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With unanimous consent, Senator LeMahieu addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Majority Leader LeMahieu
“Thank you, Mrs. President. So two years ago, I stood in this chamber and talked about the opportunity ahead of this body. I’m proud to stand here today and say that we seized it. In this chamber, we deliberate and delivered legislation that overhauled the funding of local government to make it more equitable and inflation proof. We provided K-12 schools with the largest increase in spendable resources ever, and approved the largest expansion of the school choice program since its inception. We made sure that Wisconsin remained a major league state by keeping the Milwaukee Brewers until 2050. The legislature also passed a series of tax cuts that would have benefited our economy, had not Governor Evers vetoed them. Today more opportunity awaits us. Wisconsin is approaching a crossroads. In one direction, we can create prosperity and in the other direction, we can create hardship. More than 4 billion dollars of taxpayer money is sitting in a bank account here in Madison while rising prices impact the families who sent us here to serve them. Governor Evers has made his position clear. He wants to use that money to grow the size of government and send Wisconsin backwards. In 2010, the state was facing a multibillion-dollar deficit. Schools, local governments, and the state itself were broke. It took remarkable discipline and important reform to pull Wisconsin off its path of financial ruin and put us on the path we are still on today. In this chamber, we will do everything in our power to keep Wisconsin moving on that path forward. Our top priority is returning the surplus to the taxpayers, strengthening our economy, and passing a responsible balanced budget. Outside forces will try to knock us off that path and push us toward failed liberal policies, higher taxes, bloated government, and multibillion-dollar deficits. They will fail. We will move forward by remembering where we have been. Prosperity is a policy decision. It doesn’t happen by accident, and in this chamber, we will choose prosperity for Wisconsin families through limited government and lower taxes. May god continue to bless Wisconsin and our great nation. Thank you.”
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With unanimous consent, Senator Hesselbein addressed the members from the rostrum.
Remarks of Minority Leader Hesselbein
“Hello - It is an honor standing before you as the Senator of the 27th Senate District and leader of the Senate Democrats.
A warm welcome to the Senators standing before me, their staff, family and friends and those watching on Wisconsin Eye at home. This is an exciting day for the State of Wisconsin.
I’m standing before you with six new Democratic members. My colleagues, new and seasoned are eager to work across party lines to improve the lives of people living in their districts and those living across our state.
I’ve been thinking about this day for weeks, and how excited I am to work with YOU for the people of Wisconsin. I know you share that enthusiasm.
I firmly believe that - at the end of the day - more unites us than divides us. We typically agree on the goal, right? We want people to have affordable healthcare and prescription drug coverage, we want folks to live with financial security, we want parents to have healthy families, and we believe our kids should be safe in school and thrive. We want people to retire with dignity.
However, we often disagree on how we can reach solutions. My goal for this year and my challenge to each of my colleagues is to work with each other, our constituents, and experts in the field to achieve the solution.
There is a lot of dysfunction happening in Washington DC. I think we all agree on that. Let’s make a promise today that we won’t let the partisan bickering, public squabbles, nonsense, and nastiness to get into our chamber. That’s going to take work. Let’s commit to having an open door policy, to listen to ideas no matter who has them, and talk about the real issues impacting people’s lives.
Let’s show Wisconsinites that their legislators, that this Senate body is a force of good and has their best interests at heart.”
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Report of Committees
The joint committee on Legislative Organization reported and recommended:
Senate Joint Resolution 1
Relating to: the session schedule for the 2025-2026 biennial session period.
Introduction.
Ayes: 6 − Senator Felzkowski, Representative Vos, Senators LeMahieu and Feyen, and Representatives August and Krug.
Noes: 4 – Senators Hesselbein and Smith, and Representatives Neubauer and Haywood.
MARY FELZKOWSKI
Senate Chairperson
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Relating to: the session schedule for the 2025-2026 biennial session period.
hist198406The question was: Adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 1? The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 19; noes, 14; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Bradley, Cabral-Guevara, Dassler-Alfheim, Felzkowski, Feyen, Hutton, Jacque, Jagler, James, Kapenga, LeMahieu, Marklein, Nass, Quinn, Stafsholt, Testin, Tomczyk, Wanggaard and Wimberger - 19.
Noes - Senators Carpenter, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Larson, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch - 14.
Absent or not voting - None - 0.
Adopted.
Senator LeMahieu, with unanimous consent, asked that all action be immediately messaged to the Assembly:
Messaged.
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Announcements, Adjournment Honors, and Remarks Under Special Privilege
Senator Cabral-Guevara, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Rev. Emily Lueder, Pastor at the Presbyterian Church of Winneconne and Weyauwega, New London High School Chamber Ensemble and Director Alex Rambo, New London Chamber Ensemble band members: Cash Allen, Zach Esser, Sydney Garza, Aubree LeClair, Addison Marsh, George Metko, Charles Sloma, Danielle Tank, and Kylee Van Pattern.
Senator Felzkowski, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2025 inaugural; her husband, Jeff Felzkowski and Dan and Darla O’Toole.
Senator Feyen, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Lori Feyen, Lacey Lakin, Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, and Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
Senator Habush Sinykin, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Daniel Sunykin, Elliana Sinykin, Zachary Sinykin, Justin Sinykin, Robert Habush, Susie Sinykin, Carrie Steinberger, David Steinberger, Robert Abrahamian, Talia Gottlieb, Jim Hirsch, Laurie Laz Hirsch and Amy Mueller.
Senator Kapenga, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; his wife, Cari Kapenga.
Senator Keyeski, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate adjourn in honor of her husband, Rodney, and her six remarkable kids, Maxwell, Jackson, Addison, Harrison, Josephine and Elizabeth. Anyone who has ever run for office knows it is truly a family affair, and Senator Keyeski is so grateful to have had them in her corner over the past year. They had to forgo a lot of time with their mom during the campaign, but her hope is they saw an example of how to live your values and be of service to the greater good. Senator Keyeski couldn’t be prouder to have them sitting on the Senate Floor watching her be sworn in, and she will work tirelessly to protect and promote our state for their futures and the futures of all our children.”
Senator Nass, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Sheila T. Reiff, Caryn Rothschild and Don Rutkowski.
Senator Pfaff, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; his wife, Betty Pfaff, and his daughter, Lizzie Pfaff.
Senator Ratcliff, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Adeline Ratcliff, Daniel Ratcliff, Edward J. Wreh, II, Kim Turner, Natalie Naze, Jennifer Moran, Emma Moran, Nicki Vander Meulen, Madison Kriener, Thomas Parr, Heidi Murphy and Steve J. Eisenberg.
Senator Roys, with unanimous consent, introduced her guests attending the 2025 inaugural; her parents, Krista Roys and William O’Connor, her husband Dan Reed, and her daughters, Arcadia and Avalon.
Senator Spreitzer, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; his husband, Philip Gorman.
Senator Wimberger, with unanimous consent, introduced his guests attending the 2025 inaugural; Fred Krumberger, Marian Krumberger and Wendy Wimberger.
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Adjournment
Senator LeMahieu, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate stand adjourned until Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Adjourned.
3:17 P.M.
