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Your Representatives in the News

State Assembly Representative Garey Bies

Two Bies-authored bills were moved forward by the state legislature. One regarding net pens legislation that reduces regulation on fish hatcheries passed through the State Assembly and will move to the Senate, and another that broadens the definition of an intoxicant to include substances that are inhaled, ingested or consumed in a manner contrary to their intended purposes passed through the Senate. The intoxicants bill will now go to Governor Scott Walker.

Source:  Bies press release

 

State Senator Frank Lasee

Lasee’s Senate seat is up for re-election in 2014. He has not announced whether he will be running for his seat.

All Assembly seats, Reid Ribble’s U.S. Representative seat, and Governor are also up for election next year.

Source:  Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

 

Governor Scott Walker

Walker wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, called “What Wisconsin Can Teach Washington.”

“Tough but prudent decisions put us back on track,” Walker wrote. “We enacted long-term structural reforms that include allowing schools to bid out health insurance, local governments to stop overtime abuse and the state to collect reasonable contributions for health insurance and pensions — all of which saved millions. Instead of austerity, we chose reform.

At first, some legislative leaders balked at our plans. But we worked through their concerns and together we created legislation that not only passed but also produced positive results.

Now Wisconsin is able to make significant investments in our priorities, which include worker training to help people get the skills they need to compete; tax relief to spur economic growth; additional aid for schools with new performance measures to ensure children are learning; and support for returning veterans to re-enter the work force.”

Source:  The Washington Post

 

U.S. Representative Reid Ribble

Ribble wrote a column for the Press Gazette media group, defending his voting choices on bills to fund the government, avoid government shutdown, and defund or delay the Affordable Care Act.

“I believe it is irrational to not fund the government,” Ribble wrote. “However, I am only able to vote on what is placed in front of me. Each time I voted, I voted to keep the government funded and each time I voted for a more compromised position than the previous proposal. The last proposal sent to the Senate did not repeal or defund Obamacare at all. The law was fully funded and would go into effect. All it did was align the mandatory start date for individuals to the start date given by the president to large corporations. But individuals seeking coverage and wanting insurance on the exchanges could get it just as current law prescribes.”

Source:  Green Bay Press Gazette

 

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

Baldwin received the Senate “Golden Gavel” award, an award given to Senators who have spent 100 hours presiding over the chamber.

“We have not had a harder working senator the past nine months,” said Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada. “In the short time you’ve been here, you’ve had admirable dedication to this institution.”

Baldwin hasn’t actually received the award yet, since the Democratic caucus was delayed by the government shutdown.

Source:  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Huffington Post.

 

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson

Johnson told CNN that shutting down the government to delay or defund the Affordable Care Act “probably wasn’t the best strategy to employ.”

He said defunding the act was likely not achievable, since it would require five Democratic senators to switch their positions.

Source:  CNN

 

President Barack Obama

Obama said he will nominate Janet Yellen, the current vice chair of the Federal Reserve, to the chair position. Yellen would be the first female to head a major central bank in the world, and the first Democrat to head the Federal Reserve since 1979.

Current chair Ben Bernanke will serve until his term ends on Jan. 31, 2014.

Source:  The Associated Press