SJR50,1,32 Whereas, Dick Wheeler, the dean of the State Capitol press corps, passed away
3on November 11, 2011; and

SJR50,1,64 Whereas, Dick Wheeler is survived by his daughter Gwyn Guenther,
5son-in-law Trevor Guenther, granddaughters Camille and Tabitha, and his
6longtime companion Diane Harmelink; and

SJR50,1,107 Whereas, Dick, who was originally from Pennsylvania, previously worked for
8United Press International and Scripps Howard in Michigan and Ohio, covering
9stories such as the shootings at Kent State in 1970 and the Hough race riots in
10Cleveland; and

SJR50,1,1211 Whereas, in 1972, Dick arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, and began working for
12the Gongwer News Service; and

SJR50,1,1513 Whereas, also in 1972, Dick Wheeler created the famous government reporting
14service for Capitol insiders, government officials, and lobbyists that bore his name,
15"The Wheeler Report"; and

SJR50,2,3

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1Whereas, The Wheeler Report originally began as a newsletter detailing the
2activities of the legislature and state government, which was mailed to subscribers
3daily; and

SJR50,2,54 Whereas, The Wheeler Report progressed from a mailed newsletter, to a faxed
5newsletter, and finally led to the creation of a Web site in 1998; and

SJR50,2,76 Whereas, today, the wheelereport.com is a popular Web site that links stories
7and allows viewers to track the daily actions of the Wisconsin legislature; and

SJR50,2,98 Whereas, The Wheeler Report was truly a family business run by Dick, his
9daughter Gwyn, his son-in-law Trevor, and his longtime companion Diane; and

SJR50,2,1310 Whereas, Dick will not be forgotten for the role he played in securing a State
11Capitol room, centrally located between the senate and assembly chambers,
12designated for use by press covering the workings of the state's elected officials in the
131998 budget; and

SJR50,2,1614 Whereas, Dick was an invaluable resource to his fellow Capitol press reporters
15and served as the president of the Wisconsin Capitol Correspondents Association
16before stepping down in 2010; and

SJR50,2,1817 Whereas, Dick's impressive knowledge of state government and the inner
18workings of the legislature will be missed by all; and

SJR50,2,2119 Whereas, Dick, seen frequently arriving at 5:30 a.m., was known for his
20dedication in covering legislative activity, particularly that of the Joint Finance
21Committee, well into the night; and

SJR50,2,2322 Whereas, the Wisconsin Capitol Correspondents Association voted
23unanimously to request that the press room be named in Dick's honor; and

SJR50,3,3

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1Whereas, the familiar smell of pipe tobacco wafting through the portico of the
2Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard entrance to the Capitol will fade, but never be
3forgotten; now, therefore, be it