Vos, Weatherston, Mason Take Oath in Madison

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, is now Speaker Robin Vos, and Tom Weatherston is officially Rep. Tom Weatherston, R-Caledonia.

Both took the oath of office Monday at the Capitol Building in Madison. This is Vos' 5th term representing the 63rd Assembly District and Weatherston's first term. He is also a trustee in the Village of Caledonia.

In a written statement after he was sworn in, Vos said he is looking forward to members of both parties working together, and that the first order of business will be reforming Wisconsin mining laws.

“I’m optimistic that Republicans and Democrats can come together to find the best solutions for Wisconsin’s future,” Vos said in the release.  “We all must put aside our differences in order to bring more jobs to Wisconsin and strengthen our economy.” 

He outline other priorities as well:

• Income tax relief, "especially for the middle class"; 
• Regulatory reform to eliminate rules "that prohibit job growth and aren’t essential for public or environmental protection"; and 
• Improving education. 

Weatherston's office also sent out a press release after he took the oath of office, thanking the people of the 62nd Assembly District for their confidence and promising to do his best representing them.

“Taking the oath of office as the State Representative for the 62nd District was a very humbling experience. I am truly honored by the trust given to me by the people of Racine County," he wrote. "For the next two years I will be working hard to represent my constituents and bring new ideas to Madison. My focus will be on bringing jobs to our community while keeping our existing jobs.”

Weatherston has been tapped as the Vice Chair of the Veterans committee and will serve on committees of Colleges and Universities, Consumer Protection, State and Local Finance, and Workforce Development.

Cory Mason, D-Racine, represented the 62nd for four terms. After state lawmakers last year changed the boundaries of the districts, Mason moved further east into the City of Racine to run in the new 66th Assembly District. He ran unopposed and also took the oath of office Monday.

Mason last month was re-appointed as the ranking Democrat on the Joint Committee on Finance.

“Wisconsin’s budget is a reflection of our state’s values. I will work tirelessly to ensure that Wisconsin’s workers get the job training they need, that our children have strong public schools, that our state’s families have quality, affordable health care, and that Wisconsin’s natural resources are preserved for future generations," he said shortly after State Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca made the announcement.