Gearing Up for the Next Legislative Session

As the Assembly gears up for the fall, it is worth noting what has made this session different from others in the past.

The seating of the Legislature this year followed the election of twenty-seven freshman members to the Assembly. These members, buoyed by the enthusiasm of the voters last November, demanded a reassessment of state spending priorities. Their drive and determination has provided an invaluable voice for fiscal conservatism and limited government throughout our state.

When the new Legislature and Governor were inaugurated in January, Wisconsin was on the brink of fiscal insolvency. Previous governors and legislatures from both sides of the political aisle practiced little fiscal discipline and showed even less regard for your tax dollars. Pork-projects, accounting gimmicks, and an unwillingness to address the culture of entitlements for the sake of partisan reelection all contributed significantly to the budget mess that was left for the Assembly to address.

Since that time, the Assembly’s efforts have been focused on restoring our state’s long-term fiscal sustainability while simultaneously not increasing taxes in the middle of a national recession. With the enthusiasm of our freshman class and the knowledge of our veteran legislators, the groundwork was laid for these long-term goals to be achieved.  So far this session the Legislature balanced the state budget without raising taxes and and the same time giving local school districts the tools that they need to continue providing the best education in the nation.

But much work remains to be done in the upcoming months. With a sense of both determined effort and the dedicated resolve of the now battle-tested freshman class of legislators, we will continue to focus on the business of the people in Wisconsin. We must always keep in mind that it is you who sent us here demanding that we remain disciplined guardians of your tax dollars. In so doing we can remain confident that our state will continue to see economic growth, renewed job creation, and a restructuring of our long-term structural deficit while maintaining the quality of life which we have long known in our state.