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Wisconsin Assembly, District 23/Asamblea de Wisconsin, Distrito 23

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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  • Candidate picture

    Deb Andraca
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    Laurie O'Brien Wolf
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

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 # 4145521104
Campaign Email deb@debforwi.com
Campaign Phone 414-485-5284
Campaign Twitter Handle @@debforwi
Education BA, Syracuse University; MA, George Washington University; Teacher Certification coursework, Alverno College
Personal Pronouns she/her
Campaign Announcement http://www.debforwi.com
If re-elected I will build upon my two terms of legislative experience to advocate for policies that make Wisconsin safer, smarter and healthier, including common-sense firearm safety legislation, increased funding for special education and public schools, expansion of medicaid, and protection of reproductive healthcare. Other policy interests include promoting renewable energy, university funding, independent redistricting and government transparency. Success in Madison depends upon relationships, and I will continue to work across the aisle to build consensus on bipartisan issues like environmental stewardship, strengthening drunk driving laws, supporting first responders, and promoting school safety.
Wisconsin is in need of affordable housing options for working families and individuals. I voted for several bills signed into law this year that were designed to support affordable housing creation, including a revolving loan program for new development and another for the re-imagination of existing main street buildings. I also supported a new law that updates local regulations to encourage building more housing developments in communities all across the state.
I have been a long-time advocate for fair maps in our state. I was encouraged when Wisconsin’s gerrymandered maps were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and new maps were passed and signed by the Governor. However, without a new state redistricting process in place before the next federal census in 2030, we risk returning to gerrymandered maps once again. Wisconsin must create an independent, nonpartisan redistricting process, one that honors the requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act, ends the practice of prison gerrymandering, and results in maps that reflect the state electorate without advantage to any political party.
I am a strong advocate for the Knowles-Nelson stewardship program which has preserved land and important green spaces in every county of the state. We must end the ability of one “anonymous objector”on the Joint Finance Committee to block stewardship-funded, DNR-approved projects with no public hearing. I was proud to co-sponsor electric vehicle infrastructure legislation that Governor Evers signed this year and unlocked $78 million in federal funding. I have also co-sponsored many bills that would address our most urgent environmental concerns and begin to address the impact of climate change, including establishing PFAS standards for groundwater protection, creating a revolving loan program to assist homeowners with shoreline erosion challenges, providing green job training, and increasing funding for the Focus on Energy program.

During the past two sessions I have been consistent in my support for sustainable, predictable funding for our public schools, as well as increased funding for special education. School districts are mandated to provide special education services to students and these costs have been rising over time. State aid currently reimburses public schools for about 33% of their special aid services, leaving individual districts to cover the majority of the costs from their budgets. This is a driver of increased school referendums in recent years. There is also an inequity between public districts and private schools, which are eligible for reimbursement of 90% of their special education costs. I have already been talking with stakeholders among public and private schools to build support for more parity in reimbursement so that our state can best meet the needs of all students.
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