Government Still Booming, Private Sector Still Struggling

On Thursday, the state released its monthly snapshot of Wisconsin's job picture.  For the second time in the past three months, Wisconsin shed private-sector jobs: 7,900 fewer jobs than the previous month and more than 37,000 fewer than this time last year.

Things are rosier in the public sector.

 In Wisconsin, hiring for the federal government, state government and city and county governments all rose compared to the previous month, in part attributable to ongoing hiring for the U.S. Census.  Of course, those are generally low-paying, temporary jobs, unless the Census becomes a constantly updating count instead of once-every-ten-years snapshot. 

Then again, the way this administration keeps spending, that might not be such a crazy idea after all...

But this data conveys a disturbing reality for Wisconsin.  Private business keeps shrinking, and the government keeps growing.  We could see this coming, of course... over the last two years the Democrats in Madison pushed through a massive expansion of government spending, paid for with $5 billion in job-killing tax hikes.  When you have a tax-and-spend agenda that punishes small businesses and taxpayers, you can't be too surprised when the government grows and the private sector suffers.

It's a small sample size, but the results of last week's eNewsletter poll question on how we're viewing the economy were quite interesting... more than half of you think things are still going to get worse for our economy in the days ahead.

As you know, I come from a small-business background myself, and I have been frustrated day after day with Madison and Washington's "me-first" attitude.  But we can't make a change to this backward direction for Wisconsin until we kick the Democrats out of office and elect smart, common-sense conservatives to take their place.

06/21/10 | 4:10 P.M.

Your Perception and the Economy

A few months ago, Wisconsinites were looking everywhere for the first signs of spring: flowers, robins, rain showers instead of snow.   Something similar is taking place right now with the economy: every new piece of information is studied to try to determine whether or not the economy is on the rebound from the worst recession in generations.

But among the mind-numbing set of economic indicators like GDP, unemployment, home sales, business inventories, manufacturing production, and tax revenue, there are a few statistics that actually transcend facts and figures, and give importance to how we feel about the economy more than just a set of raw numbers.

In a lot of ways, our perception of the economy matters more than the numbers.  If the economy is strong but businesses are still scared to hire and create new jobs, people are still out of work and the cycle perpetuates itself.  If the economy is weak but people are still spending money and feel good about th future, the real impact of a poor economy isn't felt as widely.  If Wisconsin's business climate is percieved to be poor (and numerous rankings and surveys find that to be the case right now), then businesses will be hesitant to expand or move here.

Perception is the reason the stock market rises and falls, and a reason "bubbles" can form (and burst) in certain segments.

This week, three surveys gave us a glimpse into the perception of small business leaders across our state.

The state's Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, released two surveys: one on the perceptino of 38 members of WMC's Board of Directors, and another on 263 CEOs of Wisconsin businesses.  Here's what they found:

- 45 percent of the statewide CEOs projected new hiring at their companies in the coming year;
- 90 percent of CEOs say Wisconsin is moving in the wrong direction as a whole;
- 80 percent of CEOs say the Wisconsin state government is very or somewhat anti-business;

The surveys also gave a clear direction forward for Wisconsin:  both surveys identified Wisconsin's high taxes as the top issue facing the state, both found support for regulatory relief and both identified cutting taxes and spending as the best way to improve our state's business climate.

Also this week, Manpower Inc. released a survey of 426 human resources executives, asking whether they are expecting a "restructuring" in the coming year, something that often accompanies job cuts.  Half of those surveyed expected a restructuring, and one in five anticipate a "change in their organization's leadership."

As if those numbers weren't proof enough that getting a handle on what people really think about the economy is hard work, consider this: there are three different groups that track consumer confidence, and at the moment, each of the three are saying something different.

As you know, my No. 1 issue in the state Capitol is job creation and economic development.  I served as the co-chair of the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force, and currently sit on the steering committee of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association, both of which are dedicated to finding innovative ways to grow jobs in our state.  This upcoming weekend, I was asked to attend a GOPAC summit in Pittsburgh focused on employment.

06/14/10 | 4:10 P.M.

Education Done Right in Milwaukee

  06/07/10 | 10:00 P.M.

GOP Convention Wrap-Up: Momentum and Energy

No Excuse for Wisconsin's Tax Burden

Democrats are Dollars Short and Years Late on Jobs

  05/09/10 | 10:00 P.M.

Obey Retires, Speculation Begins

05/09/2010 | 10:00 PM

Government 1, Wisconsin 0

05/05 | 1:20 PM

Dirty Tricks, Infighting and Games

04/20

Are you Getting the Change you Wanted?

04/12 | 1:05 PM

New Gov't Health Care Program Playing By Its Own Rules

On Thursday, Senate Democrats in Madison voted to pass a new health care plan for low-income Wisconsinites. The program, called BadgerCare Plus Basic, will provide bare-bones health care, with the number of doctor visits and benefits strictly capped, for $120 per month. You might ask, why hasn't anyone else thought of this first - why is the state the first one to make this available? It's simple - the government loosened the rules for themselves.

Wisconsin has a laundry list of requirements for health insurance providers operating in state, including mandated coverage for autism, mental health parity and mammograms, among other things. The authors of this new program decided, quite generously, that the mandates currently on the books don't apply.

And that, combined with current federal prohibitions on shopping for insurance across state borders, makes this new program the best deal in town.

This all came about in the first place because of another generous idea - expanding the original program, BadgerCare Plus, to childless adults in addition to the low-income families originally targeted in the first place. The response to this offering was so great that the supply was nowhere near the demand, leading to a waiting list of more than 20,000 people.

So one government promise proved to be unaffordable and unmanageable, so the solution is: a new government promise.

The way I see it, Wisconsin is currently one of the best states in the nation for health care coverage. Let's address the skyrocketing cost of health care with real reform, not new ideas to spend money we don't have.

03/01 | 3:30 PM

How's Wisconsin on Jobs? Shockingly Bad

The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance unveiled a study last week that shows how bad things have really gotten: from 2006 to 2009, Wisconsin lost 6,700 (4.3 percent) of our private businesses. Even with the recession, that's well short of the national average (an INCREASE of 6.1 percent), and puts us behind each of our neighboring states:

- Illinois: increase of 7.8 percent
- Iowa: increase of 2.2 percent
- Minnesota: increase of 0.4 percent
- Michigan: drop of 1.7 percent

Compare that to 2001 to 2006, when we added businesses at the rate of 11.5 percent, which exceeded those same states and the national average.

Sadly, with the leadership we've seen in Madison recently, don't expect a turnaround. At least until we can turn around who's in charge.

02/20 | 9:45 PM

"Right to Know" Bill Introduced

Last week, Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) and I introduced a bill in Madison to give some peace of mind to those working on the front lines of public safety in Wisconsin.

In brief, Corrections Officers currently don't have the ability to find out what inmates in their care have what contagious or communicable diseases until after they come in contact with some bodily fluid. And even then, the disease test is limited to HIV-AIDS.

Our bill gives prison officers the "Right to Know" what inmates have what diseases. This accomplishes two goals: 1) improving the health and safety of the workers themselves, and 2) allows the workers to best respond in an emergency medical situation.

Click here to read our press release on the bill's introduction.

Click here to listen to a report from the Wisconsin Radio Network that you might have heard on your local radio news.

And most importantly, click here to send me an email with your thoughts if you or someone you know is affected by this legislation .

02/15 | 12:05 PM

Thanks, Main Street Oshkosh, for the Award

The website Main Street Oshkosh, which many of you already know and use for restaurant reviews, event promotions, local conversations and community news, awarded Rep. Gordon Hintz and myself with a special note in their annual Main Street Oshkosh Awards. We were named as the co-recipients of the “If You’re Going To Do It, Work Hard At It Award.”

The site said that both Rep. Hintz and I are “taking stands, voicing [our] concerns, actively pursuing issues, and making noise.” I certainly appreciate the compliment, and I want to use it as an opportunity to remind you that I take my responsibility as your voice in Madison very seriously. I’m honored to represent the people of my district, and I’m eager to hear any thoughts you might have for how to make Wisconsin a better place to live, work, raise a family and retire.

12/06 | 10:10 PM

OWI Bills Pass; Time for Action on Jobs

This past Wednesday, the state Legislature called an extraordinary session to pass a series of laws designed to crack down on repeat drunken drivers. Wisconsin has lost too many innocent victims to drunken driving, and I was proud to vote along with overwhelming, bipartisan majorities of both houses to make these changes.

Among other things, we toughened the penalties for drunken driving up and down the board, made first-offense OWI a misdemeanor if there is a minor in the car, made the fourth offense a felony, and made sure it's all paid for by the offenders themselves.

Now it's time to turn our attention to something that the Democrats have been silent on for far too long: creating jobs and improving the economy. Not only have the Democrats completely ignored the ideas proposed by Republicans and businesses throughout the state as part of the Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force, they’ve gone in the opposite direction with job-killing tax hikes and more government spending at the expense of private-sector jobs.

It’s not that they don’t have the ability, we’ve seen bills go from first draft to state law in about a week. And it’s not that Wisconsin isn’t calling for help; our state has lost 125,000 jobs in this recession and the national unemployment rate is in double digits. The only thing that leaves is an embarrassing lack of effort on the part of the Democrats. They’re running out of chances to prove otherwise.

12/21 | 01:14 PM

Local Success Stories on Jobs

As we approach the end of the year, I've been hearing from more and more people who are rightfully frustrated with the lack of real leadership from the Madison Democrats on jobs.

The only scrap of action on public-sector jobs in Madison has been a public hearing on a few Democrat ideas last week and a committee vote this week. But no bill is expected to pass either the Senate or the Assembly until the middle of January at the earliest.

Despite the Democrats' best efforts at dragging down the pace of recovery, we've got some great success stories right here in our own back yard.

This past Thursday, I was honored to take part in a very special announcement: the state invested more than a half-million dollars in Renewegy, an Oshkosh small business specializing in wind energy.

Over the past few months, I've helped support Renewegy’s application for this funding - a $525,000 low-interest loan they’re going to use to purchase manufacturing equipment and create an estimated 40 "green collar" jobs.

Another shining star in our business community has certainly been Oshkosh Corp. Just this week, they announced that they received an additional $175 million order from the U.S. Army for more lifesaving MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles.

Add that to the hundreds of jobs saved by fighting tooth and nail to keep Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, and you've got recipes for success. It's stories like these that need to be a big part of the conversation when Madison has its long-overdue discussion about creating jobs. We need more success stories like these three, and fewer stories about the government trying to claim it's creating more jobs than it really is or focusing on government jobs first.

12/16 | 05:05 PM

Losing More and More Jobs

Late this week, the federal government unveiled their latest job report, showing an additional drop of 11,000 jobs over the previous month and the jobless rate in double digits (10.0 percent) for the second consecutive month.

Analysts and spinmeisters generally pointed to this as good news - 11,000 jobs out of the total U.S. workforce of more than 153 million is less than a drop in the bucket - but the numbers gloss over the reality of a nation continuing to suffer from this recession.

The number of long-term unemployed - those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more - rose by 293,000 to about 5.9 million. Once a person has been out of work for that long, they’re no longer counted in the official labor force and don’t count against the 10 percent unemployment rate. The percentage of those long-term jobless as a part of overall unemployment jumped 2.7 points to 38.3 percent - more than a third of everyone out of work has been that way for more than a half a year.

More specific to our neck of the woods, the state recently announced the jobless numbers for the Lake Winnebago area.

The City of Fond du Lac’s jobless rate got worse - dropping from 7.8 percent in September to 8.1 percent in October - the latest month with data available. Oshkosh/Neenah stayed about the same: dropping from 7.0 percent to 6.9 percent unemployment.

Fond du Lac county’s jobless rate rose from 7.8 percent to 8.1 percent last month, making it the 32nd highest of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Winnebago county fared better, dropping from 7.0 percent to 6.9 percent, for 22nd lowest.

The one constant through every statistic is this: things are much worse now then they were a year ago, when the recession was already well under way. The numbers paint a picture of ongoing pain, and each of us has a personal story in our own lives, or a friend or family member, that know firsthand that the jobless rate is much more than just another number.

This recession is still impacting our lives in real ways, and doing what we can to create jobs should be priority No. 1 for our government. The analysts are looking for rays of hope, but Madison and Washington owe it to their constituents to not get swept up in the “recession is over” talk. For my part, I will continue to prod my colleagues in Madison for some long-overdue action on jobs.

12/06 | 10:05 PM

Thanks, Main Street Oshkosh, for the Award

The website Main Street Oshkosh, which many of you already know and use for restaurant reviews, event promotions, local conversations and community news, awarded Rep. Gordon Hintz and myself with a special note in their annual Main Street Oshkosh Awards. We were named as the co-recipients of the “If You’re Going To Do It, Work Hard At It Award.”

The site said that both Rep. Hintz and I are “taking stands, voicing [our] concerns, actively pursuing issues, and making noise.” I certainly appreciate the compliment, and I want to use it as an opportunity to remind you that I take my responsibility as your voice in Madison very seriously. I’m honored to represent the people of my district, and I’m eager to hear any thoughts you might have for how to make Wisconsin a better place to live, work, raise a family and retire.

12/06 | 10:10 PM

Wisconsin's Rough Year

This time of year, it seems like everywhere we look there’s another year-in-review list, or “what have we learned” commentary or some other type of retrospective. This being the tail end of a decade, the temptation is that much greater to take a look in the rearview.

But this week, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced that this past year made a different kind of history, one that should make us do a little more than just reminisce.

Since last October, Wisconsin has lost more jobs than during any single 12-month period in 70 years of recorded data. We’re down more than 130,000 jobs since a year ago, and 166,000 jobs down since the state’s high-water mark in June, 2008. The manufacturing sector is down a full one-eighth of its workforce, and jobs are down in every industry up and down the board except education and health services.

The official jobless rate for Wisconsin is about 8.4 percent (seasonally adjusted), compared to 4.9 percent a year ago and 10.2 percent nationwide. That might be better than average, but it still means that 232,000 Wisconsinites are looking for work.

And on top of that, Wisconsin’s prospects for growing our way out of the recession are stunted by dismal business climate. Just recently, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation ranked us 9th worst of any state, and Forbes Magazine ranked us 3rd worst - embarrassing no matter how you spin it.

The figures can be a bit numbing, but there’s a person and a family behind every one of those statistics. Each of us may have a friend or a loved one struggling to find work, and countless more are worried about what the future might bring.

So where do we go from here, and what can our state government do to help? Earlier this session, I led a special task force - the Wisconsin Jobs Now Task Force - that met with over 150 business and industry leaders, local chambers of commerce and small businesses to try to find out how the government can partner with job creators to help during tough times. A poll released this week shows that the American people say that cutting taxes, not more stimulus money, is the best way to fight the recession - by a nearly 3-to-1 margin!

But much more important than any poll - as your state Senator, I want to hear what YOU have to say. How is the recession affecting your family? What ways can the government help - or what ways does the government need to stop being an obstacle? What do you think? What’s the best role for government during the worst economy in a generation?

11/22 | 08:22 PM

Is Wisconsin facing economic peril?

The Pew Center on the States, in a recent effort to track, assess, and improve states’ fiscal health, found that Wisconsin is one of nine states, in addition to California, that have been particularly hit by the economic recession and may be facing economic peril.

The Pew Center looked at all fifty states’ foreclosure and joblessness rates, loss of state revenue, relative size of budget gaps, legal obstacles to balanced budgets, and poor money management practices. After reviewing the data, Wisconsin landed in the top ten.

The study says, “But the recession has hit Wisconsin harder than most state governments, especially when it comes to lost tax revenues and the size of the hole in its budget. On top of that, unemployment is climbing as the state’s largest sector – manufacturing - sputters. Wisconsin’s history of budget shortfalls and pattern of borrowing frequently to cover operating expenses, among other measures, made it poorly positioned to weather the most recent severe economic downturn.”

Michael Morgan, the Secretary of Wisconsin’s Department of Administration, immediately came to our defense by saying, “the study is fundamentally flawed…it is not true that the recession has hit Wisconsin harder than other states…Wisconsin has fared much better than other states and manufacturing is doing better in Wisconsin compared to our neighboring states.”

But, it is a fact that Wisconsin has lost over 140,000 jobs during this recession. Our tax collections have dropped 11.2 % from the first quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009. The majority democrats in the legislature plugged a $6.6 billion dollar budget hole with tax and fee increases and one-time money that came from the federal stimulus package. Wisconsin, no doubt, will face another structural deficit of $2 billion and without increasing revenues; we’ll have to find new ways to balance the budget.

It really doesn’t matter who is right about Wisconsin’s economic outlook. There is no doubt that RIGHT NOW Wisconsin is in the middle of an economic downturn and the manner in which we’ve handled the downturn is under scrutiny.

This isn’t a position we should ever want to be in and it is my hope that the legislature will come back in January and debate bills that will stimulate job creation and the economy. I believe we CAN change the severe forecast set for the next biennium, but we must act together in the legislature now.

11/15 | 05:30 PM

Department of Revenue Office Closing in
Fond du Lac

As part of a Department Revenue (DOR) plan to consolidate offices, the Fond du Lac DOR will close permanently on November 16.

Click here to see where revenue staff will continue to service taxpayers.

11/05 | 10:16 PM

Where Are the Jobs? Part III

As I have mentioned before, the $787 billion dollar federal stimulus plan isn’t creating nearly as many jobs as previously reported. Because of the discrepancies being reported nationwide, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel took a closer look at the numbers reported in Wisconsin and what they found was troubling.

The Journal Sentinel found, “a stimulus job report that says more than 10,000 jobs were saved or created in Wisconsin is rife with errors, double counting, and inflated numbers based more on satisfying federal formulas than creating real jobs.”

For example, a Douglas County sanitary project created five jobs, but because of a clerical error, 50 jobs were reported, and then counted twice. A Milwaukee group reported saving 113 jobs by spending grant money, but the money was used to give employees pay raises. In another instance, jobs savings were listed even though the project hadn’t begun.

What is even more distressing is the oversight panel for the stimulus money acknowledges the mistakes and is not surprised by the errors. They also said the inaccurate numbers won’t be changed until January.

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste said this about the questionable information, “it certainly has raised questions in the taxpayers’ minds about what kind of value they are getting for the stimulus.”

I have to agree. The public is being misled about the true effects of the federal stimulus money and I don’t believe the government should be playing reporting games that could affect the stability of our economy.

11/05 | 10:01 PM

Senate Democrats Admit Rush to Judgment in Liquor Tax Vote

Author of tax hike, Sen. Jim Sullivan, previously argued Wisconsinites could afford 58% tax increase

Today, Senate Democrats announced they will drop plans for a 50% increase in Wisconsin's tax on hard liquor. Three weeks ago, I shared with you the details surrounding their push for this tax increase. With only a few minutes notice, they rammed this tax increase through the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote. There was no opportunity for a public hearing and no opportunity for Republicans to develop an alternative.

Perhaps if Sen. Sullivan and Committee Chairwoman Taylor had given this issue the serious public airing that it deserved, they could have made sure they had their facts straight and avoided passing this increase in the first place. Along with Sen. Glenn Grothman, I abstained from voting for this very reason.

I continue to support strong OWI reforms that will punish offenders and keep dangerous drivers off of our streets. Because it’s a priority, the state should be able to fund this from our existing budget and by increasing financial penalties on offenders. If the state needs to live without some luxuries, such as the $38 million in pork projects that were included in the budget, to accomplish this, so be it.

10/29 | 08:32 PM

Government Finance 101

Why do they always fund essential services last?

It seems to be an unofficial rule of government budgeting: Spend money on the least popular things first. That way, when the money runs out, it's only vital programs that don't have enough. After all, it's easier to sell a tax increase for vital programs like public safety than it is to raise taxes for less popular pork project earmarks.

Two weeks ago, this rule was illustrated again when Senate Democrats rammed through committee a 58 percent increase in the tax on hard liquor, about $20 million per year, with only a few minutes notice. There was no opportunity for the public to weigh-in or for Republicans to develop alternative ideas.

This new tax increase, so the argument goes, is to pay for cracking down on drunk driving. Drunk driving is a serious problem in Wisconsin and stiffening penalties for it is long overdue. The Northwestern even went so far as to label OWI reform, "the most important piece of legislation this session."

What was left unsaid, however, is why the state can't find the money in its existing budget for such an important program. Wisconsin is spending $5 billion more in this budget than the last one, but OWI reform is getting none of the new money. While $20 million is a lot, it represents only about 0.06 of 1 percent of Wisconsin's existing $62 billion budget. One would think that the money could be found without a tax increase.

This is exactly what I am proposing. I am drafting an amendment that will replace the $20 million tax increase with $20 million in cuts to pork project earmarks that were anonymously inserted into the state budget at the last minute. It will be up to the legislature to decide whether it wants to pay for pork earmarks, like a new $5 million scoreboard at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, or whether it wants to responsibly pay for OWI legislation. In the next budget, we can then give OWI reform funding the high priority it deserves.

Families across our state are gathering around kitchen tables making decisions about their budgets. We make sure to pay for the most important things first like the heating bill and our insurance premiums. We leave the luxuries for last. Why shouldn't government have to do the same?

10/14 | 11:01 PM

Where Are the Jobs?

We must demand better than $328,000 per job

Reports are finally coming in about the first round of federal stimulus money and how many jobs are being created as a result. You might remember that President Obama promised that the stimulus would, "create or save 3.5 million jobs." Likewise, Gov. Doyle promised the stimulus would, "create or save 70,000 jobs," in Wisconsin alone.

According to the Gov. Doyle's report to the federal government on the first quarter results of the stimulus, we have a long way to go.

The report, which you can view by clicking here, indicates that nearly $680 million in federal stimulus money has been spent in Wisconsin so far, saving or creating 8,284 jobs. This works out to a quarterly cost of $82,068 per job. The annual cost works out to $328,271 per job.

On top of this staggering cost per job, you should know that 74% of these jobs, "saved or created," were government jobs. Only 2,184 of them were in the private sector.

The federal stimulus is being paid for almost entirely by borrowing on the credit cards of our children and grandchildren. While this is hard enough to swallow, creating jobs at a cost of $328,271 per job is simply unnacceptable. We must demand better.

Click here for a printable Stimulus Job Application you can send to President Obama and Gov. Doyle to ask them, "Where are all the jobs?"

10/13 | 09:47 PM

Senate Democrats Ram Tax Increase Through Committee

After being given only 13 minutes to review proposal, Sen. Hopper abstains from voting

Senate Democrats today abandoned the bipartisan solution to the drunk driving crisis in Wisconsin adopted by the State Assembly by trying to hide a $20 million tax hike within the proposal, State Senator Randy Hopper said today.

“It’s shameful that Senate Democrats are playing partisan politics with people’s lives,” Hopper said. “Republicans weren’t even afforded the time to read the proposal before the start of our hearing today. I could not responsibly support or oppose a measure that I haven’t even been allowed an opportunity to read. This is why I refused to cast a vote. Apparently the Senate Democrats will stop at nothing to conceal their picking of the taxpayers’ pockets.”

Assembly Bill 283 passed the Assembly last month on a unanimous vote. This bipartisan legislation stiffens penalties for drunk driving and requires ignition interlocks for most repeat offenders. It also protects our children by making a first offense OWI a felony if a child is in the vehicle.

Senate Bill 66, also combating drunk driving, was scheduled for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Unbeknownst to the public and Republican members of the legislature, Senate Democrats have been developing a substitute amendment to SB 66 since passage of the AB 283. This proposal was finally released only 13 minutes before the start of the committee hearing today.

Included in the substitute amendment is a 58% increase in the tax on hard liquor, costing taxpayers $20 million. No public hearing has been held on the tax increase and no member of the public has been allowed to weigh-in.

“Senate Democrats apparently can’t even take the most serious of issues seriously,” Hopper said. “The ultra-partisan senate Democrat leadership should learn a lesson from their colleagues in the Assembly who were able to join with Republicans to find a common-sense bipartisan solution to a serious public safety issue.

10/06 | 10:14 PM

Our Government's Bait-and-Switch Continues

Learn the creative ways our government hides tax increases from us

This week, the Wisconsin State Journal reported on the cut in funding to the Tobacco Quit Line despite a 75-cent per pack cigarette tax increase this year and a $1 per pack increase last year. This was a clear bait-and-switch on the taxpayers who were told that this tax increase would be used to fund programs helping people to quit smoking. Our government lied to us, plain and simple.

This also reminded me of another, more serious, bait-and-switch that was contained in this year's state budget. A 75-cent Police and Fire Protection Fee was imposed on all phone lines in the state this year. We were told that the $107.6 million that this new tax raised would go to help fund local police and fire agencies. What wasn't said, though, was that $107.6 million in existing funding for these public safety programs would be taken away, keeping the funding level flat. Quite simply, our local police officers and fire fighters were used by politicians in Madison to sell a tax increase that had nothing to do with them.

That's bad enough, but it gets even worse. The budget also contained an extension of the 56-cent Consumer Complaint assessment and Universal Service Fund assessment to cell phone providers. Previously, only land-based telephones were assessed this tax. But, in an effort to hide this new tax from concsumers, a provision was included in the budget forbidding your cellular service provider from adding a separate line on your billing statement describing the tax. That's right, they increased your phone bill and demanded that the phone company not tell you about it.

Lastly, the budget flat-out stole money from the taxpayers. Several years ago, the state imposed another fee on cellular phone bills for wireless 911 services. The money from this fee was given to local governments to fund the development of technology that could locate 911 calls originating from cell phones. The fee ended this year, but the fund still had a balance of $4.6 million that the Public Service Commission was required to return to cell phone users as a rebate. Instead, the budget simply took the money and dumped it in the general fund. Rebate gone.

These are just three examples of government's bait-and-switch. In all, the budget stole more than $240 million that had been intended for specific purposes and spent it on something else. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau prepared a list of all of the fund raids which you can read by clicking here.

I have been criticisized by some for my opposition to tax increases and more government spending. These examples of the government's bait-and-switch illustrate, however, why the government simply cannot be trusted to raise taxes responsibly. Citizens are entitled to, at a minimum, honesty from their government. Until the government can clear even this low bar, supporting more tax increases is wrong.

10/04 | 02:22 PM

Wisconsin Shares Fraud Update

35 more child care centers shutdown

You may remember my previous updates on the multi-million dollar fraud in the Wisconsin Shares Child Care Program. Thankfully, the Department of Children and Families is beginning to take this problem seriously.

This week, the Department shutdown 35 more child care centers thought to be defrauding the government, bringing the total to 69 centers shutdown. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has highlighted a few of the centers and why they were shutdown. You can also view the complete list with explanations on the Department's website.

In addition, Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin) has authored a bill that would make it a crime for government workers to rubber-stamp suspicious child care payments. Similar to laws requiring teachers, doctors and other professional to report suspected child abuse, the proposed law, if passed, would require county and state workers who administer the $350 million child-care subsidy program to report suspected fraud to the local district attorney's office. Failure to do so could result in a misdemeanor conviction, a $1,000 fine and up to six months in prison.

I was happy that the legislature's powerful Joint Committee on Finance called Department of Children and Families Secretary Reggie Bicha to testify about the fraud this past Tuesday. Legislators were able to ask questions and express their concern. Republicans were, unfortunately, not allowed to finish asking their questions before being cutoff. As a result, Rep. Robin Vos (R-Caledonia) submitted a three-page letter and list of questions to Secretary Bicha. You can read more about the letter here.

I am pleased by the progress so far in combatting this unacceptable fraud. There is much more work to do, however. I will continue to keep you updated as the situation develops.

10/04 | 01:37 PM

Our Car Insurance Rates Are Going Up

Budget provision set to go into effect, increasing costs for Wisconsin's families

This spring, I shared with you information regarding several changes to our auto insurance policies contained in the state budget (here and here). From what I'm hearing, some of you have begun receiving notices from your insurance company that your auto insurance rates are going up as a result.

The budget contained a new government mandate that takes away our right to choose our level of coverage and doubles the mandatory minimum amount of coverage we must buy. If you own a motorcycle, you could see your Medical Payment coverage premiums increase by up to 550%. Also, trial lawyers can now sue for the coverage on all of a family's cars even if only one of them was involved in an accident. In other words, if you have the new minimum mandated coverage of $165,000 on each of your two cars, and one of them is involved in an accident, you could be sued for $330,000 in damages - the $165,000 in coverage on the first car, AND the other $165,000 for the car that wasn't even involved in the accident. To read the entire memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, click here.

What this means for us is higher insurance premiums. According to the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, the changes included in the state budget will boost auto insurance premiums by 33 percent for most drivers and more for low-income and middle-class drivers. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau agreed with this analysis noting that they had shared the WIA analysis with the UW-Madison Department of Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance and that the faculty had agreed with the WIA's approach.

Another costly provision included in the budget would have prohibited insurance companies from considering where you live when setting your rates. Currently, if you live in a safe neighborhood, with less crime and traffic, your rates are lower. If you live in a place with higher crime you pay more. This reflects the differences in risk assumed by the insurance company. The budget provision would have resulted in people from relatively safe communities like Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Waupun, Rosendale, and Omro paying higher rates to subsidize people living in Milwaukee's inner-city and other high crime communities. Thankfully, Gov. Doyle vetoed this provision from the budget, but legislative Democrats have no reintroduced it as separate legislation and have announced their intentions to pass it again.

I disagree with these changes. I voted against them when they came to the floor of the Senate and supported amendments which would have removed these provisions from the budget. Facing a $6.6 billion budget deficit, the Democrats never explained why they were altering our auto insurance laws even though it wouldn't bring any more revenue into the state's coffers and wouldn't help fix the deficit. Instead, they passed these costly proposals onto the citizens of our state with no explanation at all.

So be on the lookout for a notice from your insurance company that your rates are going up. If you haven't received one already, chances are you will soon.

09/27 | 01:22 PM

Wisconsin Must Do More to Help Employers Create Jobs

Responding to recent Oshkosh Northwestern Editorial

I couldn't agree more with this recent editorial from the Oshkosh Northwestern. As a state, we must do all that we can to ensure the long-term strength and competitiveness of Oshkosh Corporation.

When I met in July with the leadership team at Oshkosh Corp., the company was in the midst of an aggressive bid for the new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles They wanted Wisconsin to match the incentives offered to companies in other states to make their bid more competitive. I was happy to work with Gov. Doyle to encourage the administration to provide these same incentives. Last month, when Oshkosh was finally awarded this contract, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, I was proud that Wisconsin's $35 million in incentives helped secure the deal.

In the spirit of the Northwestern's call-to-action for public officials, I offer my own. Wisconsin is increasingly at a disadvantage to other states when it comes to attracting jobs. With tens of thousands of jobs lost this year alone from employers across Wisconsin, it's clear that we must do more to make Wisconsin attractive to manufacturers like Oshkosh Corp.

We should oppose measures like combined reporting — passed by the legislature in February — which raises taxes on some of Wisconsin's largest employers, including Oshkosh Corp, by hundreds of millions of dollars.

We should oppose fee increases like the garbage fee, which saddles municipalities with $63 million in higher costs that must be paid for by property taxpayers like Oshkosh Corp.

We should oppose onerous regulatory changes that will put employers, such as payday lenders, out of business. The property taxes paid by these employers will have to be shifted to other property tax payers like Oshkosh Corp. as a result.

And we should oppose vast new programs that use millions of dollars in tax money to fund political campaigns. This new spending will have to be paid for by corporate citizens like Oshkosh Corp., putting them at a further disadvantage to competitors in other states.

Public policy does not happen in a vacuum. Those who support every tax increase, fee increase, regulatory increase and new spending item proposed in Madison, cannot credibly complain that enough isn't being done to keep employers like Oshkosh Corp. here. Instead, we must all work together to hold our public institutions responsible for promoting an agenda of creating jobs through tax relief and regulatory reform.

09/12 | 9:33 PM

Mercury Marine to Stay in Fond du Lac

As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day, we should thank those that sacrificed to keep Merc here

Mercury Marine is a vital part of the Fond du Lac community. If Merc were to move, it would leave a hole in our community that simply could not be filled. The hundreds of workers at Merc are hundreds of consumers for our local businesses, hundreds of taxpayers who support vital services, and provide hundreds of students who attract state aid for our schools. The manufacturing operation supports hundreds of local suppliers who employ thousands of workers who likewise benefit our local economy, services and schools. And charitable contributions from Merc support dozens of local causes. In a very real sense, Fond du Lac is Mercury Marine and vice-versa.

Keeping Merc in Fond du Lac was a necessity for our community that would require the union and management, state and local officials, and Republicans and Democrats to come together. As soon as I was alerted by company officials to their economic situation, I immediately brought in Sec. of Commerce Dick Leinenkugel and Gov. Doyle. I impressed upon them the need to present an incentive package that could aggressively compete with Oklahoma and give Merc every reason to stay. Their response was immediate and extremely helpful to Mercury Marine. Gov. Doyle stayed engaged until the very end, communicating with me nearly every day during the final week of negotiations over a revote on the concessions package.

But while many people share some credit, no one deserves more than the members of the IAM local 1947. It is their sacrifice that ultimately made the decision for Mercury management. It was their willingness to accept large concessions that secured a strong future for our community. All Mercury workers deserve our thanks, but particularly local president Mark Zillges, chief negotiator Dan Longsine, as well as Fred Toth, Felipe Rodriguez and Rick Schmidt who organized the petition effort to demand a revote. Had any one of these people given up, Merc would be moving to Oklahoma as we speak.

So, as we celebrate Labor Day tomorrow, let's be sure to celebrate the 850 members of the IAM local 1947 for putting their community first.

09/03 | 6:27 PM

More multi-million dollar fraud uncovered in taxpayer supported Wisconsin Shares Program

One recipient of millions in taxpayer funds built mansion and bought a Jaguar convertible

With a $6.6 billion budget deficit in this state budget and a projected $2 billion deficit in the next budget, it's critical that we ensure that state tax dollars are getting into the hands of the people who need it most. That's why the recent Milwaukee Journal sentinel series on rampant fraud and mismanagement in the Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program is so upsetting.

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Regulators Confirm Overpayments

The newspaper has uncovered millions of dollars in payments to fraudulent child care providers over the last ten years. A recent report from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau determined that as much as $22 million were paid to fraudulent providers in 2008 alone. The report also indicated that nearly half of the providers examined received payments for care that they either did not provide or were not authorized to provide.

Fraud in government programs is clearly unnacceptable. As a member of the Senate Committee on Children and Families and Workforce Development, I sent a letter today to Secretary Reggie Bicha of the Department of Children and Families demanding an explanation of how this fraud has been allowed to occur and what steps are being taken to punish those repsonsible and ensure that the fraud ends now. You can read the letter by clicking here.

The Wisconsin Shares Program was designed to provide assistance to low-income parents who needed someone to watch their children while they worked. Like so many government programs, however, what began with the best of intentions was quickly distorted and defrauded by criminals and bureaucrats turning blind eyes to the fraud. While the blame for this waste of tax dollars belongs to many, it will shift to Gov. Doyle and the legislature if nothing is done to correct it.

If I receive a response from Sec. Bicha, I will be sure to share it with you.

09/03 | 6:27 PM

Doyle's Decision a Sign of Things to Come?

Doyle recognized that he's finally pushed taxpayers as far as they can go

While Gov. Doyle and I have deep philosophical and policy differences, it's obvious that he is an enormously successful politician. Dating back to his days as Dane County District Attorney in the 1980's and through his three terms as attorney general and his two terms as governor, he's never lost an election. That's why it is so telling that he has abruptly decided not to seek election to a third terms as governor. Clearly he thinks he could not win.

Recent polls have showed his unfavorable ratings higher than his favorable ratings for the first time since being elected. The reasons are clear. He has raised taxes billions of dollars, including skyrocketing property taxes. He has raided billions of dollars from segregated funds like the Transportation Fund. He has borrowed billions of dollaras with no plan to pay it back. And he has grown government by more than $13 billion, an astounding 26% since becoming governor.

His poll ratings show what Wisconsinites think of that kind of leadership.

There are several Democrats being mentioned as possible candidates including Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Congressman Ron Kind, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and State Sen. Jon Erpenbach. The problem for all of these candidates is that they've been as much a part of the agenda of higher taxes and fewer jobs every bit as much as Gov. Doyle. All of them will face the unenviable task of persuading voters that higher taxes actually creates jobs and will rebuild our economy.

I'm glad I'm not in their shoes.

08/16 | 11:36 AM

Cost of Government Day Comes to Wisconsin

Wisconsin Taxpayers finally done paying for Government in 2009; 224 days into the year and 26 days later than 2008

Wisconsin taxpayers are finally done paying for government in 2009, according to a report released by Americans for Tax Reform. Along with Rep. Rich Zipperer, I chair the Wisconsin Taxpayer Protection Caucus, affiliated with Americans for Tax Reform.

Known as Cost of Government Day, the 2009 date in Wisconsin falls 26 days later than 2008. The national Cost of Government Day, which also falls on August 12th, shatters the prior national record of July 23rd, set in 1982. Only 11 states’ 2009 Cost of Government Day will occur later than Wisconsin’s.

This report is yet another indication that runaway state government spending is forcing taxpayers to bear the brunt of the on-going recession. The taxpayers of Wisconsin are now working almost 2/3rds of the year just to pay for government, longer than taxpayers in all but 11 other states. The high burden of government in Wisconsin is a slap in the face to Wisconsin families and businesses who are struggling to make ends meet and facing pay cuts and layoffs.”

With taxes and spending continuing to rise under the budget signed into law by Governor Doyle earlier this summer, the picture does not look bright for lessening the burden in the future.

The budget passed earlier this year increased spending over 6%, bringing total state spending over $62 billion. Governor Doyle signed-off on nearly $5 billion in new taxes so far this year, and this so-called balanced budget still carries a structural deficit of $2.1 billion. Clearly, Wisconsin is not on the right path.

Earlier this year, Rep. Zipperer and I also co-chaired the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force. The Task Force, which was a response to the lack of input allowed by Legislative leaders on proposals that would negatively impact the business climate in Wisconsin, took input from over 150 job providers at listening sessions throughout Wisconsin and issued a report of recommendations in June that, when enacted, will help turn Wisconsin’s economy around, help large and small businesses bring jobs back to Wisconsin, and lower Wisconsin’s Cost of Government Day.

08/12 | 10:18 PM

Wisconsin Must Be Allowed to Compete in 'Race to the Top' Program

Wisconsin currently disqualified from competing for $4.35 billion in federal education funds

Today, I introduced legislation with Rep. Brett Davis aimed at allowing Wisconsin to compete for $4.35 billion in funds from the federal ‘Race to the Top’ program.

Increasing accountability and funding for public education shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I hope the leaders in the Senate and Assembly will recognize our legislation as a priority and join us in calling for a committee hearing as soon as possible. With the school year fast approaching, there is no time to waste.

A hospital tax and a seat belt mandate were rushed through the legislature this year in order to capture federal funds. Our legislation will enable Wisconsin to capture federal funds without a tax increase or a mandate. I would hope that the legislative leadership will act just as fast to make Wisconsin eligible for this funding. If they don’t, it should cause everyone to wonder why.

Under the rules for the ‘Race to the Top’ program announced by US Education Secretary Arne Duncan, states with statutory prohibitions on the use of student achievement data for evaluating teachers will be ineligible to compete for the $4.35 billion in funding available.

Chapter 118(2)(c) of Wisconsin Statutes prohibits school districts from using student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance. The companion legislation simply eliminates this prohibition, leaving it up to school districts whether to use the data or not. While the legislation does not create a mandate, the authors hope that districts will choose to implement these needed reforms to increase teacher accountability and improve the public education system.

Secretary Duncan went a step further and criticized Wisconsin and the handful of other states with prohibitions saying, “Believe it or not, several states, including New York, Wisconsin and California, have laws that create a firewall between students and teacher data. I think that’s simply ridiculous. We need to know what is and is not working and why.”

Numerous media outlets have editorialized in favor of eliminating Wisconsin’s statutory prohibition including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Wisconsin State Journal, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wall Street Journal.

08/11 | 09:32 PM

Mercury Marine: No Time for Finger Pointing

Rather than dividing our community, it must come together to keep Mercury here

One thing is clear to me as it relates to Mercury Marine: This can't be about finger pointing or assigning blame.

Instead, this has to be about our community and our state coming together to make sure that a critical part of our region's economy remains in Fond du Lac.

The facts are simple. The global recession has significantly reduced the demand for recreational boats and boat engines. Mercury's current capacity can produce far more boat engines than there are buyers willing to purchase them.

For a company that needs to emerge from our economic downturn a stronger and more vibrant company, this is an untenable situation. The bottom line is that Mercury must find a way to alter their operations to suit the marketplace in order to survive.

The imbalance between supply and demand is nobody's fault. I have been disappointed by the voices in our community that have sought to blame either the workers or the management at Mercury for the need to adjust its long-term plans. The Mercury employees in Fond du Lac are world class and surely the company could never have become what it is without them. Likewise, the management at Mercury has steered the company to become the market leader, even as our economic downturn continues.

This process will require our entire community to rally behind Mercury and its employees. It will also require all sides to step up and cooperate to find a mutually agreeable solution.

Mercury management has been tackling this problem for months by freezing salaries, cutting spending, disposing of assets, negotiating wage and benefit decreases, and closing underutilized facilities.

The government has also gotten involved by putting aside the politics-as-usual partisan wrangling that so often engulfs difficult situations.

When I was first approached by Mercury about the situation, I immediately met with state Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel to bring him into the mix and start looking for ways the state could help Mercury. Also, I personally lobbied Gov. Jim Doyle to assist Mercury in any way possible.

Their response was immediate and, I believe, extremely helpful to Mercury Marine. Both the city and county of Fond du Lac have also stepped-up in aggressive ways to do their part in assisting Mercury.

As the final piece of the puzzle is now being negotiated, it is my hope that this situation will be resolved in a way that makes Mercury a stronger company and, most importantly, keeps them in Fond du Lac. I encourage both sides to keep open minds and always remember the critical importance of keeping Mercury here.

08/02 | 02:43 PM

Hopper Education Legislation Receives Editorial Support

Momentum building to pass legislation opening up $4 billion in federal education funds

Last week, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was quoted in the New York times ridiculing Wisconsin's law that prohibits school districts from using student test scores and data when they evaluate teacher performance. While this law has been hurting our education system for years, it is now going to diqualify Wisconsin from competing for $4 billion in funds from the federal 'Race to the Top' program.

This is why I am introducing legislation with Rep. Brett Davis that would end this prohibition and restore some commone sense to our education laws. It will also open up some much needed federal funding for our schools. To receive these funds, Wisconsin schools must implement innovative performance incentive measures for teachers, rewarding the very best.

This week, our legislation received key endorsements from the state's largest newspapers and a respected think tank.

On Monday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorialized that, "teachers should be judged on student progress," and, "it's difficult to imagine a better way to motivate teachers to be innovative than money."

Also on Monday, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, a respected public policy think tank based in Hartland, wrote, "the state legislature should act now to abolish statutory provisions that disallow the use of results from state testing in teacher evaluation."

Then on Wednesday, the Wisconsin State Journal editorialized, "The legislature needs to act quickly to ensure that Wisconsin is eligible for federal grants under the Obama Administration's 'Race to the Top' contest..."

Rep. Davis and I are currently circulating our legislation among our colleagues soliciting co-sponsors and plan to introduce it at the end of this week.

08/02 | 02:43 PM

Hopper and Davis to Introduce Legislation Making Wisconsin Eligible for up to $612 Million in Federal Education Funds

“Believe it or not, several states, including New York, Wisconsin and California, have laws that create a firewall between students and teacher data. I think that’s simply ridiculous. We need to know what is and is not working and why.”
-- US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, New York Times, July 24, 2009

On Friday, I announced plans to introduce legislation with Rep. Brett Davis making Wisconsin eligible for up to $612 million in funds tied to the new federal Race to the Top program.

As the above quote from US Education Secretary Arne Duncan indicates, Wisconsin’s statutory barriers between student achievement data and teachers performance is now being ridiculed across the country. We must change these laws to make Wisconsin public schools competitive with other states in innovative student achievement initiatives. It's just common sense and other states are already making these moves. It's time for Wisconsin to catch up.

Our legislation will alter Chapter 118.30(2)(c) of Wisconsin State Statutes to eliminate the prohibition on the use of results from state testing in teacher evaluation.

Announced today by US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, The Race to the Top program was created as part of the Federal Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this year.

$297 million of the program’s funding is set aside for a Teacher Incentive Fund for states and districts that, “create or expand effective performance pay and teacher advancement models to reward teachers and principals for increases in student achievement and boost the number of effective educators working with poor, minority, and disadvantaged students and teaching hard-to-staff subjects.

$315 million of the program’s funding is set aside for a Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems program for states that, “expand their data systems to track students' achievement from preschool through college and link their achievement to teachers and principals.

The statutory change is needed because the Race to the Top program requires that, “no statutory or regulatory barriers to linking data about student growth and achievement to teachers for the purposes of teacher and principal evaluation.”

07/24 | 10:37 PM

Budget Stinker of the Week Round-up

16 Weeks of Budget Stinkers

For 16 weeks, I have brought to you a Budget Stinker of the Week. Now that the budget has been signed, I wanted to leave you with a round-up of all 16 Budget Stinkers.

Thanks to public outcry, some of these items were removed from the final version of the budget and some were altered, but most of them remain. With your help, we can restore a system of checks and balances to state government and reverse many of these harmful ideas in the next budget.

Below is a list of all 16 provisions featured as Budget Stinkers of the Week. Click here for the full list.

Raising Your Car Insurance Premiums

Decreasing Government Accountability

Backdoor Gas Tax Increase (removed)

Cutting District Attorneys

Reducing GPS Monitoring of Some Child Sex Offenders

Property Tax Increase

How Working 12 Hours Per Week Can Get You a Full State Pension

Putting an End to Insurance As We Know It (removed)

Add Another $1.5 Billion Onto the Deficit

Making Senior Citizens Pay for Gov. Doyle's Mistakes

Higher Garbage Tax Means Higher Property Taxes

Going Backwards on Bi-Partisan Welfare Reform

Releasing Criminals from Prison Early (altered)

Shutting Down Investment in New Jobs (altered)

Negotiated in Secret. What Were They Hiding?

Budget Pork and Policy. What $6 Billion Deficit?

07/19 | 03:55 PM

Bait-and-Switch Continues

Non-partisan Fiscal Bureau identifies $242 million in segregated fund raids in budget

Since taking office in 2003, Gov. Doyle has raided nearly $2 billion from funds established for specific purposes to pay for unrelated spending. The most famous of these was a $1 billion raid from the state transportation fund to pay for schools in 2005.

The problem with these raids is that the funds are paid for through dedicated fees, like vehicle registration fees, and dedicated taxes, like the gas tax. Your government tells you that they'll use the money to pay for roads, but then they raid it to pay for other things. Then they tell you they need to raise those dedicated fees and taxes to fill the hole from the raid. It's a classic bait-and-switch.

This week, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released their analysis showing that this budget continues the raids to the tune of $242 million.

We can never get a handle on our state budget until we budget honestly and end the raids. That is why I have introduced a constitutional amendment that will protect these segregated funds from raids. While my proposal will likely not even get a vote while the legislature is controlled by Democrats, hopefully we can get it passed after the next election.

07/19 | 02:54 PM

Statement Regarding Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine is a critical part of the Fond du Lac community and I am committed to doing everything I can to keep Mercury and its more than 2,000 jobs here.

I have been in communication on this issue with company leaders and state and local officials. I want to thank Governor Doyle and Commerce Secretary Leinenkugel for their work to keep these jobs in Fond du Lac. When I first alerted them to this situation, their response was immediate and, I believe, extremely helpful to Mercury.

Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder to policymakers that we must do all that we can to make Wisconsin an attractive place for employers to grow and create jobs.

Tax increases on employers have never created a single private sector job. In the midst of a deep economic crisis, we must work to lower the cost of doing business, not increase it. I fear that many of the tax and spending policies of the last several years, including the $3 billion in tax increases in the recently passed state budget, are moving our state in the wrong direction and putting jobs in jeopardy.

I will continue to advocate for adopting many of the proposals contained in the report from the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force which I co-chaired with Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee). These proposals, including lowering the tax burden on families and employers, reducing health care costs, streamlining onerous environmental regulations, and training a 21st century workforce, will form the backbone of a plan to grow jobs and keep employers like Mercury Marine in Wisconsin.

07/15 | 08:47 PM

Final Budget Wrap-Up

$3 billion in tax increases. $1.5 billion property tax hike. Middle class taxpayers left holding the bag.

With the 2009-11 Biennial Budget now signed into law, we should reflect on the many proposals contained within this 1,800 page piece of legislation.

I have fundamental concerns with this budget. Despite our recession, it increases spending by more than 6% and raises taxes by more than $3 billion - including a $1.5 billion property tax increase that will negatively impact Wisconsin families of all income levels. The budget pain will fall squarely on the shoulders of middle class taxpayers and senior citizens.

Among the $3 billion in tax, fee and regulatory increases are:

• a $300 increase in property taxes for the average-value home;
• a new tax on every cell phone and land line in our state;
• a new fee on your utility bill costing taxpayers $18.2 million over the biennium;
• a doubling of the tax on capital gains resulting in $242 million that won’t be available for investment in new jobs;
• a doubling of the garbage tax paid by property taxpayers whose municipalities collect their garbage;
• a doubling of the tax on nursing home beds, increasing costs for our most vulnerable citizens;
• a 15% increase in the registration fee for boats;
• and a 75-cent per pack increase in the cigarette tax. However, this money will not go to smoking cessation programs since the budget for that was cut by $5 million.

The budget also found the money for millions of dollars in pork projects and non-fiscal policy. Check out the details in this week's budget stinker here.

In the future, it is essential Wisconsin does not continue down this tax and spending path and it is my hope that I will have the opportunity to right the wrongs that were done this budget cycle. Hopefully that day will come before it is too late.

Thank you again for communicating with my office throughout this budget process. Your opinions matter to me and I hope you continue to contact me with any legislative concerns you may have.

07/12 | 11:31 PM

Climbing a Wind Turbine

262 feet of ladder. What more do you need to know?

On Tuesday, June 30th, I toured the Forward Wind Project in Brownsville. Built by Michels Corp. and operated by Invenergy, the Forward Wind Project can generate up to 129 megawatts of electricity - enough to power tens of thousands of homes.

The climb started by getting into a safety harness and putting on a hard hat. The harness clips into a steel cable that runs the length of the tower from top to bottom. As we climb the ladder, if we were to lose our grip and fall, the safety harness would catch us. The tower of the turbine is divided into three sections of about 80-100 feet. After climbing each section, there is a deck to rest on before climbing the next section.

At the top of the tower sits the turbine itself. Housed in a compartment about 30 feet long, the turbine is what converts the motion of the blades into electricity.

From here, we climbed out of a hatch onto the roof of the turbine. What a great view! We could see from Brownsville up to Fond du Lac and beyond onto Lake Winnebago.

After this we climbed between the blades and down the nose of the turbine to see where the blades connect to the turbine shaft. Then we climbed back up and started our descent back down.

It was a great experience that really helped me understand the way turbines work and their impact on the surrounding land owners. It's clear that we need statewide standards to protect adjacent landowners while still allowing for the state to pursue renewable energy development.

Be sure to check out the rest of the photos from our climb on the photo page.

07/01 | 10:55 PM

Irresponsible Budget Passes Legislature

$3 Billion in Tax Increases and $5 billion in Spending Increases Passes Senate on 4 Hours Notice. Assembly Approved it 19 Hours Later.

Capping a six month process marked by extreme secrecy and rushed votes, the legislature gave final approval to a state budget that raises taxes on working families and employers by more than $3 billion and increases spending by more than 6%.

The Democrats are trying to sell their budget claiming that only the richest of the rich will pay more, but it's just not true. If you drive a car, you're going to pay more - about $300 more per year. If you use a hospital, you're going to pay more. If you run a small business, you're going to pay more. If you have investments, you're going to pay more - twice as much, in fact(and some unexpected groups aren't happy). If you own a phone, download music, smoke, own a boat, live in a nursing home, run a daycare, hunt, or dispose of garbage, you're going to pay more. And if you pay property taxes, open your wallet because this budget is going to cost the median value home owner hundreds of dollars each year.

So, if you do any of these things, apparently the Democrats think you're rich and should have to pay more. Talk about being out-of-touch.

Even more offensive than all of the taxes and spending is the way in which this budget is being imposed on the people of Wisconsin.

In February, Gov. Doyle introduced a budget with no input from the public or anyone else effected by his proposal. Then, the legislature's Joint Finance Committee reviewed the budget and worked behind closed doors to craft a compromise that the Democrats in the legislature could agree too. These meetings were held out of the public eye for hours on end. Often, the committee would only convene late at night to pass these agreements that had been crafted in secret. Members of the public and the Republicans on the committee would be given the details of various proposals only a few hours before they were approved on party-line votes. After finally passing the budget in an all-night session at 5:30am on a Friday, the budget moved to the legislature. Again, Democrats in the Assembly and Senate met in secret to craft a budget that could pass each house. Republicans in the Assembly were given only a few hours to review the Democrat proposal before having to vote on it. In the Senate, Democrats wanted to vote on the bill before it had even been printed and distributed to the senators. After being rammed through each house on party-line votes, legislative leaders again met in secret for nearly a week before reaching a compromise both sets of Democrats could live with. With only four hours notice, the Senate approved the final version of the budet and the Assembly passed it 19 hours later. And now, Gov. Doyle is set to sign it only two days after being approved by the legislature.

Republicans pledged from the beginning to work with the Democrats to improve this harmful budget. Republicans on the Finance Committee offered 117 separate motions to improve the budget. All but nine were rejected on partisan votes. Republicans then offered more than 160 amendments on the floor of the legislature. All were rejected on partisan votes. Despite our best efforts, Republicans were shut out of this process from beginning to end.

It's really too bad. Wisconsin received about $3 billion in federal stimulus funds. This money could have been used to reform spending in our state, create jobs and put us on a firm footing moving forward. Instead it was squandered on new programs and pork projects. What a waste.

Because of this missed opportunity, our problems will persist. Already, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates a budget deficit of $2.2 billion in the next biennium. And by then, there won't be any more federal stimulus money to bail us out.

It can all be summed up in a simple phrase: ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Remember that the next time you're in a polling booth.

06/28 | 05:27 PM

When Do We Stop Digging?

When you’re in a hole, stop digging. Apparently the politicians in Madison crafting our state budget have never heard that one.

Already facing the worst budget deficit in our state’s history, fiscal analysts are now predicting that the next budget will face a deficit of more than $2 billion. If the economy doesn’t improve soon, we will look back upon this year’s terrible budget as the good old days.

Since the state is kicking its problems down the road hoping the economy will improve, one would think that the state is going to do everything possible to help get our economy growing again. One would be wrong.

This budget increases taxes and fees to the tune of $2.1 billion. If you pay property taxes, you’re going to pay hundreds of dollars more per year. If you use a hospital, you’re going to pay more. If you’re looking to invest in an expanding company, you’re going to pay more than twice as much in taxes. If you own a phone, own a car, download music, sell your house, or drive a boat, you’re going to pay more. The list goes on, and on.

That’s $2.1 billion that families can’t use to pay their bills. That’s $2.1 billion that can’t be used to save or create private sector jobs. Imagine the economic boom that could be created if Wisconsin families and employers had an extra $2.1 billion to spend over the next two years. Think of all the new jobs that could be created. Unfortunately, the politicians in charge think that fueling their spending addiction is more important than creating jobs for workers.

And what a spending addiction it is. Despite a lot of lip service about government belt tightening, this budget spends $5 billion more than the last budget, an 8% increase. After losing more than 130,000 jobs in the last year, who else in

Wisconsin is getting an 8% increase? I encourage the state workers being laid-off or furloughed to consider where that $5 billion is being spent since the state apparently can’t afford to pay their salaries.

I believe real leaders don’t just complain, they also must offer solutions. As a new senator, I’ve spent a lot of time touring state facilities to better understand how state government works. Every time I do, state workers point out to me many areas where the state could save money. Unfortunately, these workers never get a voice in budget decisions. This illustrates a key flaw in the budget process.

In Wisconsin, state agencies are not required to provide their full budgets to the legislature. Every two years, they simply submit their requests for an increase. And if the legislature doesn’t give the agency all of the increase that it requests, the spenders howl that the legislature is “gutting” public services. In this environment, it’s no wonder that government spending is out of control.

This is why I am a proponent of zero-based budgeting. Under this method, agencies would be required to justify to the legislature their entire budget line-by-line. Opening up their books to the public means that interested parties and state workers would finally get their chance to point out wasteful spending.

Until the state can prove that it’s spending the taxpayer’s money wisely, it’s unconscionable to ask for more, let alone $2.1 billion more.

06/21 | 08:01 PM

Senate Passes $3 billion in Tax Increases With Partisan Budget Vote

Democrats even rejected GOP proposal to give back $2 million from unwanted transportation project

The Democrats who control the State Senate tonight passed a budget that increases spending by more than $5 billion and increases taxes by more than $3 billion, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said today.

“Our state is facing an unprecedented budget deficit of $6.6 billion. It’s wrong to balance that budget on the backs of struggling families and small employers,” Hopper said. “If you pay property taxes, have retirement investments, own a small business, or have auto insurance, this budget is going to cost you hundreds and even thousands of dollars.”

According to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the budget adopted by Senate Democrats today increases state taxes by more than $1.8 billion and increases property taxes by more than $1 billion.

From the beginning, Republicans have tried to improve Gov. Doyle’s budget. The GOP offered 117 separate motions in committee to improve this budget. All but nine were rejected on party line votes. Republicans offered more than 160 amendments on the floors of Assembly and Senate; all were rejected on party line votes.

Sen. Hopper authored amendments to remove all non-fiscal policy items and all pork earmarks from the budget, a move demanded by citizens and editorial boards all over the state. Senate Democrats rejected the amendment on a party-line vote.

Senate Democrats even rejected an amendment from Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) that would have returned $2 million to the state treasury for a transportation project in the City of Kiel that the city did not want.

“It is clear from the actions of the Democrats that they weren’t interested in any ideas or suggestions from Republicans,” Hopper said. “It’s too bad that they couldn’t get beyond their tax and spend ideology and craft a budget that protects vital services without harming working families and struggling employers.”

06/17 | 10:15 PM

Hopper Offers Amendment to Strip Budget of All Policy and Earmarks

Digging out of budget hole requires fiscal responsibility and honesty

Senators Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), and Dan Kapanke (R- La Crosse) announced their intention to offer budget amendments stripping out all non-fiscal policy and all earmarks from the 2009-11 biennial budget.

“Budgets should not be used to conceal controversial policy that has little chance of passing as separate legislation,” Hopper said. “None of the non-fiscal policy will help solve our budget deficit and much of it will harm working families all over Wisconsin.”

“Instead of trying to win votes with pork projects, we should focus on winning votes by making the budget less damaging to working families and job creators,” Harsdorf said.

“Adding $38 million in pork barrel projects at a time when Wisconsin families are cutting back is irresponsible,” Kapanke said. “They fail to create jobs and cost families more per month so we must remove these earmarks from the budget.”

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has identified 88 non-fiscal policy items which have typically been removed in past budgets. LFB has also identified 91 earmarks contained in the budget. The amendment from Hopper, Harsdorf and Kapanke will eliminate 179 items identified by LFB as non-fiscal policy or earmarks.

Among the 88 non-fiscal polices identified by the LFB are increasing the minimum mandated auto insurance coverage, repealing the QEO, adding municipal liquor licenses in select cities, rolling back the welfare reform of the 90’s, requiring the collection of racial data during traffic stops, and creating regional transit authorities.

Ninety-one earmarks are identified by the LFB with items ranging from $5 million for upgrades at the Bradley Center to $25,000 for the Root River Environmental Center in Racine. Other earmarks include $500,000 for the Oshkosh Opera House, $50,000 for the Eau Claire Public Shooting Range, $100,000 for the Chase Stone Barn in Oconto, and $46,000 for Recycling Bins in Wrightstown.

“If we’re going to talk the talk on earmarks and policy, we have to walk the walk,” Hopper said. “Even though some of the earmarks and non-fiscal policy items benefit my district, it is clear that our 1,800 page budget is the wrong place for these items.”

“The budget bill needs overhaul, and it begins by cleaning up the pork and non-fiscal policy items that have more to do with granting favors to special interests than with enacting a responsible, taxpayer friendly budget,” said Harsdorf.

“The people in this state expect us to be responsible and tighten our belts the same way they are forced to do so,” said Kapanke.

06/16 | 09:24 PM

Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force Releases Final Report

Task Force held eight roundtable discussions with more than 150 job creators

In March, Rep. Rich Zipperer and I created the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force. The idea was to get input from the job creators in our state on how best to rebuild our economy and create jobs for Wisconsin workers.

We felt the voices of our state's job creators were being ignored in Madison. In February, the Democrats who control the legislature passed a so-called "stimulus" bill that contained $1.2 billion in tax increases on employers and families. The 400 page bill was passed on a partisan vote less than 72 hours after being introduced. No public hearing were held and Republicans were given no chance to alter the details of the bill.

In our view, we couldn't talk seriously about stimulating our economy and creating jobs without getting input from actual job creators. Unfortunately, they were being shut out of the process.

The Task Force held its first roundtable in Green Bay on March 10th, with roundtables to follow in Brown Deer, Eau Claire, Rhinelander, West Bend, Wausau, Waukesha and Elkhorn. Our question was simple: what can state government do, or stop doing, to help create jobs and rebuild our economy?

The answers were overwhelmingly clear:

• create a competitive tax climate;
• cut the red tape that wastes time and money;
• build a 21st century workforce through educational collaboration and training;
• lower health care costs through patient-centered reform; and
• first do no harm by rejecting damaging proposals in the legislature.

Fixing our economy and creating jobs starts with listening to employers about what they need to expand their workforce. I hope this report serves as a wakeup call to the out-of-touch politicans who have never bothered to ask.

I encourage you to read the full report here.

06/02 | 11:48 PM

Finance Committee Approves Budget at 5:30am Friday

Committee approves billions in new spending and taxes while public sleeps

The Joint Finance Committee finished their budget work this week at 5:30am on Friday after a 12-hour all-night session. Why the rush to finish by Friday morning? We can't say for sure, but the Senate Democrat golf fundraiser set for 9:30am that morning might have played a role. Charging $900 a head for the golf outing, the Democrats may have wanted to be sure that all of their members and all of the lobbyists interested in the budget would be able to attend.

Through the night, the committee debated and voted on hundreds of pages worth of motions covering billions of dollars in spending and new taxes. The language of these proposals was not publicly introduced until late Thursday afternoon, mere hours before being voted on.

Among the budget provisions approved in the middle of the night:

• releasing felons early from prison,
• increasing taxes on oil profits which most experts agree will result in an additional 7-9 cents per gallon for consumers,
• new driver's licenses for illegal immigrants,
• increasing income taxes on small business owners and higher earners,
• increasing the cigarette tax by 75 cents per pack,
• rolling-back the bipartisan welfare reform of the nineties,
• delaying $285 billion in debt payments into the future,
• repealing the QEO which has limited property tax increases for a decade by limiting teachers to 3.8% raises per year,
• increasing taxes on hospitals,
• changing joint and several liability laws to allow a person found as little as 1% at fault for an injury to be held 100% liable for damages,
• requiring those purchasing insurance to triple the amount of auto insurance they carry,

For most families and employers, these proposals will mean hundreds of dollars each year in increased costs. For some families and employers, these changes will mean thousands of dollars in extra costs each year. Regardless of their merit or lack of merit, these changes deserved to be debated fully and the public deserved an opportunity to review them and comment on them. Instead, these proposals were crafted behind closed doors with no input from Republicans or the public before being approved while most of us were asleep.

05/30 | 2:21 PM

Finance Committee Passes Controversial Items While Public Isn't Watching

Significant proposals deserve to be debated when the public is watching

Holding executive sessions out of the public spotlight is disrespectful to the citizens we’re supposed to be serving, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said today following an announcement from the committee’s co-chairs that the Joint Finance Committee would meet over the holiday weekend.

“None of us were sent to Madison to hide from our constituents,” Hopper said. “I understand that the Democrats who control the legislature are embarrassed about the $3 billion in tax increases they are prepared to approve, but passing them when the public isn’t watching doesn’t make them any less damaging to Wisconsin’s working families and employers. These are significant proposals that deserve to be debated when the public is watching.”

The powerful Joint Finance Committee is controlled by Democrats, 12-4. Committee Democrats have been meeting in secret for nearly two weeks trying to hammer-out a deal on how to fix Wisconsin’s $6.6 billion budget deficit.

The weekend’s agenda will include many significant budget areas covering billions of dollars worth of state taxes and spending. Among the items to be decided are:

• k-12 public school funding;
• changes to joint and several liability that will allow a defendant found 1% at fault for an injury to be held 100% liable for the damages;
• cuts to shared revenue;
• additional raids from the transportation fund;
• domestic partner benefits for state employees; and
• prevailing wage changes that will increase the cost for public projects.

“The Democrats are taking advantage of the fact that most Wisconsinites will be celebrating the holiday weekend with what little money hasn’t been taxed away from them yet,” Hopper said. “And, it’s particularly disrespectful to cut veterans benefits on the weekend we’re celebrating their brave sacrifices.

05/24 | 1:00 PM

Gov. Doyle Announces Backroom Deal to Address Additional Budget Deficit

Democrats plan will include higher taxes and more segregated fund raids

More than two weeks ago, Gov. Doyle announced that the state's budget deficit had worsened from $5 billion to more than $6.6 billion. After meeting with the legislative Democrat leadership in secret for nearly two weeks, Gov. Doyle on Thursday announced the vague details of their plan to address the additional deficit. The plan will include some reductions in planned spending increases, but mostly includes more segregated fund raids, and higher taxes. The details of the plan include:

• $165 million in additional raids on the Hospital Tax;
• raiding all $100 million from the newly created 75 cent cell phone surcharge that was meant to fund a statewide 911 system;
• refinancing billions in debt to get $285 million now;
• furloughing state workers;
• and reducing planned increases to state agencies by 5%


More than once during the governor's announcement press conference he indicated that various details of the plan still needed to be worked out. Until they are, we can only wait to see how much more money the governor's fiscal mismanagement is going to cost all of us.

The simple truth remains that had Gov. Doyle been making fiscally responsible choices, we could have avoided many of the tax increases, spending cuts and layoffs we're facing now. Instead, he took the easy way out, increasing spending by billions of dollars and paying for it with one-time funds and billions in borrowing.

05/23 | 11:23 PM

Returning Pay the Right Thing to Do

Last week, Gov. Doyle announced that our $5 billion budget deficit would actually be $1.5 billion worse, bringing it to $6.5 billion for the two year budget. He proposed, among other things, furloughing most state employees for up to 16 days over the biennium.

16 days of pay is not a small sacrifice for state employees. Most of these workers have families who count on their paychecks and this cut will make it harder to make ends meet.

As a public official, I believe I should lead by example. Elected officials cannot be furloughed under our state constitution, but I pledge to voluntarily return my pay in an amount equal to the furloughs imposed on state employees. I can't speak for my colleagues, but I think it is simply the right thing to do.

05/10 | 04:58 PM

Randy Hopper to Chair Wisconsin Taxpayer Protection Caucus

Today, Americans for Tax Reform announced that Sen. Randy Hopper will chair the Taxpayer Protection Caucuses in the Wisconsin State Senate. Sen. Hopper serves as the Ranking Member on the Senate Small Business Committee.

To join the caucus, senators must be signers of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which is a written commitment to their constituents and state residents to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes." With the addition of Sen. Hopper and his co-chair in the State Assembly, Rep. Rich Zipperer, there are now 40 Taxpayer Protectionin Caucuses in 30 states. Every state (excepting Nebraska which as a unicameral legislature) will sooon have both a Senate and House caucus consisting of all pledge signers in the legislature.

"Sen. Hopper and Rep. Zipperer have proven themselves to be the leading advocates for Wisconsin taxpayers," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "As founders of the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force, over the past weeks they have been touring the state to meet with job creators about ways to make the Badger State more competitive through tax and regulatory reform."

The Taxpayer Protection Caucuses provide a single voice on tax issues among pro-taxpayer legislators, and form entire bodies of legislators that believe in the same principle; no new taxes. Considering the budget battles states are facing across the country, taxes continue to be very high on the radar screen of voters and the media. Journalists will be able to go to the chair of the caucus for comments on tax issues.

"Protecting taxpayers should be the first priority of anyone elected to the state legislature," Norquist added. "Randy Hopper and Rich Zipperer understand this important notion and this is why they chose to take the lead in the effort to protect Wisconsin taxpayers' wallets."

05/10 | 04:58 PM

Republican State Convention Held in La Crosse

This weekend, I attended the Wisconsin Republican Party Convention in La Crosse. The state convention is a great opportunity for Republican activists to get together and share ideas for building our party and communicating our message.

The Wisconsin Republican Party has made a huge effort in recent months to increase its visibility on the web. Click here to see the various options for following convention coverage including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

In addition, find coverage of the convention from WisPolitics.com here. This year's WisPolitics straw poll winners were Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for Governor, receiving 395 out of 423 votes case, and Superior Mayor Dave Ross for Lt. Governor, receiving 147 votes out of 423.

05/03 | 03:29 PM

A Case for Bipartisanship

Bipartisanship is a word that gets tossed around very cheaply in Madison.

The real truth is that many of those that talk about bipartisanship aren't that interested in it. I'd like to take some time, though, to share with you two recent legislative examples that illustrate the benefits of true bipartisanship over partisan rancor.

The first example is the John Doe Reform measure that recently passed the State Senate. I was a proud co-sponsor of this legislation, which protects corrections officers against frivolous complaints from inmates.

In 2007, a Dodge County judge issued charges against a corrections officer under Wisconsin's John Doe Law based solely on the uncorroborated complaint of an inmate at the Waupun Correctional Facility. The case was ultimately dismissed as having no merit, but not before turning the officer's life upside down.

Our legislation protects these officers from frivolous claims and ensures a thorough review is made and officers are allowed to defend themselves prior to charges being filed. I'm proud that this legislation was approved in the Senate unanimously and did not succumb to the politics-as-usual ways of the State Capitol.

This bill's passage is a great example of the benefits of Republicans and Democrats working together on common goals.

Unfortunately, my second example shows the perils of abandoning bipartisanship. In February, Democrats in the Legislature approved a so-called "stimulus" package of legislation that actually raises taxes by more than $1 billion over the next three years. The bill increases taxes on employers by more than 11 percent and makes Wisconsin less attractive for business expansion and job creation.

Unlike John Doe Reform, this bill passed on strict party lines less than 48 hours after being introduced. It received no public hearings and the Democrats ignored complaints from job creators that it would keep new jobs from being created and eliminate existing jobs. It was politics-as-usual at its worst.

Had the Democrats consulted with Republicans and the job creators around our state, we could have crafted a bill that addressed our budget deficit without harming our economy any further.

When I was elected, I made a commitment to work with both sides of the political aisle. I want to challenge other legislators to make

04/25 | 11:27 AM

Tax Day TEA Parties a Huge Success

Randy attended Taxed Enough Already Rallies in Madison and Fond du Lac on Tax Day

On Wedenesday, hundreds of thousands of people attended Tax Day TEA Parties all across our nation. In Wisconsin, nearly 5,000 citizens converged on the state capitol to remind our elected officials who pays the bills and who works for who.

The message was clear: stop wasting money and stop mortgaging our childrens' future.

I was really inspired by the crowds on Wednesday. So many of my meetings in Madison are with the spenders asking us for more money for their program. It was so refreshing to hear from the other side, asking us to spend only what's necessary.

I also attended the TEA Party in Fond du Lac and spoke to the crowd about the harmful effects of high taxes. 400 workers in Sheboygan were given their layoff notices at Thomas Products. Gardner Denver, the parent company of Thomas, needed to consolidate two facilities into one. They needed to choose between their facility in Sheboygan and their facility in Monroe, Lousianna. They chose Lousianna.

For years Republicans have argued that Wisconsin's tax climate is chasing away businesses and making us unattractive for job creation. Never has that been more clear than this week. Hopefully, the Democrats will get the message soon and start working to actually lower the tax burden and reduce the red-tape making it too expensive to create jobs here.


The crowd at Madison's TEA Party on the Capitol Square. Photo credit: WisPolitics.com

04/16 | 11:11 PM

Fond du Lac School District Elementary Students Kick Off AT&T Real Yellow Pages Phone Book Recycling Challenge

Students to learn about environment, aid community recycling

Students at the Fond du Lac School District elementary schools kicked off AT&T’s* first Wisconsin phone book recycling challenge Monday as they seek to improve the environment by collecting as many outdated phone directories for recycling as possible over the next six weeks.

As part of the company’s Project ReDirectory, prizes will be provided by AT&T Real Yellow Pages to the schools that collect the most outdated phone books through May 15. The first-place school will receive $500, and the third graders at this school will win a field trip to Fond du Lac Festivals’ Walleye Weekend to build a castle made from recycled AT&T Real Yellow Pages phone books. They will also receive a free Project ReDirectory T-shirt. The second-place school will receive $350; and the third-place school will receive $150. Johnson Bus will provide the transportation for the third graders’ field trip. Waste Management will furnish the recycling containers, hauling and recycling services.

This phone book recycling challenge kicked off at Waters Elementary School at an event led by Fond du Lac Chief of Police and Walleye Weekend Co-Chair, Tony Barthuly.

“This event provides a perfect opportunity for the local schools to work with the community in an effort that positively impacts our environment,” said Cathy Daniels, Waters Elementary School Principal. “This also ties directly with the educational focus in our schools this month with Earth Day.”

The new AT&T Real Yellow Pages Fond du Lac directory cover featuring Fond du Lac Festivals’ Walleye Weekend was unveiled during the kick-off. “We’re excited about this opportunity to team up with AT&T and the Fond du Lac School District to bring a great event to Walleye Weekend, while at the same time creating an amazing opportunity to educate our children,” said Mary Ann Dilling, Executive Director of Fond du Lac Festivals, Inc.

AT&T Real Yellow Pages directories are recyclable, and the paper used to print the directories contains recycled materials. The remaining paper fiber comes from sawdust and wood chips left over from lumber processing operations. Phone books are recycled into useful products such as home insulation, drywall, cereal boxes, animal bedding, new phone books and more.

“This recycling program adds to AT&T’s numerous local recycling efforts, and we’re happy to come together with Senator Randy Hopper and local community leaders to be part of the Fond du Lac School District’s and Walleye Weekend’s first phone book recycling challenge,” said Stephanie Byrnes, AT&T area market manager.

“This is an exciting new program that will teach area children the importance of being good stewards of the environment and empower them to take an active role in the community,” said Senator Hopper (R-Fond du Lac).

In addition to giving outdated phone books to the local Fond du Lac elementary schools for this phone book recycling challenge, residents and businesses may call the AT&T Project ReDirectory hotline at 1-800-953-4400 for information about recycling outdated phone books in the Fond du Lac area.

04/03 | 01:08 PM

Tax Freedom Day is April 13th

Average American will work 103 days for the government

The non-partisan Tax Foundation reported yesterday that the 2009 Tax Freedom day will be April 13th. Tax Freedom Day represents the day of the year when Americans have finally earned enough money to pay their tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels of government.

The Tax Foundation also found that in 2009, Americans will pay more money in taxes than they will spend on food, clothing, and housing - COMBINED.

Perhaps the most troubling part of the story is that the Tax Foundation's calculation doesn't account for the massive amounts of debt our government is building everday. President Obama's plans, which he estimates will double our national debt to more than $12 trillion by 2019. When all of our borrowing finally comes due, how many days each year do you think our children and grandchildren will have to work to pay for our mistakes?

To read the report for yourself, click here.

04/03 | 01:08 PM

Higher Taxes Won't Put People Back to Work, Eau Claire Jobs Roundtable Says

3rd Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force Roundtable Held Today in Eau Claire

Today’s third Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force roundtable discussion in Eau Claire continued to build on the momentum of previous roundtable discussions on finding positive job creation solutions, Task Force Co-Chairs Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) said today.

“We’ve held three roundtables and talked with more than 100 business owners and not one has suggested that raising taxes will create jobs,” Hopper said. “To a person, these job creators are telling us that lower taxes, less red-tape, and common sense labor regulations will create jobs and help rebuild our economy. It’s very frustrating that Gov. Doyle and the Democrats in Madison are ignoring these employers and going in the opposite direction.”

“What we heard today was another group of employers committed to creating jobs and growing our economy, if only government would get off their backs,” Zipperer said. “We’ve heard many great ideas about tax incentives and streamlining regulation that will help get our economy back on track. I implore the governor and the majority Democrats to listen to these job creators instead of continuing on their path of higher taxes and more regulation.”

Today’s roundtable, held in Eau Claire, brought together business owners and job creators from all over Western and Northwestern Wisconsin to brainstorm ideas for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy and creating jobs. Among the ideas discussed today were:

• Rolling back recent 11% tax increases on employers;
• opposing the Oil Franchise Tax;
• tax incentives for business equipment purchases;
• reducing health care costs by putting patients and doctors in charge of health care decisions;
• considering the unintended consequences of the recent minimum wage hike;
• enhancing education tax credits for worker retraining;
• opposing the artificial increase in the cost of projects by limiting prevailing wage extensions;
• keeping jobs here by opposing card check legislation;
developing policies that loosen rather than tighten credit markets;

The Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force will continue to hold roundtable discussions in communities across the state. The Task Force is encouraging individual legislators to conduct these discussions and submit their findings to the Task Force. In addition, the Task Force is accepting written testimony on its website, www.wisconsinjobsnow.info. The Task Force will consider all ideas, suggestions and testimony and issue a report with concrete plans for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy for consideration by the Legislature.

04/02 | 11:56 PM

Senate Passes John Doe Reform

Legislation, cosponsored by Sen. Hopper, provides more protection for corrections officers

Corrections officers will finally get some of the legal protection they deserve after Tuesday’s passage of Senate Bill 51, a John Doe Reform measure, passed by the State Senate yesterday, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said.

“Frivolous and malicious allegations are a real threat to our corrections officers,” Hopper said. “A prisoner serving a long sentence has nothing to lose and everything to gain by making false allegations of wrongdoing against corrections officers. Until now, officers had to live in fear that they could be victimized by the John Doe process. The passage of this reform measure will go a long way toward protecting them.”

Current law has been exploited by convicted criminals, forcing corrections staff to mount costly defenses against bogus claims, even after investigations by the Department of Corrections and the local District Attorney have shown these claims to be baseless.

Senate Bill 51 was prompted after a Dodge County judge filed felony charges against a Waupun correctional officer in 2007. The judge issued charges based solely on the word of the inmate. The judge argued that the John Doe statute and case law interpretations prohibited him from considering the full scope of evidence and testimony from witnesses. The case highlighted a flaw in the John Doe law that needed to be addressed by the legislature.

Senate Bill 51 protects against frivolous John Doe claims in several ways:

• Requires that judges refer all John Doe complaints to district attorneys for review before the judge may act on them.
• Requires district attorneys to look into complaints and issue written recommendations to judges within 90 days on whether or not charges should be filed.
• Allows judges to consider evidence and testimony of witnesses in any John Doe case that comes before the judge.
• Requires judges to consider all evidence and testimony of witnesses before felony charges may be filed.
• Provides for payment of legal fees for state employees who face felony charges and who are later cleared of any wrongdoing.

03/25 | 12:22 AM

Phosphorus Ban Passes State Senate

Assembly Bill 3, cosponsored by Sen. Hopper, passes senate unanimously

The State Senate took a large stride towards protecting our environment yesterday by approving Assembly Bill, a measure that prohibits the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said today.

“I was proud to cosponsor this legislation aimed at keeping our waterways clean and healthy,” Hopper said. “The unanimous passage of this legislation in the Senate, following its passage in the Assembly, shows the bipartisan commitment of the legislature to protect our environment.”

Assembly Bill 3 prohibits the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer with limited exceptions. Phosphorus from lawn fertilizers can runoff into lakes and streams and have a negative impact on water quality. Switching to non-phosphorus fertilizers is a simple way to improve water quality and help control polluted runoff. The bill exempts new lawn development, agriculture land or land deficient in phosphorus. Animal manure and sewage sludge fertilizers are also exempt from the restrictions of the bill.

Excessive algae growth can result from a phosphorus level 1,000 times less than the amount needed to grow healthy grass. Algae clouds water, blocking sunlight from reaching other aquatic plants; it also lowers the oxygen levels in the water, which can cause fish kills. In addition, water rich in nutrients such as phosphorus encourages the spread of invasive species that can further damage the ecosystem of a lake. Algae blooms can create a foul smell and turn lake water into a thick soupy mess, negatively impacting both the recreational use of waterways and the value of lakeshore properties. Restricting the use of phosphorus fertilizers is a necessary step in reducing the amount of phosphorus runoff that enters our streams, rivers, and lakes.

03/25 | 12:15 AM

Momentum Building Behind Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force

2nd Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force Roundtable Held Today in Brown Deer

Today’s second Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force roundtable discussion in Brown Deer continued the productive dialogue with job creators about ways to rebuild Wisconsin’s economy and create jobs, Task Force Co-Chairs Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) said today.

“The large attendance today shows that the job creators in our state are willing to participate in the process if only someone would ask them what they think,” Hopper said. “I was really disappointed that the Democrats cut these jobs creators out of the process when they passed their so-called stimulus bill last month. As a small business owner, I know that we can’t have serious discussions about creating jobs without asking for input from actual job creators.”

“The response to these roundtable discussions has been overwhelming,” Zipperer said. “Two weeks ago, we had 25 job creators attend our roundtable in Green Bay. Today, we had more than 40. The message from these people is clear: jobs are created when the state lowers taxes, streamlines regulation, ends the budget raids, and encourages job growth rather than discourage it.”

Today’s roundtable, held at BioResarch Associates Inc. in Brown Deer, brought together business owners and job creators from all over Southeast Wisconsin to brainstorm ideas for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy and creating jobs.

Among the ideas discussed today were:

• building a tax structure that contains incentives for retaining and creating jobs locally;
• repealing the recently approved 11% tax hike on businesses;
• streamlining environmental regulations to make it easier for employers to navigate while respecting the environment;
• putting patients and doctors back in charge of health care through health savings accounts;
• considering the unintended consequences of increasing the minimum wage;
• developing policies that loosen rather than tighten credit markets;

The Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force will hold its next roundtable discussion in Eau Claire on Monday, March 30th. The Task Force is also encouraging individual legislators to conduct meetings with job creators in their districts and to submit their findings to the Task Force. In addition, the Task Force is accepting written testimony on its website, www.wisconsinjobsnow.info. The Task Force will consider all ideas, suggestions and testimony and issue a report with concrete plans for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy for consideration by the Legislature.

03/23 | 08:46 PM

Gov. Doyle Raising Taxes $1.8 Billion, Non-Partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau Finds

Proposed budget includes nearly $1.5 billion increase in taxes, $237 million increase in fees

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau today announced that Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 budget increases taxes and fees by nearly $1.8 billion, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said.

“The people of Wisconsin should not have to pay for 6 years of the governor’s fiscal mismanagement,” Hopper said. “Rather than stand in solidarity with the families and employers of Wisconsin who are struggling to pay their bills, Gov. Doyle is actually increasing government spending $2.2 billion more than the last budget and making those struggling taxpayers pay for it.”

The legislative fiscal bureau released its analysis of the tax and fee increases in Gov. Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 biennial budget. Among the findings:

Net Tax Increases: $1,469,989,300
Net Fee Increases: $237,745,100
Increased Collection Measures: $61,262,000
Total Increases: $1,768,996,400


The full analysis can be found at the Legislative Fiscal Bureau Website

“The job creators I heard from during the Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force roundtable in Green Bay said that Wisconsin’s high tax culture is one of the biggest impediments to job creation in our state,” Hopper said. “I am committed to preserving the core functions of government without increasing the burden being felt by struggling families and employers. Our budget problems are not because we tax too little, they are because we tax too much already.”

03/19 | 10:21 PM

Hopper Introduces Legislation to Protect Transportation Funding

Constitutional amendment would make the Transportation Fund off-limits to further raids

State Senator Randy Hopper (R - Fond du Lac) today introduced legislation that would end the dishonest raids that have left the state Transportation Fund under-funded in recent years.

"Building infrastructure is one of the most important things state government does and it must have a secure funding source," Hopper said. "The constant raids on this fund have left our roads in disrepair, creating safety hazards and costing motorist millions of dollars in unnecessary vehicle repairs. Constitutionally protecting the Transportation Fund will ensure that our roads are maintained and our motorists kept safe."

The vehicle registration fees and fuel taxes paid by motorists in Wisconsin are deposited into the state Transportation Fund. The fees and the fund were created to pay for needed infrastructure improvements. According to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Gov. Doyle has raided more than $1.2 billion from the fund since taking office to pay for programs unrelated to transportation. This is why the “Road to the Future” transportation task force found a $700 million annual shortfall in the level of transportation funding available in Wisconsin.

Hopper’s amendment, introduced with Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington), requires that all revenue from fuel taxes, registration fees, or other road user charges be deposited only in the Transportation Fund and only be used for legitimate transportation-related purposes. Governor Doyle’s proposed oil company gross receipts tax and the authority recently granted to the Department of Administration to take money from the transportation fund in the 2009-2011 biennium make this amendment especially timely.

“We can’t have a serious discussion about transportation funding until the raids stop and this fund is protected,” Hopper said. “We need to end the bait-and-switch on taxpayers that has been going on the last few years.”

03/12 | 10:44 PM

Government Needs to do More to Make Wisconsin Attractive for Job Creation, Business Leaders Say

Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force holds first roundtable discussion in Green Bay

Today’s Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force roundtable discussion in Green Bay was a great first step in developing effective strategies for rebuilding our economy, Task Force Co-Chairs Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) said today.

“It was refreshing to hear ideas for job creation from actual job creators instead of the usual career politicians who control Madison right now,” Hopper said. “Jobs aren’t created in the State Capitol. They’re created by people like those that attended the roundtable. They made it clear that we can’t create jobs by growing government instead of the private sector.”

“What we heard today is that even in the midst of the current economic downturn, government policies are doing more to harm job creation than help it,” Zipperer said. We need to make Wisconsin more attractive for job creation by lowering taxes, streamlining regulation, ending budget raids, and encouraging job growth and business expansion. I think this was a great start towards developing the positive ideas that it will take to get our economy moving again.”

Todays roundtable, held at the Rock Garden Banquet Center in Green Bay, brought together more than 25 local business owners and job creators to brainstorm ideas for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy and creating jobs. With additional roundtable discussions scheduled for the Milwaukee area and Eau Claire, the Task Force expects to issue its Job Creation Report in the coming weeks.

Among the ideas discussed today were:

• creating tax incentives for retaining and creating jobs locally;
• repealing the recently approved 11% tax hike on businesses;
• encouraging patient driven health care options like Health Savings Accounts;
• streamlining environmental regulations to make it easier for employers to navigate while respecting the environment;
• considering the unintended consequences of increasing the minimum wage;
• enact policies that loosen rather than tighten the availability of credit for employers;
• streamlining real estate regulations to encourage home sales.

The Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force will hold additional roundtable discussions in the coming weeks in the Milwaukee area and Eau Claire. The Task Force is also encouraging individual legislators to conduct meetings with job creators in their districts and to submit their findings to the Task Force. In addition, the Task Force is accepting written testimony on its website, www.wisconsinjobsnow.info. The Task Force will consider all ideas, suggestions and testimony and issue a report with concrete plans for rebuilding Wisconsin’s economy for consideration by the Legislature.

03/10 | 11:16 PM

Wisconsin Jobs NOW Task Force Launched; First Roundtable Announced

Joint task force will combine government and business leaders to develop positive solutions for economic recovery

Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) today announced the launch of the WISCONSIN JOBS NOW Task Force. The task force will conduct roundtable discussions with job creators across Wisconsin on the best ways to improve the economy and get people back to work.

“If we’re going to talk seriously about creating jobs, then we better start getting input from actual job creators,” Hopper said. “The JOBS NOW Task Force is a great first step towards developing positive solutions for our economic recovery.”

“Entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Wisconsin know what is needed to grow and improve our state’s economy. They can provide the leadership necessary to create jobs, and it is vital that policymakers seek out their ideas,” said Zipperer. “The JOBS NOW Task Force will be an opportunity for these job creators to bring to light the changes that are necessary to position Wisconsin’s economy to survive the current recession, and thrive afterwards.”

The WISCONSIN JOBS NOW Task Force will be moderated by Hopper and Zipperer. Additional legislators from around the state will serve as contributing members to the Task Force. Serving as employer representatives to the Task Force will be Mike Savignac, President of PDQ Manufacturing in De Pere; John Radke, President of BioResearch, Inc. in Brown Deer; and Ed Schafer, President and CEO of Silver Spring Gardens, Inc. in Eau Claire. Representatives from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau will also attend all roundtable discussions to advise the Task Force on budgetary issues.

The Task Force seeks input from job creators on the best measures for improving the economy with potential topics to include tax reform, regulatory reform, health care reform, and the impacts of recently passed tax and spending measures on Wisconsin’s job climate. Job providers are asked to attend the nearest roundtable discussion. If they cannot attend, they are asked to submit testimony via the WISCONSIN JOBS NOW website www.wisconsinjobsnow.info.

Hopper and Zipperer announced the details of the Task Force’s first roundtable discussion to be held in Green Bay.

03/03 | 08:37 PM

Democrat Budget Repair Bill Could Cost 3,300 Jobs, Maybe More

Legislation includes higher taxes on employers, increased sales tax collections, and the iPod Tax

Senate Bill 62, to be voted on today by the State Senate, will raise taxes on working families and struggling employers and further deepen Wisconsin’s economic recession, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said.

“This so-called stimulus bill stimulates government spending on the backs of working families and struggling employers,” Hopper said. “No one who votes for this bill can credibly claim they are fighting for middle class families. By approving this legislation, they are putting 3,300 middle class worker’s jobs in jeopardy.”

SB 62, a so-called economic stimulus bill, raises taxes on Wisconsinites by hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the non-partisan legislative fiscal bureau. Among the tax increases included in the legislation are:

• 11% increase in business tax, $215 million by 2010
• Increased sales tax, $4.1 million by 2010
• Digital Download Tax(iPod Tax), $10.9 million by 2010
• Computer Software Tax, $75.4 million by 2010

02/22 | 04:31 PM

Randy's Reaction to the Governor's Budget Message

State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) released the following statement in reaction Governor Doyle’s Budget Address.

“I appreciate the governor’s willingness to make some cuts, but they’re not the deep cuts that he has been promising for the last few months. Instead, his plan is for Wisconsin to tax our way to a balanced budget.

“He raises income taxes. He authorizes sales tax increases. He raises taxes on fuel. He raises taxes on employers when they try to grow their workforces. And, he sets the stage for one of the largest property tax increases in years.

“Raising these taxes in the middle of a recession is reckless and will hurt families and employers. The governor should have to do the same belt-tightening that families are doing all across Wisconsin. Just as families can’t demand raises when times get tough, the governor shouldn’t just be able to take more out of our pockets when times get tough for him.”

02/18 | 12:09 AM

Randy Announces Details of Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Tax Credit

Hopper legislation included in Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, expected to be approved this week

Wisconsin dairy cooperatives process nearly 80% of the state’s milk supply and manufacture about 50% of Wisconsin’s cheese. These cooperatives, however, face stiff national and international competition. At the same time, our cooperatives have limited equity capital, which places constraints on making major investments in new plants and equipment.

While the 2007-09 state budget established a Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Tax Credit, cooperatives are not able to take advantage of this investment incentive because they are tax exempt organizations, and the current credit cannot be passed through to the cooperative’s producer members.

LRB 1094 will allow members of a dairy cooperative to claim the Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Tax Credit for modernization or expansions of the dairy cooperative’s processing plants.

Under this bill, cooperative members will be eligible for a tax credit up to 10% of qualified investments, with the credit capped at $200,000 per processing plant. The credit will be distributed to members based on the amount of milk each member delivers to their cooperative.

In addition, the bills modify the current Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Tax Credit to provide non-cooperative dairy manufacturers with a similar cap of $200,000 per processing plant.

Eligible investments will include things such as:

• Building construction
• Building additions
• Improvements and updates to milk intake and storage equipment; processing and manufacturing equipment, packing and handling equipment; waste treatment and waste management equipment

02/17 | 12:24 AM

Randy's Statement on Proposed WI Stimulus Bill

Announced legislation includes Dairy Manufacturing Investment Credit, authored by Sen. Hopper

State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) today released the following statement in reaction to the state stimulus and budget repair bill announced by Governor Doyle and Legislative Democrats. Included in the announced legislation is the Dairy Manufacturing Investment Credit, authored by Sen. Hopper.

"The Governor is trying to have it both ways. On the one hand, he includes my dairy investment credit, recognizing the economic needs of the dairy industry,” Hopper said. On the other hand, he includes massive tax increases on employers. We simply cannot create jobs by taxing money away from the employers that we need to be hiring people. Every additional dollar that the Democrats take away from vulnerable employers in the middle of a recession is a dollar that won’t be spent on wages for employees.

“A stimulus bill that kills jobs is no stimulus at all.”

02/11 | 09:15 PM

Democrats Vote to Put People Out of Work

Senate Democrats reject bipartisan approach to creating jobs in favor of blind ideology

Eliminating the Wage Lien Claim cap will make it harder for small businesses to survive in our economic crisis and will put people out of work, State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) said today.

"Senate Democrats voted today to put people out of work. No reasonable person could view this any other way,” Hopper said. “I've worked hard to find bipartisan solutions that will get people back to work as soon as possible. It's really tragic for workers and their families that the Democrats chose blind ideology over bipartisan common sense."

In 2003, the Department of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and other parties negotiated a compromise on Wisconsin’s wage claim lien law. This compromise allowed workers to impose a lien against their employer for unpaid wages and benefits up to $3,000 when an employer goes out of business. This good faith compromise represented an understanding between the parties on both sides that the state must balance the need to pay workers what they are owed for their labor with the need to ensure creditors are paid what they are owed as well.

Senate Bill 2, passed today on a partisan, 17-15 vote, rejects the previous compromise and eliminates the cap on wage lien claims. The bill creates vast unknown liabilities for employers and makes lending institutions less likely to make loans available to employers due to the increased risk.

“President Obama and economists of all stripes have been calling for ways to loosen up the credit markets and start rebuilding our economy,” Hopper said. Instead, the Democrats in Wisconsin just made the problem worse. It’s exactly the opposite direction from where we should be going. This bill makes it more likely that people will lose their jobs. It makes it more likely that families will hurt. And it makes it more likely that our recession will last much longer than necessary.”

02/10 | 08:25 PM

Hopper Statement in Reaction to State of the State Address

State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) released the following statement in reaction to tonight’s State of the State Address from Governor Jim Doyle.

“Tonight the Governor painted a very grim picture about the state of Wisconsin’s economy and our state budget. I hope that his calls for real cuts in wasteful government spending are sincere. If he is, then I pledge my support and assistance to the Governor in fixing our state budget mess without imposing a higher burden on the taxpayers.”

“But I’m increasingly concerned that the Governor and Democrats in the legislature are going to rely on many of the same accounting tricks, fund raids, one-time money, and irresponsible borrowing that got us into this mess. Repeating these mistakes will only make our problems worse.

“Getting people back to work has to be job one of the new session. Higher taxes will kill jobs and borrowing more money only makes it harder for our children and grandchildren to succeed. I’m committed to rolling up my sleeves and working with members of all parties to fix our budget mess without hurting working families or struggling businesses.”

01/28 | 11:55 PM

Hopper Opposes Lifting Ban on Secret Ballots for Committee Votes

Amendment would have protected current practice of banning secret paper ballots

State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) today opposed efforts to allow senators to cast committee votes via secret paper ballot, rather than doing so at a public executive session.

“I’ve been consistent in my calls for changing business as usual in Madison,” Hopper said. “Maybe it’s because I’m new, but allowing senators to cast committee votes behind closed doors, away from the scrutiny of interested parties, just seems wrong to me. I’m disappointed that Senate Democrats, who supported the paper ballot ban just two years ago, would reverse themselves today.”

The ban on paper ballots was first approved just two years ago by Senate Democrats in an amendment to the Senate Rules. Today, Senate Democrats approved Senate Resolution 2, essentially reversing the change from two years ago. Sen. Hopper’s amendment failed to pass on a mostly party-line 19-14 vote.

“I didn’t vote for President Obama, but I’ve been inspired by his calls for openness and transparence in government,” Hopper said. “Looking people in the eye when we cast our committee votes is about as transparent as it gets.”

01/28 | 11:52 PM

A Senator For All

From a Letter to the Editor Submitted This Week

It has been a little more than two weeks since the inauguration of our new state Legislature in Madison. As one of two new state senators, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the first days of the new session and also preview what is in store in the months ahead.

I am always very mindful of the razor-thin margin in my election last fall. I intend to be a senator for all the residents of the 18th Senate District, not just those that voted for me. In that spirit, I have spent the last several weeks, even before my inauguration, meeting with elected officials and community leaders throughout the district, Democrats and Republicans. I have been proactive about reaching out to groups and associations that disagree with me on some fundamental issues. I think building solid relationships across the political spectrum serves us well when we begin to tackle the unprecedented challenges that the Legislature faces this session.

During my campaign I promised to change the business-as-usual way things work in Madison. On the day I was sworn into office, I cosponsored legislation that would eliminate the compounded sick leave benefit for elected officials that is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars – fulfilling a promise I made on the campaign trail. I strongly believe the first step toward real change is making our politicians actually do what they say they are going to do. I'm looking forward to more opportunities to return common sense to the state Capitol. If there is ever any state issue I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me toll-free at (888) 736-8720 or by e-mail at Sen.Hopper@legis.wi.gov.

01/25 | 02:25 PM

Hopper Sworn-In as State Senator; Fulfills First Election Promise

Hopper co-sponsors legislation to eliminate compounded sick leave benefit for elected officials

Minutes after being sworn-in today as the State Senator for the 18th Senate District, Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the compounded sick leave benefit for elected officials. During the fall election, Hopper promised that the first bill he would sponsor would eliminate this unnecessary and extravagant benefit.

“Last fall I told the voters that the first bill I sponsored would eliminate this benefit. Changing the business-as-usual way things work in Madison starts with doing what you say you’re going to do,” Hopper said. “Elected officials don’t punch clocks and don’t work set hours. For us to be able to accrue sick leave credits, and then cash those credits out to pay our health care premiums when we retire, is wrong. I am hopeful that this legislation will pass in short order. In the meantime, I am working with the Legislative Human Resources Department to voluntarily ensure that I am unable to accrue this benefit.”

Media reports from nearly two years ago documented that many state elected officials were racking up massive amounts of unused sick leave benefits, in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The benefit was called into question because, unlike most state employees, elected officials are not required to file time sheets. Legislation to end this benefit was introduced in the last session but not brought to the floor for a vote.

The legislation, authored by Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) will eliminate this benefit for elected officials only. All other state employees will still be able to accrue unused sick leave.

01/09 | 08:05 PM

Hopper to Donate Legislative Pay Increase to Local Charity

$2,530 pay increase will be donated to the Strong Kids Scholarship Funds of Fond du Lac Family YMCA,, thehe Oshkosh Community YMCA, and the YMCA of Dodge County

State Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) today announced that he would donate his scheduled pay increase of $2,530 to the YMCA Strong Kids Scholarship Funds of Winnebago, Fond du Lac, and Dodge Counties. The pay raises, approved by the Joint Committee on Employment Relations more than a year ago, went into effect yesterday.

“I respect each legislator’s individual decision in this matter, but after careful consideration, I felt that donating my pay increase to the Strong Kids program was the best choice for me and my constituents,” Hopper said. “I strongly believe our record budget deficit is not for lack of tax revenue, but rather due to the inefficient use of those tax dollars by the government. By giving my pay increase directly to a local charity, I’m ensuring that those funds are getting to people who need it, and not getting swallowed up by the state bureaucracy.”

The Strong Kids Scholarship Program offers reduced rates on membership, programs and child care at local YMCA facilities. Scholarship recipients are individuals or families dealing with temporary setbacks or long-term financial hardships. Assistance ranges from as little as a 10 percent scholarship to a full 100 percent scholarship.

01/09 | 08:15 PM