Almost three weeks ago, I asked for a recount in my senate election under the philosophy of “trust but verify.” I stated then that I hoped that a trusted and verified result would allow us to finally move forward as a state. Unfortunately, following the recount, we only have a verified vote tally. Election laws are in place to provide confidence in election results. The Democrats said the recall election was a “trial run” of their ground game for November. Yet, Wisconsin’s long-standing laws prohibiting electioneering, same-day registration requirements, and how to receive and count ballots …

As the New Year progresses, I continue to reflect on all that was accomplished in 2011. Last week, which marked the beginning of my new “Year in Review” segment, I recapped some of the ways I helped encourage job growth in 2011. For the second installment of the segment, I am reviewing how I helped protect southeastern Wisconsin’s most vulnerable citizens over the past year. I understand the importance of keeping our communities safe, and over the last year I have authored multiple bills specifically designed to protect our citizens and give Wisconsinites peace of mind. As we look forward to …

The arrival of the New Year brings time to reflect upon all that we accomplished in 2011. I am happy to say that 2011 was extremely productive, and I was able to author over thirty different bills that create jobs, protect our most vulnerable citizens or guard the pocketbooks of taxpayers. Because so much has happened over the last year, I will be doing a new “Year in Review” segment over the next weeks. You will find the first installment below with a recap on how I’ve been working to encourage job growth in southeastern Wisconsin. I hope that you find these recaps informative and helpful. …

I’ve said before that great ideas come from everywhere:  from people in the cities and people in the countryside, from the young and the old, and yes, even from Democrats and Republicans. Over the past ten months, I’ve put this belief into action. I’ve worked on bipartisan initiatives to help protect southeastern Wisconsin’s most vulnerable citizens, to implement business reform, and, most importantly, to help foster an environment to create and retain jobs.   Perhaps the best example of my commitment to putting good public policy first is my chairmanship of the Labor, Public Safety, and …

We are in the middle of the busy season here at the Capitol, as we work to bring balance to the biennial budget and pave the way to prosperity for Wisconsin.  I continue to work to protect Racine County taxpayers while promoting job creation and maintaining essential services.  The Joint Finance Committee is currently working through modifications to the Governor’s proposed 2011-2013 biennial budget proposal.  I have been regularly attending budget work groups with members of this committee to ensure that the needs of Racine County taxpayers are addressed.  As changes are made to move …

After only four months at the capitol, so much has been accomplished.  When I was elected to this office, I couldn’t wait to hit the ground running.  I am proud to say that I have been able to do just that, and I am energized by the economic growth that can already be seen in Racine County.  My focus continues to be growing jobs, and I work everyday to reverse Wisconsin’s reputation as an unfriendly state to businesses and job creators.  Although we cannot flip a switch to make this happen, we can already see the tide beginning to change.  Businesses are reacting to Wisconsin’s new job-…

During my campaign for the State Senate last fall, I told Racine voters I was committed to restoring common sense to Wisconsin government. This promise meant creating a business-friendly environment that would bring jobs to Racine County. This promise meant restoring fiscal sanity to the state budget process while not raising taxes, and this promise meant looking out for the little guy. It’s hard to believe it’s only been three months since I took office, but then again, we’ve accomplished a lot in that short amount of time. While the budget repair bill has gotten all of the attention, I do …