BLANCHARDVILLE - Lafayette County Supervisor Kriss Marion announced Wednesday she is running for state Senate, a day she felt was fitting in its theme as she walked through Pecatonica High School hallways handing heart-shaped cookies to teachers in honor of I Love My Public School Week of Action.
"I love southwest Wisconsin and I love my tiny town, and I want to do whatever I can to help towns like ours survive and thrive," Marion said.
The Valentine's Day announcement schedule was delayed by a long-running public hearing at the Wisconsin Capitol over Assembly Bill 360, which relates to the sale of homemade baked goods and canned goods without a license. It is similar to previous failed legislation commonly referred to as the "Cookie Bill." Marion, one of three plaintiffs who sued the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to lift restrictions on sales by small business owners, went to Madison to testify during the hearing.
"The Cookie Bill completely ties in with my desire to provide more opportunities for growth in small towns," Marion said.
A small-business owner and farmer, Marion has lived in Blanchardville for 13 years. She was born in rural Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but moved to Illinois when she began pursuing a degree in journalism at Northwestern University and spent a decade freelancing while raising four children. Now a certified organic farmer, Marion runs Circle M Market Farm as a bed and breakfast with the help of her husband, Shannon.
Involvement in local organizations helped Marion make friends willing to help her with the campaign. Campaign Treasurer Jill Gaskell, who she met through the district's parent teacher organization, and Michelle Robertson, who coordinates Marion's events, helped coordinate the thank you event.
"I wouldn't be in this if it weren't Kriss," Gaskell said, noting that last year she was unmotivated. Now, Gaskell said she has been inspired to see a surge of female candidates looking to become more involved in local and state political races.
Marion met Cindy Guggemos, another organizer, as a member of the Blanchardville Woman's Club. Members of the club baked the several dozen cookies Marion and the others dispersed to teachers.
One instructor was Jake Roberts, high school life science teacher, who agreed with Marion on emphasizing a need for students to learn more about the environment with outdoor projects.
"From what I know and what I've heard, I think you'd be a great representative," Roberts said as he shook Marion's hand, before highlighting creatures like a Madagascar hissing cockroach and two tortoises named Lilo and Felix in his classroom.
Marion said she chose to highlight the love your school week because of her belief that education is integral infrastructure in improving communities.
"The schools are the jewels of our communities," Marion said. "They provide so much more than education, which is important, but they're the center of it all."
Running as a democrat, the seat Marion aims to take is currently occupied by Republican Howard Marklein of Spring Green. Marklein began his tenure at the state level as Assembly representative of the 51st district from 2011 to 2015, when he replaced retiring Republican Dale Schultz.
In response to a request for comments, Marklein released an email statement in which he said his focus is working for the people within his district and to "continue to work on solutions for my rural district."
Specifically, he pointed to eight bills he has proposed dealing mostly with rural issues. He has recently celebrated the passage of Assembly Bill 835, which increases sparsity aid by $100 per student in the current school year. Senators will now consider the legislation. The Sparsity Aid program provides funding to districts which have no more than 745 students and have fewer than 10 per square mile of the district's geographic area, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Marion said sparsity aid has not been enough to keep schools from falling behind. She also aims to subvert current restrictions on municipalities that need better broadband internet access but cannot create their own system to do so. At a past meeting with Marklein, Marion said she discussed funding for roads. While she noted he is "a really, really, really nice guy," his answer to the problems plaguing rural roads by utilizing money identified in an audit for repairs "to me, was not an adequate solution, nor have we seen any of that funding," Marion said.
As the owner of a small business centered around farming, Marion said the recent data showing western Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies last year was an issue that needed to be addressed. She said "farmers are entrepreneurs," and supporting them will be instrumental in growing local economies in rural places. She remains a proponent of lifting what she said are burdensome regulations on individuals looking to bolster small downtown economies and following her campaign motto of collaboration by "Moving Forward Together."
Marklein did not acknowledge whether he will seek re-election this year and has not yet officially declared candidacy, according to Wisconsin Elections Commission records. However, a campaign registration statement was filed for his candidacy in July, and Marklein hosted a fundraising event in early October at VFW Post 1916 in Reedsburg. Candidates have until June 1 to submit a declaration of candidacy to the WEC.
"I love southwest Wisconsin and I love my tiny town, and I want to do whatever I can to help towns like ours survive and thrive," Marion said.
The Valentine's Day announcement schedule was delayed by a long-running public hearing at the Wisconsin Capitol over Assembly Bill 360, which relates to the sale of homemade baked goods and canned goods without a license. It is similar to previous failed legislation commonly referred to as the "Cookie Bill." Marion, one of three plaintiffs who sued the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to lift restrictions on sales by small business owners, went to Madison to testify during the hearing.
"The Cookie Bill completely ties in with my desire to provide more opportunities for growth in small towns," Marion said.
A small-business owner and farmer, Marion has lived in Blanchardville for 13 years. She was born in rural Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but moved to Illinois when she began pursuing a degree in journalism at Northwestern University and spent a decade freelancing while raising four children. Now a certified organic farmer, Marion runs Circle M Market Farm as a bed and breakfast with the help of her husband, Shannon.
Involvement in local organizations helped Marion make friends willing to help her with the campaign. Campaign Treasurer Jill Gaskell, who she met through the district's parent teacher organization, and Michelle Robertson, who coordinates Marion's events, helped coordinate the thank you event.
"I wouldn't be in this if it weren't Kriss," Gaskell said, noting that last year she was unmotivated. Now, Gaskell said she has been inspired to see a surge of female candidates looking to become more involved in local and state political races.
Marion met Cindy Guggemos, another organizer, as a member of the Blanchardville Woman's Club. Members of the club baked the several dozen cookies Marion and the others dispersed to teachers.
One instructor was Jake Roberts, high school life science teacher, who agreed with Marion on emphasizing a need for students to learn more about the environment with outdoor projects.
"From what I know and what I've heard, I think you'd be a great representative," Roberts said as he shook Marion's hand, before highlighting creatures like a Madagascar hissing cockroach and two tortoises named Lilo and Felix in his classroom.
Marion said she chose to highlight the love your school week because of her belief that education is integral infrastructure in improving communities.
"The schools are the jewels of our communities," Marion said. "They provide so much more than education, which is important, but they're the center of it all."
Running as a democrat, the seat Marion aims to take is currently occupied by Republican Howard Marklein of Spring Green. Marklein began his tenure at the state level as Assembly representative of the 51st district from 2011 to 2015, when he replaced retiring Republican Dale Schultz.
In response to a request for comments, Marklein released an email statement in which he said his focus is working for the people within his district and to "continue to work on solutions for my rural district."
Specifically, he pointed to eight bills he has proposed dealing mostly with rural issues. He has recently celebrated the passage of Assembly Bill 835, which increases sparsity aid by $100 per student in the current school year. Senators will now consider the legislation. The Sparsity Aid program provides funding to districts which have no more than 745 students and have fewer than 10 per square mile of the district's geographic area, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Marion said sparsity aid has not been enough to keep schools from falling behind. She also aims to subvert current restrictions on municipalities that need better broadband internet access but cannot create their own system to do so. At a past meeting with Marklein, Marion said she discussed funding for roads. While she noted he is "a really, really, really nice guy," his answer to the problems plaguing rural roads by utilizing money identified in an audit for repairs "to me, was not an adequate solution, nor have we seen any of that funding," Marion said.
As the owner of a small business centered around farming, Marion said the recent data showing western Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies last year was an issue that needed to be addressed. She said "farmers are entrepreneurs," and supporting them will be instrumental in growing local economies in rural places. She remains a proponent of lifting what she said are burdensome regulations on individuals looking to bolster small downtown economies and following her campaign motto of collaboration by "Moving Forward Together."
Marklein did not acknowledge whether he will seek re-election this year and has not yet officially declared candidacy, according to Wisconsin Elections Commission records. However, a campaign registration statement was filed for his candidacy in July, and Marklein hosted a fundraising event in early October at VFW Post 1916 in Reedsburg. Candidates have until June 1 to submit a declaration of candidacy to the WEC.