TABLE OF CONTENTS. Letter from the Chairman ACU & ACUF Board Members Selecting the Votes Winners & Losers...

Transcription

1 2017 RATINGS of WISCONSIN #ACURatings Conservative.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman... 2 ACU & ACUF Board Members... 3 Selecting the Winners & Losers... 4 WI Senate Statistics... 5 WI Senate Vote Descriptions... 6 WI Senate Scores... 8 WI Assembly Statistics WI Assembly Vote Descriptions WI Assembly Scores... 13

2 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Fellow Conservative, The American Conservative Union Foundation is proud to present our ratings of the 2017 meeting of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Like our Congressional Ratings, which date back 46 years, these ratings are meant to reflect how elected officials view the role of government in an individual s life. We begin with our philosophy (conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person) and then apply our understanding of government (its essential role is to defend life, liberty and property). Because our ratings are designed to educate the public about how consistently their elected officials adhere to conservatism, we carefully examine the entire docket of legislation introduced in each state every year. We select the most meaningful bills and publish the results after the dust has settled. The ACU Foundation is the only organization to score over 8,000 elected officials each year, including lawmakers from all 50 states and Congress. The 2016 election dramatically impacted the political landscape of not only Washington but state legislative chambers all across the country. Republicans now have control of both legislative chambers in 32 states, more than double the number they controlled in With these victories comes an ability to implement policies that restore individual liberty and return us to a limited form of government run by and for We the People. It is our hope that these ratings will serve as a guide showing who can be relied on to fight for conservative principles and restore the role of government to what our nation s founding fathers envisioned. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union 2

3 ACU BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Charlie Gerow First Vice Chairman Bob Beauprez Treasuer Amy Frederick Secretary Ed Yevoli At-Large ACUF BOARD MEMBERS Jackie Arends Larry Beasley Kimberly Bellissimo Steve Biegun Morton C. Blackwell John Bolton Jose Cardenas Ron Christie Muriel Coleman Becky Norton Dunlop John Eddy Luis Fortuno Alan M. Gottlieb Van D. Hipp, Jr. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser Michael R. Long Ed McFadden Carolyn D. Meadows Priscilla O'Shaughnessy Ron Robinson Mike Rose Ned Ryun Peter Samuelson Sabrina Schaeffer Terry Schilling Matt Smith Thomas Winter SELECTING THE VOTES ACU researched and selected a range of bills before the Wisconsin State Legislature that determine a member s adherence to conservative principles. We selected bills that focus on Ronald Reagan s philosophy of the three-legged stool : 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency. This wide range of issues are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment that conveys which of Wisconsin s elected leaders best defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty and Property. Matt Schlapp Chairman Millie Hallow Vice Chairman Van D. Hipp, Jr. Treasurer Kimberly Bellissimo Secretary Jose Cardenas Jonathan Garthwaite Charlie Gerow Colin Hanna Niger Innes Adam Laxalt Willes K. Lee Mary Matalin Carolyn D. Meadows Randy Neugebauer Thomas Winter 201 N. Union Street, Suite 370 Alexandria, VA (202)

4 2017 WINNERS & LOSERS AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE ACHIEVEMENT SENATE SENATE DARLING AUGUST KRUG ROHRKASTE COWLES ALLEN KREMER SCHRAA FEYEN FITZGERALD HARSDORF BERNIER BORN BROOKS, R. KUGLITSCH KULP LOUDENBECK SKOWRONSKI SPIROS STAFSHOLT CRAIG LASEE BRANDTJEN KITCHENS MURSAU SANFELIPPO SNYDER VANDERMEER KAPENGA DUCHOW MACCO STEFFEN LEMAHIEU MARKLEIN MOULTON EDMING FELZKOWSKI HORLACHER MURPHY NERISON NEYLON STEINEKE SUMMERFIELD SWEARINGEN <= 10 COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT NASS OLSEN PETROWSKI ROTH STROEBEL TESTIN HUTTON JACQUE JAGLER JARCHOW KATSMA KERKMAN NOVAK NYGREN OTT PETERSEN PETRYK PRONSCHINSKE TAUCHEN THIESFELDT TITTL TUSLER VOS WEATHERSTON SENATE Johnson Risser Wirch Barca Billings Crowley Fields Goyke Hintz Kessler Kolste Mason Meyers Ohnstad Riemer TIFFANY KLEEFISCH QUINN WICHGERS VUKMIR KNODL RIPP ZIMMERMAN WANGGAARD KOOYENGA RODRIGUEZ 4

5 WISCONSIN SENATE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 62 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 90 WISCONSIN SENATE CONSERVATIVE RATINGS DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 18 RED = REPUBLICANS BLUE = DEMOCRATS 18 LOWEST REPUBLICANS COWLES CRAIG 82 # OF STATE SENATORS HIGHEST DEMOCRAT BEWLEY ACU PERCENTAGE

6 WISCONSIN SENATE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. SB 3 Eliminating Required Labor Agreements With Unions. This bill ends the requirement that contractors bidding on state and local projects must negotiate with unions in order to make a bid. ACU opposes these mandated negotiations, also known as Project Labor Agreements, that drive up the cost of projects to taxpayers and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 8, 2017 by a vote of SB 76 Safeguarding Property Rights for Well Owners. This bill protects well owners who withdraw over 100,000 gallons of water per day by providing them a permanent right to withdraw the water and preventing them from having to obtain any future environmental permits. The ACU Foundation Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on issues that help to safeguard and strengthen the legal protection of private property. ACU supports strengthening property rights and supported this bill. The Senate refused to reconsider the passage of the bill by voice vote on April 5, 2017 by a vote of (A No vote supported the ACU position.) 3. SB 15 Increasing Oversight of the Regulatory Process. This bill requires legislative approval of major executive branch rules, defined as those that have a cost of compliance more than $10 million. A regulation will automatically fail if the legislature does not give its approval. ACU supports increased legislative oversight of executive branch regulations and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 5, 2017 by a vote of AB 25 Reforming Child Labor Laws. This bill eliminates a requirement that those under the age of 16 must obtain a government permit in order to work and also repeals an obsolete provision related to the theatrical exhibitions of minors under 15 years of age, among other provisions. ACU supports commonsense regulatory reform and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 10, 2017 by a vote of SB 293 Easing Regulations for Wisconsin s Parental School Choice Program. This bill expands school choice by reducing the number of requirements by which schools must abide in order to participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. Under the bill, schools are able to choose which three of the four academic achievement goals they must meet, among other provisions. ACU supports maintaining reasonable requirements while expanding school choice programs as much as possible and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 14, 2017 by a vote of AB 1 Giving Multi-Billion Dollar Subsidies to Corporations. This bill gives the Foxconn Corporation up to $3 billion in refundable tax credits and tax breaks (depending on the number of jobs generated) in order to locate in Wisconsin. The bill also exempts the company from many environmental regulations and borrows money to pay for rebuilding part of Interstate 94. ACU opposes this program which provides extravagant tax breaks and gives an unfair competitive advantage to select businesses, transferring those tax burdens to companies not favored by the government and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on September 12, 2017 by a vote of AB 64 Reducing Property and Business Taxes. This budget bill reduces property taxes by $75 million, eliminates the alternative minimum tax applied to small businesses, and expands two private school voucher programs. Reducing tax burdens increases economic growth, which leads to greater family prosperity, as illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports implementing pro-growth tax cuts and expanding school choice and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on September 15, 2017 by a vote of AB 499 Repealing the Mining Moratorium. This bill repeals a 20-year mining moratorium on gold and silver mining and allows permits to be issued for sulfide ore mining, as long as the technology in use complies with air, groundwater and waste management laws. Expanding entrepreneurship promotes economic growth, which leads to greater family prosperity, as illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports pro-growth regulatory reform and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on November 7, 2017 by a vote of AB 317 Implementing Governmentwide Regulatory Reform. This bill improves the state s business environment by establishing a process that reduces and eliminates unneeded regulations that still pose a compliance burden and are no longer consistent with current law. Under the bill, agencies are required to regularly review their rules and the legislature is provided the right to request a detailed economic analysis of any rule. ACU supports efforts to streamline government and reduce unnecessary regulation and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on November 7, 2017 by a vote of

7 10. AB 455 Repealing the Minimum Age for Hunters. This bill allows parents to decide how old their children must be to join them on hunting trips and allows a minor to carry a weapon as long as they are within arm's-length of an adult. The bill maintains the current requirement that an individual be at least 14 years of age or older to hunt on their own. ACU supports parents rather than the government making decisions for their children and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on November 7, 2017 by a vote of AB 480 Protecting the Property Rights of Homeowners. This bill prevents tax assessors from increasing an assessment solely because a homeowner refuses to let the assessor inside the home and preserves the ability of homeowners to challenge an assessment in such cases. The ACU Foundation Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on issues that help to safeguard and strengthen the legal protection of private property. ACU does not believe homeowners should be penalized for not allowing tax assessors in their homes and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on November 7, 2017 by a vote of

8 WISCONSIN SENATE SCORES WISCONSIN SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 3 SB 76 SB 15 AB 25 SB 293 AB 1 AB 64 AB 499 AB 317 AB 455 AB 480 Bewley D Carpenter D COWLES R CRAIG R DARLING R Erpenbach D FEYEN R n/a 91 FITZGERALD R Hansen D HARSDORF R Johnson D KAPENGA R 33 X Larson D X LASEE R 1 + X X LEMAHIEU R MARKLEIN R Miller D MOULTON R NASS R OLSEN R PETROWSKI R Ringhand D Risser D ROTH R Shilling D STROEBEL R Taylor D TESTIN R n/a 91 TIFFANY R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 8

9 WISCONSIN SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 3 SB 76 SB 15 AB 25 SB 293 AB 1 AB 64 AB 499 AB 317 AB 455 AB 480 Vinehout D VUKMIR R WANGGAARD R Wirch D ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 9

10 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 63 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 91 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY CONSERVATIVE RATINGS DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 14 RED = REPUBLICANS BLUE = DEMOCRATS LOWEST REPUBLICANS BALLWEG TRANEL 79 # OF STATE REPS HIGHEST DEMOCRAT YOUNG ACU PERCENTAGE

11 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. AB 69 Allowing Terminally Ill Patients the Right to Try Certain Drugs. This bill allows terminally ill patients to try drugs that have passed initial tests but have not completed enough tests to be certified by the Food and Drug Administration. ACU believes it is absurd not to allow terminally ill patients to try potentially lifesaving drugs and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on March 7, 2017 by a vote of SB 3 Eliminating Required Labor Agreements With Unions. This bill ends the requirement that contractors bidding on state and local projects negotiate with unions in order to make a bid. ACU opposes these mandated negotiations, also known as Project Labor Agreements, that drive up the cost of projects to taxpayers and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on March 9, 2017 by a vote of SB 76 Safeguarding Property Rights for Well Owners. This bill protects well owners who withdraw over 100,000 gallons of water per day by providing them a permanent right to withdraw the water and preventing them from having to obtain any future environmental permits. The ACU Foundation Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on issues that help to safeguard and strengthen the legal protection of private property. ACU supports strengthening property rights and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on May 2, 2017 by a vote AB 25 Reforming Child Labor Laws. This bill eliminates a requirement that those under the age of 16 must obtain a government permit in order to work and also repeals an obsolete provision related to the theatrical exhibitions of minors under 15 years of age, among other provisions. ACU supports commonsense regulatory reform and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on May 2, 2017 by a vote of AB 238 Implementing Work Requirements for Housing Subsidies. This bill authorizes a pilot program that requires able-bodied adults to fulfill work requirements in order to obtain a housing voucher. In addition, the bill provides voucher recipients with training and job-search assistance. ACU supports reasonable requirements for welfare benefits and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on May 10, 2017 by a vote of AB 317 Implementing Governmentwide Regulatory Reform. This bill improves the state s business environment by establishing a process that reduces and eliminates unneeded regulations that still pose a compliance burden and are no longer consistent with current law. Under the bill, agencies are required to regularly review their rules and the legislature is provided the right to request a detailed economic analysis of any rule. ACU supports effort to streamline government and reduce unnecessary regulation and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on June 14, 2017 by a vote of SB 293 Easing Regulations for Wisconsin s Parental School Choice Program. This bill expands school choice by reducing the number of requirements by which schools must abide in order to participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. Under the bill, schools are able to choose which three of the four academic achievement goals they must meet, among other provisions. ACU supports maintaining reasonable requirements while expanding school choice programs as much as possible and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on June 21, 2017 by a vote of AB 64 Reducing Property and Business Taxes. This budget bill reduces property taxes by $75 million, eliminates the alternative minimum tax applied to small businesses, and expands two private school voucher programs. Reducing tax burdens increases economic growth, which leads to greater family prosperity, as illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports implementing progrowth tax cuts and expanding school choice and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on September 13, 2017 by a vote of AB 1 Giving Multi-Billion Dollar Subsidies to Corporations. This bill gives the Foxconn Corporation up to $3 billion in refundable tax credits and tax breaks (depending on the number of jobs created) to locate in Wisconsin. The bill also exempts the company from many environmental regulations and borrows money to pay for rebuilding part of Interstate 94. ACU opposes this program which provides extravagant tax breaks and gives an unfair competitive advantage to select businesses, transferring those tax burdens to companies not favored by the government and opposed this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on September 14, 2017 by a vote of

12 10. AB 499 Repealing the Mining Moratorium. This bill repeals a 20-year mining moratorium on gold and silver mining and allows permits to be issued for sulfide ore mining as long as the technology in use complies with air, groundwater and waste management laws. Expanding entrepreneurship promotes economic growth, which leads to greater family prosperity, as illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports pro-growth regulatory reform and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on November 2, 2017 by a vote of AB 455 Repealing the Minimum Age for Hunting. This bill allows adults to decide how old their children must be to join them on hunting trips and allows a minor to carry a weapon as long as they are within an arm's-length of an adult. The bill maintains the current requirement an individual be at least 14 years of age or older to hunt on their own. ACU supports adults rather than the government making decisions for their children and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on November 2, 2017 by a vote of AB 384 Putting Time Limits on Administrative Rules. This bill puts a seven-year time limit on all administrative rules, and during the sixth year, requires agencies to submit a list of rules they want to keep. At that point, any member of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules or the legislative committees with jurisdiction can veto the rule and force new rulemaking. ACU supports increased legislative oversight of executive branch rules and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on November 9, 2017 by a vote of SB 69 Eliminating a Two Person Crew for Water Skiing. This bill eliminates the mandate that two people must be on a boat in order to pull an individual on water skis and instead simply requires the driver to have a mirror to view the skier. ACU supports commonsense regulatory reform and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on November 9, 2017 by a vote of AB 128 Prohibiting Abortion Coverage in Group Health Plans. This bill prohibits group health plans from covering abortion services except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the process and supported this bill. The Assembly passed the bill on November 2, 2017 by a vote of

13 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY SCORES WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY VOTE DETAIL Party District AB 69 SB 3 SB 76 AB 25 AB 238 AB 317 SB 293 AB 64 AB 1 AB 499 AB 455 AB 128 AB 384 SB 69 ALLEN R Anderson D n/a 21 AUGUST R X X + X X BALLWEG R Barca D Berceau D BERNIER R Billings D BORN R Bowen D X X X BRANDTJEN R BROOKS, E. R X X X X X n/a BROOKS, R. R Brostoff D X Considine D Crowley D X X n/a 8 Doyle D X DUCHOW R X EDMING R FELZKOWSKI R n/a 93 Fields D n/a 13 GANNON R X X X X X 7 9 n/a Genrich D Goyke D Hebl D Hesselbein D Hintz D HORLACHER R HUTTON R JACQUE R ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 13

14 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY VOTE DETAIL Party District AB 69 SB 3 SB 76 AB 25 AB 238 AB 317 SB 293 AB 64 AB 1 AB 499 AB 455 AB 128 AB 384 SB 69 JAGLER R JARCHOW R KATSMA R KERKMAN R Kessler D KITCHENS R X KLEEFISCH R KNODL R Kolste D X X KOOYENGA R X X n/a 97 KREMER R KRUG R KUGLITSCH R KULP R X X LOUDENBECK R MACCO R Mason D Meyers D Milroy D 73 X MURPHY R MURSAU R NERISON R NEYLON R NOVAK R NYGREN R Ohnstad D OTT R PETERSEN R PETRYK R X Pope D PRONSCHINSKE R n/a 93 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 14

15 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY VOTE DETAIL Party District AB 69 SB 3 SB 76 AB 25 AB 238 AB 317 SB 293 AB 64 AB 1 AB 499 AB 455 AB 128 AB 384 SB 69 QUINN R Riemer D X n/a 20 RIPP R X RODRIGUEZ R ROHRKASTE R SANFELIPPO R X X X Sargent D SCHRAA R Shankland D Sinicki D X X SKOWRONSKI R SNYDER R n/a 86 SPIROS R X Spreitzer D STAFSHOLT R n/a 93 STEFFEN R X STEINEKE R Stuck D Subeck D SUMMERFIELD R n/a 93 SWEARINGEN R TAUCHEN R X X Taylor D THIESFELDT R TITTL R TRANEL R TUSLER R n/a 93 VANDERMEER R X X n/a 83 VORPAGEL R X X X X X X 7 8 n/a VOS R Vruwink D n/a 30 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 15

16 WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY VOTE DETAIL Party District AB 69 SB 3 SB 76 AB 25 AB 238 AB 317 SB 293 AB 64 AB 1 AB 499 AB 455 AB 128 AB 384 SB 69 Wachs D X WEATHERSTON R WICHGERS R n/a 93 Young D X Zamarripa D Zepnick D ZIMMERMAN R X n/a 92 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 16