5/2016: 2015 Assembly Bill 631
Relating to: the maximum height of pole traps.
12/29/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 488
Relating to: creating a program to protect the confidentiality of addresses for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. (FE)
12/29/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 479
Relating to: authorizing towns located in populous counties to withdraw from county zoning; requiring certain towns to enact a zoning ordinance and a comprehensive plan; removing plat and certified survey map approval authority from a county if the town in which the subdivision or land is located has withdrawn from county zoning; farmland preservation ordinances of towns that withdraw from county zoning and eligibility in those towns for the farmland preservation tax credit; and prohibiting restrictions on land that is not shoreland or that is not within a floodplain. (FE)
12/4/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 563
Relating to: authorizing towns located in populous counties to withdraw from county zoning; requiring certain towns to enact a zoning ordinance and a comprehensive plan; removing plat and certified survey map approval authority from a county if the town in which the subdivision or land is located has withdrawn from county zoning; farmland preservation ordinances of towns that withdraw from county zoning and eligibility in those towns for the farmland preservation tax credit; and prohibiting restrictions on land that is not shoreland or that is not within a floodplain. (FE)
12/3/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 409
Relating to: residency requirements for sexually violent persons on supervised release.
10/23/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 65
Relating to: proclaiming October 26 to 30, 2015, as Canada Week in Wisconsin, and Tuesday, October 27, 2015, as Canada Day at the state capitol.
10/13/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 312
Relating to: review of proposed changes to public employee group health insurance programs.
10/8/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 292
Relating to: campaign finance.
10/8/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 387
Relating to: campaign finance.
5/22/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 179
Relating to: requiring a determination of probable postfertilization age of an unborn child before abortion, prohibiting abortion of an unborn child considered capable of experiencing pain, informed consent, abortion reporting, and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)
5/5/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 29
Relating to: commending the Marshall Sixth Grade Girls Basketball Team for winning the 2015 Wisconsin State Invitational Championship.
3/23/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 77
Relating to: lighting underneath motorcycles.
3/12/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 100
Relating to: lighting underneath motorcycles.
3/5/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 67
Relating to: pupil assessments, evaluation of educator effectiveness, and school accountability reports. (FE)
2/17/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 47
Relating to: membership of boards of commissioners established for public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts. (FE)
1/30/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 6
Relating to: the public service of Laura Rose.
1/22/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 3
Relating to: congratulating the University of Wisconsin-Madison men's basketball team on its 2013-14 basketball season and reaching the NCAA Final Four.
1/13/2015: 2015 Senate Resolution 2
Relating to: the senate rules.
1/5/2015: 2015 Senate Resolution 1
Relating to: notifying the assembly and the governor that the 2015-2016 senate is organized.
3/14/2016: 2015 Senate Resolution 12
Relating to: honoring and commending the remarkable and distinguished service of Michael G. Ellis.
3/11/2016: 2015 Senate Resolution 11
Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Rosemary Hinkfuss.
2/1/2016: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 90
Relating to: commending the Legislative Audit Bureau on the occasion of its 50th year of service to the legislature.
11/5/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 72
Relating to: commending Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
11/5/2015: 2015 Senate Resolution 7
Relating to: commending Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
10/9/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 294
Relating to: reorganizing the Government Accountability Board, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making appropriations. (FE)
10/1/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 285
Relating to: the state civil service and making an appropriation. (FE)
9/15/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 50
Relating to: recognizing September as National Suicide Prevention Month.
6/18/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 42
Relating to: the life and public service of Representative Robert K. Zukowski.
6/2/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 40
Relating to: the life and service of Wisconsin State Trooper Trevor Casper.
4/20/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 31
Relating to: honoring the life and contributions of former Secretary of Administration and Chairman of the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Marc Marotta.
3/27/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 21
Relating to: proclaiming November 2015 as diabetes awareness month.
3/13/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 17
Relating to: proclaiming March 2015 as Concussion Awareness Month.
2/5/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 11
Relating to: the life and public service of Jerry Van Sistine.
1/30/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 7
Relating to: the life and service of Annette Polly Williams.
1/29/2015: 2015 Senate Joint Resolution 5
Relating to: honoring the life and public service of David Earl Paulson.
1/16/2015: 2015 Senate Bill 1
Relating to: the school and school district accountability report, chronically failing schools and school districts, and educational options information. (FE)
1/8/2016: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 95
Relating to: the public service of Vicki R. Holten.
11/10/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 497
Relating to: residency requirements for sexually violent persons on supervised release.
11/2/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 82
Relating to: proclaiming November 2015 as diabetes awareness month.
10/26/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 76
Relating to: proclaiming October 26 to 30, 2015, as Canada Week in Wisconsin, and Tuesday, October 27, 2015, as Canada Day at the state capitol.
10/13/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 394
Relating to: review of proposed changes to public employee group health insurance programs.
10/9/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 388
Relating to: reorganizing the Government Accountability Board, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making appropriations. (FE)
10/7/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 373
Relating to: the state civil service and making an appropriation. (FE)
9/28/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 68
Relating to: the life and public service of Dr. Ronald H. Lingren.
6/2/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 43
Relating to: the life and public service of Representative Thomas Archer Lothian.
5/22/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 237
Relating to: requiring a determination of probable postfertilization age of an unborn child before abortion, prohibiting abortion of an unborn child considered capable of experiencing pain, informed consent, abortion reporting, and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)
5/5/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 32
Relating to: honoring the life and contributions of former Secretary of Administration and Chairman of the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Marc Marotta.
3/5/2015: 2015 Assembly Bill 78
Relating to: pupil assessments, evaluation of educator effectiveness, and school accountability reports. (FE)
2/2/2015: 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 6
Relating to: congratulating the University of Wisconsin-Madison men's basketball team on its 2013-14 basketball season and reaching the NCAA Final Four.
2/16/2016: 2015 SA1-SB707
2/9/2016: 2015 SA1-AB580
1/21/2016: 2015 SA1-SB488
1/14/2016: 2015 SA2-SB479
1/4/2016: 2015 SA1-SB479
11/6/2015: 2015 SA1-AB387
11/6/2015: 2015 SA1-AB394
10/22/2015: 2015 SA2-SB292
10/22/2015: 2015 SA1-SB292
7/15/2015: 2015 SA1-SA1-SB209
7/15/2015: 2015 SA1-SB209