As we move forward beyond the pandemic, we can look to previous legislators who set an example of taking action in response to a problem. We don’t celebrate the names of people who passed a bill. We celebrate the policies they succeeded in enacting.
Following the Civil War, the Legislative Reference Bureau reports Wisconsin legislators began a tradition of providing support for war veterans. After World War I, the legislature approved innovative bills to help those who served beyond what was provided at the federal level. It was then after World War II, lawmakers created the Postwar Rehabilitation Trust Fund, County Veterans Service Officers and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Wisconsin is known for many other legislative firsts. Early on in the century, Wisconsin lawmakers created the first unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation programs in the country. Legislators later developed the UW System, world-class tech colleges, the first LGBTQ protections in the country, welfare reform, and school choice, just to name a few.
It is our time to make Wisconsin even stronger, and show that we continue to be the national leader our states’ founders envisioned. The crisis before us today is, of course, the pandemic. The coronavirus has taken our loved ones and devastated parts of the economy. I would ask each of you to now rise to pause for a moment of silence to remember those who we have lost during the pandemic.
Those of you who were here, know the legislature approved a bipartisan relief package within the first month of the pandemic. This week, the Assembly should act once again. This afternoon Assembly Bill 1, a second coronavirus relief bill, will be introduced. While it was very disappointing that the Governor walked away from the negotiating table last month, I want to thank our colleagues in the State Senate for continuing our negotiations so we have a final bill that has been agreed to in both chambers. The bill includes many items from our bipartisan discussions with the Governor.
However, our constitution can never be placed on hold, even during a public health emergency. We can’t allow an unelected bureaucrat to rule over communities like a dictator: picking and choosing what businesses should fail or forcing all schools to be virtual.
For some who didn’t already know it, most people now acknowledge that government control over our lives doesn’t make us more prosperous. In fact, we have seen far too many of our friends and acquaintances lose their livelihoods due to government reactions to the coronavirus. The proposal we are introducing today has over 44 provisions to help fight the virus and reopen our economy. So let’s join together to get this bill passed and provide the help Wisconsinites need.
We also must confront the other serious issues facing our state head on. Government spending doesn’t grow the economy and socialism doesn’t make us more free. We can once again have a responsible budget, one that doesn’t break the bank and still invests in shared priorities.
No matter how intense the pressure or how much special interests want us to sacrifice our principles, I promise you over the next two years we will not let state government expand at the expense of our freedoms or our liberties.
Wisconsin also learned over the last year that we must restore confidence in our electoral process. We saw repeated attempts by outside groups to try to change Wisconsin election laws through the courts using the pandemic as their excuse. In some cases, we saw election officials simply ignore the law hoping to give an electoral benefit to their preferred candidate.
We simply can’t have hundreds of thousands of people questioning the integrity of the electoral process in our state. Reforms must be made. I invite every legislator to be part of these important innovations and join us as we set a path forward for Wisconsin.
This Assembly has a tradition of bipartisanship. Every session since I was speaker, we’ve had more than 90 percent of bills approved received bipartisan support. This session should be no different.
Over the course of the past 100 years, the people who sat in this chamber made things happen. Today as we start a new session, each representative has a choice to make. Will you follow the path of national politicians who use explosive, divisive rhetoric on social media, or will you take the time to understand the arguments of those you disagree with?
Let’s choose to debate ideas, instead of cancelling out those who don’t agree with by calling them names and denigrating their views. Let’s discuss our beliefs and establish a greater understanding of each other. Perhaps in this case, we can be a national leader.
Let’s work for all of Wisconsin. We can end the name-calling and personal attacks. And we can bring back civility in politics.
Our state and our nation have many challenges ahead. It is up to us to prove once again that Wisconsin is the national innovator. You are the members of the 105th Wisconsin State Assembly. Let’s work together to get things done. Let’s make our state proud.
God bless you and God Bless the state of Wisconsin.
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Election of Speaker Pro Tempore
Representative Born nominated Representative Tyler August for the position of Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly for the One-Hundred and Fifth Regular Session of the Legislature.
There being no further nominations, the speaker declared nominations closed.
Representative Steineke asked unanimous consent that a unanimous ballot be cast for Representative Tyler August for Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly. Granted.
For Representative August − Representatives Allen, Armstrong, August, Born, Brandtjen, Brooks, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Dallman, Dittrich, Duchow, Edming, Gundrum, Jagler, James, Katsma, Kerkman, Kitchens, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Kurtz, Loudenbeck, Macco, Magnafici, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Neylon, Novak, Oldenburg, Petersen, Petryk, Plumer, Pronschinske, Ramthun, Rodriguez, J., Rozar, Sanfelippo, Skowronski, Snyder, Sortwell, Spiros, Steineke, Summerfield, Swearingen, Tauchen, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tranel, VanderMeer, Vorpagel, Wichgers, Wittke, Zimmerman and Speaker Vos – 55.
Absent with leave – Representatives Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, Horlacher, Krug, McGuire, Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, Rodriguez, S., Schraa, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Steffen, Stubbs, Subeck, Tusler, Vining and Vruwink – 43.
Representative August was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly for the One-Hundred and Fifth Regular Session of the Legislature.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Vos.
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Election of Sergeant at Arms
Representative August nominated Anne Tonnon Byers for the position of Sergeant at Arms of the Assembly for the One-Hundred and Fifth Regular Session of the Legislature.
There being no further nominations, the Speaker declared nominations closed.
Representative Steineke asked unanimous consent that a unanimous ballot be cast for Anne Tonnon Byers for Assembly Sergeant at Arms. Granted.
For Anne Tonnon Byers – Representatives Allen, Armstrong, August, Born, Brandtjen, Brooks, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Dallman, Dittrich, Duchow, Edming, Gundrum, Jagler, James, Katsma, Kerkman, Kitchens, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Kurtz, Loudenbeck, Macco, Magnafici, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Neylon, Novak, Oldenburg, Petersen, Petryk, Plumer, Pronschinske, Ramthun, Rodriguez, J., Rozar, Sanfelippo, Skowronski, Snyder, Sortwell, Spiros, Steineke, Summerfield, Swearingen, Tauchen, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tranel, VanderMeer, Vorpagel, Wichgers, Wittke, Zimmerman and Speaker Vos – 55.
Absent with leave – Representatives Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, Horlacher, Krug, McGuire, Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, Rodriguez, S., Schraa, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Steffen, Stubbs, Subeck, Tusler, Vining and Vruwink – 43.
Anne Tonnon Byers was elected Sergeant at Arms of the Assembly for the One-Hundred and Fifth Regular Session of the Legislature.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Vos.
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Communications
December 3, 2020
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 401
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Chief Clerk Fuller:
Pursuant to Assembly Rule 2 (3), the following officers have been duly elected by the Assembly Republican Caucus: Majority Leader: Jim Steineke
Assistant Majority Leader: Kevin Peterson
Majority Caucus Chair: Tyler Vorpagel
Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Cindi Duchow
Majority Caucus Secretary: Jessie Rodriguez
Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms: Samantha Kerkman
Sincerely,
Dan Knodl
Republican Caucus Chair
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December 3, 2020
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 401
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Chief Clerk Fuller:
Pursuant to Assembly Rule 2 (3), the following officers have been duly elected by the Assembly Democratic Caucus: Minority Leader: Gordon Hintz
Assistant Minority Leader: Dianne Hesselbein
Minority Caucus Chair: Mark Spreitzer
Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Lisa Subeck
Minority Caucus Secretary: Beth Meyers
Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms: Kalan Haywood
Sincerely,
Mark Spreitzer
Democratic Caucus Chair
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Seat Assignments
Pursuant to Assembly Rule 2 (4), for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session in the Assembly Chamber, democrat members will be seated on the east (door) side of the center aisle. Republican members will be seated in the seats on the west (window) side of the center aisle and in seats numbered 85, 86, 92, 93, 94 and 95. Speaker Vos will occupy seat number 4. Seats numbered 27 and 91 will remain vacant. Member Seat No.
Allen 53
Anderson 89
Andraca 88
Armstrong 43
August 3
Baldeh 30
Billings 34
Born 18
Bowen 40
Brandtjen 99
Brooks 73
Brostoff 37
Cabral-Guevara 26
Cabrera 57
Callahan 16
Conley 58
Considine 32
Dallman 86
Dittrich 70
Doyle 11
Drake 87
Duchow 81
Edming 24
Emerson 64
Goyke 29
