MADISON — State Senator Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) was re-elected to serve as Assistant Democratic Leader of the Wisconsin State Senate.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be chosen to serve as Assistant Democratic Leader by my colleagues,” Senator Ringhand said in a statement. “I am grateful for their support. We have many issues to tackle and first and foremost is to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control so we can reopen our economy and get everyone back to work.”
Ringhand congratulated Senate Minority Leader Bewley, Caucus Chair Smith and Vice-caucus chair Sargent on being selected as Senate Democratic leadership.
She added that she was committed to making sure everyone gets access to quality and affordable health care, and ensuring that public schools have the required funding needed, protecting the state’s natural resources, investing in infrastructure and addressing systemic racism.
“I look forward to working together with my colleagues and Governor Evers to on these and other important issues,” Ringhand said.
Representative Mark Spreitzer Re-Elected Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair
On Nov. 10, State Representative Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) was unanimously re-elected by his Democratic colleagues in the Wisconsin State Assembly to serve as the Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair during the 2021-22 legislative session.
“I am honored to once again be elected Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair. In this role, I look forward to working with my fellow legislators to tackle the critical challenges that face our state in the coming session,” Spreitzer said. “Our caucus is a diverse group of legislators who are committed to fighting for Wisconsin families and small businesses during this difficult time. We have expanded our caucus this session with members in two additional seats — despite the challenges of gerrymandered maps — because it is clear that Wisconsinites deserve more from the state legislature. With the COVID-19 crisis reaching record levels, we must work together to reduce the spread of the pandemic and repair the damage it has done to our health, our economy, and the fabric of our everyday lives.”
Spreitzer will begin his fourth term representing the 45th Assembly District in January. He was unanimously elected Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair in the 2017-18 and the 2019-20 legislative sessions.
He said that the next two years also brings along the opportunity to redistrict the state in a fair and more equitable manner.
“For the last decade, we have seen the results of extreme partisan gerrymandering, as policies supported by the majority of Wisconsinites remain unaddressed in our legislature. We must reaffirm our commitment to fairness and the democratic process, rather than allowing partisanship to dictate to voters who will represent them,” Spreitzer said.
Marklein Appointed Co-Chair of Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance
Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) appointed Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) to serve as Co-Chair of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC).
“I am extremely honored, humbled and excited to be appointed to serve as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance. Having served as a member of this committee for three sessions, I recognize the extraordinary opportunity before me and appreciate Majority Leader LeMahieu’s trust in me to lead this committee on behalf of the State Senate,” Marklein said in a statement. “I also appreciate the trust and confidence of my fellow Senators and Representatives with whom we will be crafting the next state budget and stewarding taxpayer funds. I do not take this responsibility lightly.”
The JFC is responsible for all state appropriations and revenues, including the biennial state budget. The committee is comprised of 16 members, eight from the State Senate and eight from the State Assembly. Members of the committee are appointed by each house.
Marklein represents the 17th Senate District in southwest Wisconsin. He was elected to the Assembly in 2010 and 2012. He was elected to the Senate in 2014 and 2018 and has served as a member of the JFC since 2014. Marklein said he was grateful for the experience he gained over the last three budgets, which included building a $750 million Rainy-Day Fund.
“I am also grateful for the mentorship of Senator Alberta Darling over the last three sessions. I have learned a lot from her leadership and will surely tap into her expertise moving forward,” Marklein said. “I look toward this new appointment with optimism and enthusiasm. I welcome the challenge and opportunity to contribute my skills and talents in this new way.”