Our Representatives

Representative Joel Kitchens

Kitchens officially began his first term in the 102nd Wisconsin State Legislature on Jan. 5. Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) took the oath of office in a ceremony in the Assembly chambers Monday afternoon. He is committed to improving the business climate to help create better paying and stable jobs and focus on the tax and regulatory burden citizens and businesses across Wisconsin are facing. “The families, individuals and businesses in my district are my top priority,” said Rep. Kitchens. “They sent me to Madison to be their voice on important issues like the economy, education and government reform.” Kitchens is serving as vice chair of the Assembly Education Committee. He also is a member of the Agriculture, Energy and Utilities, Financial Institutions, State Affairs and Government Operations and Workforce Development Committees. “My 15 years on the school board will provide me with the background needed to make important decisions affecting education,” added Kitchens. “I believe I bring real-life experience to the committees that I will be serving on.” Joining Rep. Kitchens at the inaugural ceremony was his wife, Sherry, and his children, Rebecca, Caroline and Will. “I am looking forward to beginning my work in the legislature,” said Kitchens. “I hope that my constituents will use my office as a resource and know that I am here to assist them with any issues that may arise.” Kitchens is one of 63 Assembly Republicans for the 2015-2016 legislative session. It’s the largest GOP Assembly majority since 1957.

The representative’s office is located at 10 West at Wisconsin State Capitol. He can be reached at 608.266.5350 or by email at [email protected]. Click the following link for a video clip from Rep. Kitchens on his inauguration day:  media2.legis.state.wi.us/multimedia/ASM01/InaugurationDay.wmv

Source:  Kitchens press release

Gov. Scott Walker

Walker, a possible 2016 presidential contender, began his second term in office by making the case that elected leaders in Washington could learn a lesson in good governance from the states — and, more particularly, from his administration. Speaking in the Capitol Rotunda in Madison, Walker told the hundreds who turned out for his inauguration that he offers “a clear contrast between Washington and Wisconsin.” “We get things done here in the Badger State,” Walker said. “We’ve been good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and lowered their tax burden as well. We’ve shown why the founders of this great nation looked to the states — and not the federal government — as the source of hope for this exceptional country. We will not let them down.” The 47-year-old Walker is in the back of the pack in neighboring Iowa, which traditionally kicks off the presidential nomination race with its caucuses.

Source:  The Washington Times

Representative Reid Ribble

Ribble (R-WI) released this statement after being sworn in to the 114th Congress on Jan. 6:  

“It is an honor to represent the people of Wisconsin’s 8th district, and it is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. 
Over the next two years, I will continue working to improve how the House works for the American people, fight for the necessary reforms to keep Social Security and Medicare secure for not only today’s seniors, but also for our children and grandchildren. I’ll continue to push each and every day to get our fiscal house back in order with responsible spending priorities and long-term budgeting that will give families and businesses the stability they need. 
The men and women of Wisconsin’s 8th District elected me to do the people’s business, and I believe that it is my responsibility to tackle the hard issues, make the tough decisions, and work to get things done for the American people.”

Source:  Ribble press release

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Baldwin issued the following statement on the announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it will propose a change to its blood donation policy for gay and bisexual men, from a lifetime ban to one requiring a year of abstinence prior to donating blood and will take steps to implement a national blood surveillance system. “I am encouraged that the Obama Administration has taken this step forward because I have long fought to revise this outdated policy that is medically and scientifically unwarranted. Our goal is to replace this discriminatory, lifetime ban on blood donations by healthy gay and bisexual men with a policy based on individual risk. While this announcement represents needed progress, I remain concerned that it does not achieve our goal of putting in place a policy that is based on sound science and allows all healthy individuals to donate.” On June 18, 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution opposing the current lifetime ban as discriminatory and not based on sound science. Instead, the AMA supports new donation deferral policies that are based on an individual’s level of risk. The blood banking community, including the American Red Cross and America’s Blood Centers, has also long-supported a change in policy.

Source:  Baldwin press release

President Barack Obama

Two public forums are scheduled in Chicago next week to hear a proposal by the Chicago Park District to transfer several acres of South Side parkland to the city for the Obama presidential library, should the president choose the University of Chicago as the host of the complex. About 10 acres of park land is at issue. The president and first lady hope to make a decision on the library’s location by the end of March. The University of Chicago is competing with New York’s Columbia University (the president’s undergraduate alma mater), the University of Illinois-Chicago and the University of Hawaii.

Source:  Chicago Tribune