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Newsletter
Friday, November 14, 2008
Inside Today’s Speaker’s E-Update:
The End of an Era – and New Opportunities
Caucus Speech
Huebsch E-Update to Return in January
For previous issues of my Speaker’s Update and recent press releases, please visit my website at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm94/news/Default.htm
The End of an Era – and New Opportunities
It will be a long time before the full impact of last Tuesday’s election can really set in. In one sense, it was a truly historic election, both in the Presidential election and the expansion of Democrat majorities in Congress. For me, it was disappointing not only because the new Democrat majority in the state Assembly – the first in 14 years – gave Democrats complete control of our state Capitol. But more personally, because a number of good friends of mine lost close elections and are now forced to make heart-wrenching choices in their own lives and careers.
As you may know, last week I was re-elected by the people of the 94th Assembly District to represent them in Madison, the 8th time the people of the Coulee Region have given me this distinct honor and privilege. I look forward to continuing my service to my friends and neighbors over the next two years, and I sincerely appreciate the great faith they put in me as their state representative.
However, as you may have also heard, I did not seek a leadership position for the coming session after two years as Assembly Majority Leader and two years as Assembly Speaker. This decision was not an easy one to make, but I fully support and am excited to work with our new leadership team:
Republican Leader – Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald
Assistant Republican Leader – Rep. Mark Gottlieb
Caucus Chair – Rep. Scott Suder
Caucus Vice-Chair – Rep. Joel Kleefisch
I have the highest confidence in the dedication and ability of each member of this leadership team, as well as those of my fellow colleagues, as we continue our fight to defend the taxpayers of Wisconsin. In these tough economic times, we know that the answer to the government’s problems isn’t more of the irresponsible taxing and spending that got us here in the first place, but a return to fiscal responsibility and taking a hard look at what the real responsibility of government should be in our daily lives.
While the Republicans may have lost the majority, we have not lost our commitment to the people of Wisconsin to fight for your values and your pocketbooks, and we have not lost our energy and enthusiasm to fight the good fight in these trying times.
Caucus Speech
Below, you will find a portion of my remarks to the Republican Caucus on Monday of this week. It was my last formal speech as the leader of our caucus, and I will admit it was extremely difficult. But I wanted to remind my friends and colleagues of all we have to be proud of during our 14 years in the majority, and encourage them and energize them for the fight ahead. It is not my intention to be in the minority for long.
I am privileged to represent the 94th Assembly District in the state Assembly and grateful for the honor to serve first as your Majority Leader and then as Speaker. I congratulate each of the members who are here today and wish you the best as you continue to be the voice of your district. And while Assembly Republicans will not be majority party as we go forward, that does not in any way diminish your role in representing the people that have sent you to the State Capitol. They have asked each of us to be agent of change and to fight for their priorities. I know each of you understand the significance of what they have asked and of the challenges that stand before us. The people of Wisconsin are counting on each one of us, and I think we will have a very important role to play.
There is no question about it: we endured a very difficult election night last Tuesday. Assembly Republicans and Republicans everywhere, have endured two devastating elections. But we have endured them and returned with 46 members and just 2,750 votes away from still being the majority party in the state Assembly. Of over 2.9 million votes cast last Tuesday, just .09% was the difference that put us where we are today. Our first task is to maintain those 46 seats and make sure we are positioned to hold all of those districts in 2010. We can then focus on expanding the size of our caucus two years from now.
For those of us in the Republican Party, we know we have some stalwart counties and Ozaukee and Washington are probably two of the best. Senator John McCain won both of those counties handily with over sixty percent of the vote. Imagine how difficult it would be for a Democrat to win an Assembly seat that included Washington and Ozaukee counties. Yet, many of our Assembly Republican incumbents won districts with stalwart Democrat counties that are the mirror opposite of Ozaukee and Washington counties. Representative Lee Nerison won the 96th Assembly District which includes Vernon and Crawford counties, two counties where more than 60 percent of voters chose Senator Barack Obama. We hold a number of other Assembly Districts where President-elect Obama won handily including Dane, Green, Eau Claire and Dunn counties. Voters sent these members to the state Legislature as part of the Assembly Republican team in 2006 and again in 2008 because of the work they do in and on behalf of their districts. I want to congratulate each one of them and thank them for the work that they have done to earn the trust of their constituents.
Over the years, the combination of members like these and a legislative agenda overwhelming supported by the people of Wisconsin gave Assembly Republicans the power to lead. For fourteen years, have made unprecedented income tax cuts and provided historic property tax relief, and we have delivered groundbreaking initiatives and reforms that reflect Wisconsin’s priorities. In just the last two years, the Assembly Republicans stopped more proposed tax increases than in the previous twelve years combined. I expect that this is something that the people Wisconsin will soon recognize and worry that it is now lost.
Year after year, we kept a promise made by our first majority in 1994 that as long as Republicans were in control we would cut taxes. There was not a single session in which we failed to fulfill that promise. Income tax cuts championed by the Assembly Republican Majority have saved Wisconsin taxpayers over $13 billion to date.
Delivering tax relief has always been part of a broader Assembly Republican agenda. Over the years, we have delivered unprecedented reforms and lead the nation with bold policy initiatives. During our first session in the majority, we were the first state to reform welfare and replace it with a system based on work. Before Governor Tommy Thompson and the Republicans approved Wisconsin Works, remaining poor was the key to getting government benefits. That was not a hand up but a handout. Assembly Republicans knew this had to change and we started a reform agenda that continued for 14 years.
We also strived to keep property taxes in check with the Qualified Economic Offer, revenue caps and the property tax freeze. And at the same time, we made the largest investment in public education in state history. We led the charge to make sure that Wisconsin is home to the best schools in the country. And we did so much more.
I sum all this up to say that Assembly Republicans should be very proud of the legacy that we leave. After the 2006 elections, we knew we no longer had the ability to set the agenda, and yet we still governed. We could have simply thrown up our hands but we knew we still had a responsibility to move Wisconsin forward and role in doing so. That’s a big job. And I would hope that it remains our commitment. I hope that we will work with the majority party when it is best for Wisconsin, but also be that loyal opposition when Wisconsin needs it most. Time and again in the coming year, I believe it will be upon us to point out to the families of this state that things could have been different.
I have enjoyed more than anything in my professional career the opportunity to be the Assembly Speaker, to represent the people of western Wisconsin in the state Assembly and to lead a group that many people counted out before we ever took to the Assembly floor. Together we proved them wrong. We did govern. We did succeed. And we will continue to in future days. I could not be prouder of each member of the Assembly Republican team. With that, I thank you.
Huebsch E-Update to Return in January
I have received an overwhelmingly positive response to the Speaker’s E-Update, and I am pleased to announce that I intend to continue an e-mail update in the next legislative session. Sadly, this will be my last Speaker’s E-Update, but in January of 2009, I will e-mail everyone a new update from the Capitol in whatever my new capacity turns out to be. I want to thank you personally for your support and encouragement over the last two years, and especially if you’re still reading this far down in the Update, for your kind attention and for sharing your e-mail inbox with me! I look forward to working with you in the future as we fight to regain the majority.
© Copyright 2003 by SCRP.info
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