Former Member, Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism Committee, Wisconsin State Senate
Member, Council on Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, Wisconsin State Senate
Member, Council on Military and State Relations, Wisconsin State Senate, present
Former Vice Chair, Economic Development, Commerce and Local Government Committee, Wisconsin State Senate
Former Member, Law Enforcement Advisory Council, Department of Transportation
Former Chair, Transportation and Veterans Affairs Committee, Wisconsin State Senate
Sergeant at Arms, Majority Caucus, Wisconsin State Assembly, 2003-2007
Vice Chair, Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions Committee
Member, Economic Development, Commerce and Trade Committee
Member, Joint Legislative Council
Chair, Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee
— Awards:
Wisconsin VFW - Legislator of the Year
Wisconsin American Legion - Legislator of the Year
Wisconsin Counties Association - Outstanding Legislator Award
Wisconsin Urban and Rural Transit Association - Legislative Statesman of the Year
Wisconsin Builders Association - Friend of Housing Award
Wisconsin's Electric Cooperatives Association - Enlightened Legislator of the Year Award
Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association - Hero Award
Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians - Friend of Family Medicine Award
The American Conservative Union - Defender of Liberty Award
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce - Working for Wisconsin Award
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce - Champion of Commerce Award
Tavern League of Wisconsin - Appreciation Award
3M - Award of Appreciation
Farm Bureau - Friend of Agriculture Award
Northcentral Technical College - Award for his Commitment & Dedication to Create Opportunity
Wisconsin Builders Association - Friend of Housing Award
Wisconsin Towns Association - Friend of Wisconsin Town Award
Wisconsin Dental Association - Award of Honor for his work at the Mission of Mercy
Wisconsin Paper Council - Champion of Paper Award
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce - Working for Wisconsin Award
UW- Stevens Point Paper Science Foundation - Friends of the Foundation Award
American Academy of Pediatrics - Childhood Legislative Advocate of the Year
State Farm Insurance - Golden Car Seat Award for his work to improve child passenger safety
Wisconsin Grocers Association - Friend of the Grocers Award
Department of Veterans Affairs - Certificate of Commendation
Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans - Legislator of the Year
Wisconsin Troopers Association - Legislator of the Year Award
Wisconsin County Police Association - Legislative Merritt Award for his efforts in support of WI's men and women of law enforcement
Allied Health Chiropractic Center's - Commitment & Dedication to the Chiropractic Profession
Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association - Hero Award Award
Wisconsin Ginseng Board - Award for Assistance to the Wisconsin Ginseng Industry
— Number of Grandchildren:
1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer
3. Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X
4. Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer
5. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
6. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
- No Answer
7. Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer
8. Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
- No Answer
9. Other
- No Answer
10. Should Wisconsin government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?
- No
11. Do you support mandatory life imprisonment of any physician who performs a "partial-birth" abortion?
- Undecided
1. College and university admissions
- No
2. Public employment
- No
3. State contracting
- No
4. Other
- No Answer
1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- X
2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- No Answer
3. Support the use of the death penalty.
- No Answer
4. Oppose the death penalty.
- No Answer
5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X
6. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- X
7. Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
- No Answer
8. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer
9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer
10. Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
- X
11. Lower the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- No Answer
12. Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
- X
13. Other
- No Answer
14. Do you support sending Wisconsin prison inmates to out-of-state prisons?
- Undecided
1. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X
2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer
3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- No Answer
4. Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- No Answer
5. Increase state funding to promote the tourism industry in Wisconsin.
- No Answer
6. Other
- No Answer
7. Do you support expanding legalized gambling (e.g. casino gambling) in Wisconsin?
- No
8. Do you support reforming the federal milk pricing system?
- Yes
1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- No Answer
2. Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
- No Answer
3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- No Answer
4. Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer
5. Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
- X
6. Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
- No Answer
7. Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
- No Answer
8. Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
- No Answer
9. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer
10. Increase state funding to reduce class size in more school districts throughout the state.
- No Answer
11. Support a "zero tolerance" policy that requires expelling a student for carrying a gun or knife to school.
- X
12. Provide education tax credits for college tuition and expenses.
- X
13. Other
- No Answer
14. Do you support measures to make it more difficult for K-12 teacher associations to go to binding arbitration in their negotiations with school districts?
- No
1. Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
- No Answer
2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- No Answer
3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- X
4. Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- No Answer
5. Provide funding for recycling programs in Wisconsin.
- No Answer
6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- X
7. Suspend participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer
8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
- No Answer
9. Other
- No Answer
10. State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
- Undecided
11. Do you support the state mining "moratorium" which requires companies to submit an example of a pollution-free mine before opening a similar one in Wisconsin?
- Undecided
12. Do you support allowing citizen boards to appoint the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources?
- No
1. State Senators and Representatives
- Yes
2. Governor
- Yes
1. Individual
- Yes
2. PAC
- Yes
3. Corporate
- Yes
4. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes
5. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Undecided
6. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- No
7. Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
- Undecided
8. Do you support requiring organizations that sponsor issue advocacy commercials to fully disclose their receipts and expenditures?
- Yes
9. Do you support requiring all out-of-state organizations that give money to Wisconsin candidates to obey Wisconsin campaign finance laws?
- Yes
10. Do you support limiting transfers of money between political action committees or campaign committees to $100?
- No
11. Other
- No Answer
1. Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer
2. Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
3. Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- X
4. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
5. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
- X
6. Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- No Answer
7. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- X
2. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
- X
3. Provide health care to uninsured children through BadgerCare.
- X
4. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer
5. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- No Answer
6. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer
7. Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
- No Answer
2. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X
3. Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
- No Answer
4. Provide an annual site visit for every certified child care provider, including provisional providers.
- No Answer
5. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- No Answer
6. Favor banning smoking in public places.
- X
7. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- No Answer
8. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- No Answer
9. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
- No Answer
10. Other
- No Answer
11. Do you believe that the Wisconsin government should include sexual orientation in Wisconsin's anti-discrimination laws?
- Undecided
12. Do you believe that the Wisconsin government should recognize same-sex marriages?
- No
1. Agriculture
- Slightly Increase
2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status
3. Education (Higher)
- Maintain Status
4. Environment
- Maintain Status
5. Health care
- Maintain Status
6. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status
7. Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
- Maintain Status
8. Welfare
- Maintain Status
9. Other
- No Answer
1. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status
2. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease
3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status
4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease
5. Gas taxes
- Maintain Status
6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease
7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease
8. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease
9. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status
10. Other
- No Answer
11. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- No
1. Maintain the five-year limit on welfare benefits.
- No Answer
2. Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients participate in work activities in order to receive benefits.
- X
3. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer
4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- No Answer
5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- No Answer
6. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- No Answer
7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- No Answer
8. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- No Answer
9. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer
10. Permit welfare recipients to get technical training as part of their work requirement.
- X
11. Other
- No Answer
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer
Type: bill Chamber: upper
Type: bill Chamber: upper
Type: bill Chamber: upper