I am at once beholden to you, my fellow members, and delighted at the prospect of leading this body during the next two years.
I thank you deeply for this memory.
On behalf of the entire state Assembly, let me extend a warm welcome to the families and friends gathered here today. We are so proud to have you join us on this propitious occasion.
I would like to extend a personal thank you to the five special guests who have joined us today. John Matthews, representing Governor Thompson and Lieutenant Governor Scott McCallum—your years of service have helped this body achieve great things; State Treasurer Jack Voight; Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox—your patience and judgement have earned you a seat on the highest bench; Judge Richard Wright—you are a personal friend whom I proudly welcome from my home county; and Reverend Roger Clapp—your spiritual guidance has aided my community in so many ways.
This is an especially important moment for newly-elected Representatives. You have worked hard in the past year to get to this point, and today, the sixth of January, you have reached your goal. Judging by the numbers assembled here, you have considerable support for your endeavors.
We in the Assembly would like to recognize our closest and most loyal supporters.
To my right are four people who will personally feel every responsibility that I have to this body. It includes my wife of twenty four years, Gail, and our three children—Micheleen, Tod and Brandon. To them, and to the members, I ask for patience and understanding as we all learn our new roles together.
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My family has lived and farmed the same land for 131 years. I grew up on that dairy farm just over 50 miles north of the Capitol, and, when I was young, had dreams of leading the farm into the twenty-first century. Then, I thought the largest group I would ever speak in front of was four-legged black and whites with a very limited vocabulary. I attended college about 75 miles
south of Madison and began to gain some experience in student government, but was still a world away from state government.
My introduction to governing came by way of former U.S. Congressman and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. I first met Mel when I was a 4-H'er on a field trip to Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to meet the then-Congressman and have dinner with him. He so impressed me with his personal interest in people and the very genuine way in which he cared about their well-being. He helped shape my mind about elected officials many years before I entered the political arena.
By the time I returned home from Platteville, I recognized my mother and father's involvement in local politics. My mother was one of the first women to serve on a town board in Wisconsin, and she paved the way for my dad to take a seat after her. My dad, Vaughn Brancel, dedicated many nights to town board and school board meetings.
At that point my dad became more than a dad, more than a farmer. He became my role model—ever teaching by example how important it is to give back to your community. He showed me that being involved was hard work, but held a deep satisfaction for those who commit to it.
That was about the same time that I began to view life differently; there was more out there than farming and every experience I had reinforced my belief. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To not be involved in the issues of the day is to not have lived." I want to thank my mother and my father for being a living testimony to that belief.
In just a few years, we will turn the corner on the 1900's. We can now confidently look back on previous legislative sessions and see what we've done wrong, what we've done right, and what we may have done differently.
For instance, we have witnessed tremendous, positive changes in the environment in the last 10 years. We have remedied many detriments to our air, water and land.
I've had the opportunity to usher in one of those changes myself with the agricultural chemical clean-up program. Seven years ago, farmers had no where to go with used chemical agents. Today, they can bring old containers to a designated site for safe disposal. With 67 counties having held a Clean Sweep, and more than 350 tons of dangerous chemicals swept away, the program is a resounding success. We can look back proudly on our votes to support the environment.
We are wiser for our actions of yore. George Orwell once said that each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it and wiser than the one that comes after it. If we apply that philosophy to the legislature, we can hope that we are sagacious enough to propose and pass legislation that will benefit future generations and impart today's wisdom upon the next legislature.
In this legislature, I look around the room and see 99 individuals representing the northern, western, southern and eastern corners of the state. I see Representatives new to the legislature, and I see Representatives with tenure, age and experience on their side. Some of you will take country roads home tonight, others will drive the highways. Yet in the next two years our roads will converge on common ground in these chambers.
All so different, yet together we can do great things.
Together we are commissioned to do one job. We are the caretakers of an old, time-weathered principle called democracy. We are charged with coming to these chambers and speaking on the people's behalf. It is our job to let the people know, in word and deed, that this is their chambers, not ours. They each own a seat here, and we are only temporary occupants here to exercise their will.
And their will is made manifest in the thousands of bills that we will be proposing, deliberating and voting on in the next two years. You are being asked to do the will of the people every day during the next two years. It will come in the form of letters you write to constituents, and votes you take on the floor. Whether it's an economic development package or a social service package, a claims bill, or a clearinghouse rule, it will somehow impact someone's life.
Realizing this, before you vote on a bill, give it the legislative litmus test. Ask yourself, if:
⋅ with the passage of this bill, are we enabling people, or disabling them?
⋅ Are we giving them a hand, or are we giving them handouts?
⋅ Are we strengthening them, or are we strong-arming them?
⋅ Most importantly, are we doing the people's will, or is it our will under the people's guise?
When you have satisfied these questions and voted judiciously, you will have done the job that you have been sent here to do. For every bill that appears in these chambers, there is a citizenry involved. It may be your neighbors, your family, or people you've never met. Regardless, your vote will impact someone's life. Let us pray for wisdom.
Recently I received a letter from a former Assembly candidate. In the letter he noted that today, many people view politics with a cynical eye. He said, "They criticize, withdraw or even drop out altogether." He continued, "That's a shame...politics is important because it is that place where History meets the Future."
And he was right. Decisions made today will define tomorrow. Beginning today with the bills that are introduced, we will make history.
If you serve the people well, they will call you a success. And that is what you came here to be. My goal, as your Speaker, is to see that each one of you walks away from this legislature feeling like a success.
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There is one golden rule that should guide us in our days. Simple, and profound. As appropriate to governing as it is to living. If we only abide by one rule in this house, let it be thus: "Do unto others as we would do unto ourselves."
With this, we shall accomplish great things.
With this, we shall accomplish the will of the people.
This is the essence of governing.
Thank you. Thank you very much."
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ELECTION OF SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE
Representative Johnsrud nominated Representative Freese for the position of Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
There being no further nominations, the speaker declared nominations closed.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that a unanimous ballot be cast with all members of the Assembly be recorded as voting for Representative Freese for Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore. Granted.
For Representative Freese - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Baldwin, Baumgart, Black, Bock, Boyle, Brandemuehl, Carpenter, Coggs, Cullen, Dobyns, Dueholm, Duff, Foti, Freese, Gard, Goetsch, Green, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Hahn, Handrick, Hanson, Harsdorf, Hasenohrl, Hebl, Hoven, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hutchison, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kedzie, Kelso, Klusman, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, Kunicki, La Fave, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lazich, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Linton, Lorge, Meyer, Morris-Tatum, Murat, Musser, Nass, Notestein, Olsen, Ott, Otte, Ourada, Owens, Plale, Plouff, Porter, R. Potter, Powers, Reynolds, Riley, Robson, Rutkowski, Ryba, Schafer, Schneider, Seratti, Skindrud, Springer, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Sykora, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Urban, Vander Loop, Vrakas, Walker, Ward, Wasserman, Wieckert, Williams, Wood, L. Young, Ziegelbauer, Zukowski and Speaker Brancel - 98.
Absent or not voting - Representative R. Young - 1.
Representative Freese was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the Assembly for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
Representatives Owens and Urban escorted Representative Freese to the rostrum.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Brancel.
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ELECTION OF CHIEF CLERK
Representative Freese nominated Charles Sanders for the position of Chief Clerk of the Assembly for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
There being no further nominations, the speaker declared nominations closed.
Representative Ladwig asked unanimous consent that a unanimous ballot be cast with all members of the Assembly be recorded as voting for Charles Sanders for Assembly Chief Clerk. Granted.
For Charles Sanders - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Baldwin, Baumgart, Black, Bock, Boyle, Brandemuehl, Carpenter, Coggs, Cullen, Dobyns, Dueholm, Duff, Foti, Freese, Gard, Goetsch, Green, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Hahn, Handrick, Hanson, Harsdorf, Hasenohrl, Hebl, Hoven, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hutchison, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kedzie, Kelso, Klusman, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, Kunicki, La Fave, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lazich, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Linton, Lorge, Meyer, Morris-Tatum, Murat, Musser, Nass, Notestein, Olsen, Ott, Otte, Ourada, Owens, Plale, Plouff, Porter, R. Potter, Powers, Reynolds, Riley, Robson, Rutkowski, Ryba, Schafer, Schneider, Seratti, Skindrud, Springer, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Sykora, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Urban, Vander Loop, Vrakas, Walker, Ward, Wasserman, Wieckert, Williams, Wood, L. Young, Ziegelbauer, Zukowski and Speaker Brancel - 98.
Absent or not voting - Representative R. Young - 1.
Charles Sanders was elected Chief Clerk of the Assembly for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
Representatives Foti and Kunicki escorted Charles Sanders to the rostrum.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Brancel
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ELECTION OF SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Representative Vrakas nominated John Scocos for the position of Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
There being no further nominations, the speaker declared nominations closed.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that a unanimous ballot be cast with all members of the Assembly recorded as voting for John Scocos for Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms. Granted.
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For John Scocos - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Baldwin, Baumgart, Black, Bock, Boyle, Brandemuehl, Carpenter, Coggs, Cullen, Dobyns, Dueholm, Duff, Foti, Freese, Gard, Goetsch, Green, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Hahn, Handrick, Hanson, Harsdorf, Hasenohrl, Hebl, Hoven, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hutchison, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kedzie, Kelso, Klusman, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, Kunicki, La Fave, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lazich, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Linton, Lorge, Meyer, Morris-Tatum, Murat, Musser, Nass, Notestein, Olsen, Ott, Otte, Ourada, Owens, Plale, Plouff, Porter, R. Potter, Powers, Reynolds, Riley, Robson, Rutkowski, Ryba, Schafer, Schneider, Seratti, Skindrud, Springer, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Sykora, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Urban, Vander Loop, Vrakas, Walker, Ward, Wasserman, Wieckert, Williams, Wood, L. Young, Ziegelbauer, Zukowski and Speaker Brancel - 98.
Absent or not voting - Representative R. Young - 1.
John Scocos was elected Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms for the Ninety-Third Regular Session of the Legislature.
Representatives Hoven and Boyle escorted John Scocos to the rostrum.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Brancel.
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SERGEANT-AT-ARM'S ANNOUNCEMENT
John Scocos announced that he has appointed Steve Kelly as Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms for the 1997-98 session.
Representatives Ott and Kunicki escorted Steve Kelly to the rostrum.
The oath of office was administered by Speaker Brancel.
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INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCE
OF PROPOSALS
Representative Foti introduced a privileged resolution.
Assembly Resolution 1
Relating to: notifying the senate and the governor that the 1997-98 assembly is organized.
By Representative Brancel.
The question was: Shall Assembly Resolution 1 be adopted?
Motion carried.
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From Donald J. Schneider, Senate Chief Clerk.
Mr. Speaker:
I am directed to inform you that the Senate has:
This is to advise you that the Senate is organized and ready to proceed to the business of the 1997-98 legislative session.
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COMMUNICATIONS
January 2, 1997
Mr. Charles Sanders
Assembly Chief Clerk
Room 402, 1 East Main
Madison, Wisconsin 53702
Dear Sanders:
Pursuant to Assembly Rule
2(2), the following officers have been duly elected by the Assembly Republican Caucus:
