Wisconsin Assembly, District 47/Asamblea de Wisconsin, Distrito 47
Wisconsin Legislative BranchWisconsin’s legislature makes state laws. The legislature has two houses: the Wisconsin Senate and the Wisconsin Assembly. Proposed laws (bills) can originate from either the state senate or assembly. Both houses must approve the bill before it is passed on to the governor for signature or veto. The legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in each house. The legislature controls the spending of state funds through appropriation.Wisconsin AssemblyThe Wisconsin Assembly has ninety-nine representatives. Voters elect representatives to represent their assembly district for a two-year term. There is no term limit.__________Poder Legislativo de Wisconsin La legislatura de Wisconsin produce las leyes estatales. La legislatura consta de dos cámaras: el Senado de Wisconsin y la Asamblea de Wisconsin. Las propuestas de ley pueden originarse tanto en el Senado estatal como en la Asamblea. Ambas cámaras deben aprobar el proyecto de ley antes de transmitirla al gobernador para su firma o veto. La legislatura puede anular un veto con un voto mayoritario de dos tercios en cada cámara. La legislatura controla el gasto de los fondos estatales a través de las leyes de asignación. Asamblea de WisconsinLa Asamblea de Wisconsin tiene noventa y nueve representantes. Los votantes eligen representantes para representar a su asamblea de distrito por un término de dos años. No hay límite de términos.Nota: Las respuestas de los candidatos que aparecen en español se tradujeron de las respuestas originales de los candidatos en inglés.
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Randy Udell
(Dem)
Please describe your priorities for your term in office and your specific qualifications to effectively address those issues.
What do you see as the most pressing housing-related issue in Wisconsin, and what policies, if any, would you support to address the issue?
What redistricting process, if any, do you believe the legislature should put in place before the next national census to ensure fair representation for voters?
What initiatives, if any, would you support to promote environmental sustainability in Wisconsin?
What, if anything, will you do to ensure our schools have the resources to improve outcomes for its students, including those with disabilities?
WisEye Interview (If Available)
Campaign Phone #
(608)274-6261
Education
Bachelor's degree, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Craig High School, Janesville.
Personal Pronouns
he/him/his
As I've crisscrossed the 47th District and attended local government meetings, I hear a common theme that broadband is a major issue that requires attention. I worked for 30 years as a telecommunications engineer for AT&T in Florida and Wisconsin and currently serve as a member of the Dane County Broadband Task Force. Our rural communities need access to high-speed internet to bolster their local economies. It is unacceptable that in 2024 individuals have to drive miles to a fast food restaurant or library parking lot to submit a homework assignment or complete a digital task. In addition, I strongly support making use of the state's surplus to invest in education and get ahead on capital projects. I've worked with finance much of my career and currently serve as the treasurer for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, managing a multi-million dollar budget. Finally, Wisconsin needs to accept the federal dollars allocated with the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid in our state.
Wisconsin has a significant lack of affordable housing. Many communities have a limited toolbox to address that disparity, which is particularly pressing in a district like mine with significant increases in rents and home prices because of economic growth. I would support expanding the state's existing one-year affordable housing TIF district extension to up to three years at a local governing body's discretion. The additional funds can help municipalities invest in creating affordable housing projects and upgrade existing housing stock to improve safety and energy efficiency. In addition, I would like to support creating a state incentive program for new housing to be barrier-free (fully accessible) to increase housing stock for individuals of all abilities. More housing options (especially for homeownership) without steps and wide doorways allow individuals of all ages to be able to live in their neighborhood of choice and stay in their home as they age and/or their needs adapt.
Wisconsin should create an independent nonpartisan commission like the state of Michigan did a few years ago to ensure legislative and congressional maps are drawn in a fair manner. The Iowa model of utilizing nonpartisan staff to create the maps, as has been done since the 1980 census, is another potential alternative. I believe the Legislature should implement a hybrid of the two systems. Wisconsin has greater population density than the state of Iowa and thus much more counties would need to be split into different districts than in that state. In addition, an independent commission can provide greater transparency, recommend a specific map proposal to the Legislature, create a check on power, and provide more opportunities for public input. We need to address redistricting as soon as possible in the Legislature to prevent repeats of the gerrymandering we saw under a Republican legislative majority and avoid Democratic gerrymandering like we see in the state of Illinois.
We need to start with setting ambitious goals for state government on sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions first and foremost. The state should invest in solar panels on new and existing facilities as well as electric vehicles for their fleet when and where possible. Equipment like chainsaws and power tools should be required to use biodegradable oil to prevent petroleum pollution in the environment and waterways. Light fixtures inside and outside of buildings should be replaced with more efficient LED lighting. The end goal should be 100% renewable energy powering state government by 2035 with net-zero emissions by 2050, similar to the goals UW-Madison has set. By setting an example of how sustainability can be achieved in the public sector, the private sector can follow and embrace similar solutions. In addition, the state's electric vehicle surcharge should be revisited and potentially suspended or repealed to encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles.
Public education funding in Wisconsin is far lower than it should be. At the university level, the Universities of Wisconsin should be funded at minimum at the median level of funding for public university systems nationally (an additional $457 million/year). Special education funding for our public schools should be large enough to cover at minimum 50% of the costs to help prevent cuts to services for other students and keep up with rising expenses. Revenue limits for public school systems should be tied to inflation just like it was prior to 2010. The public school funding formula should be made more equal to reduce vast disparities in per pupil funding even between districts adjacent to each other.
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