The
Doyle Administration
2003-04
Wisconsin Legislature
Jim
Hough, The Hamilton Consulting Group
Feb.
7, 2003
©
2003 The Hamilton Consulting Group
Business as usual would not be
an apt description of the upcoming activities in our Capital City.
As the 2003-04 legislative session begins, we have a Democratic
Governor for the first time in 16 years and deeper changes in the
Administration than we have experienced in that same time frame.
In addition, and perhaps ironically, Republicans control both
houses of the legislature for the first time since 1995 and only
the second time in the last 32 years. There also is new leadership
in both houses and the state faces a very substantial fiscal
deficit.
The following is a brief glimpse of
the Administration and Legislature but, hopefully, provides a
little better understanding of the people whose actions over the
course of the next two years will have a significant impact on all
of our lives in the great state of Wisconsin.
There are many lawyers in the
new Administration but few in the Legislature. Governor
Jim Doyle, a Harvard Law School graduate, former Attorney General,
former District Attorney and private law practitioner, has drawn
heavily from the legal community in making key appointments within
his administration. Of the sixteen Cabinet Secretaries and other
key appointments profiled below, eleven are lawyers, including
three more from Harvard Law School and six from the University of
Wisconsin Law School. By contrast, and contrary to popular belief,
lawyers make up less than 10 percent (13) of the total number
(132) of state legislators. The Doyle Administration does include
two former Wisconsin Legislators among its key agency heads.
The
Doyle Administration
Department
of Administration: Marc Marotta, Secretary; 40 years old,
former partner in the Milwaukee office of the Foley & Lardner
law firm and a 1987 Harvard Law School graduate.
Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection: Rod Nilsestuen, Secretary; 54 years
old, former CEO of the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives and a
1974 University of Wisconsin Law School graduate.
Department of Commerce: Cory
Nettles, Secretary; 32 years old, practiced law at the Quarles
& Brady law firm in Milwaukee and a 1996 University of
Wisconsin Law School graduate.
Department of Corrections: Matt
Frank, Secretary; 46 years old, former Administrator of the
Division of Legal Service in the Department of Justice and a 1981
University of Wisconsin Law School graduate.
Department of Employment
Relations: Karen Timberlake, Secretary; 35 years old, former
Deputy Administrator in the Department of Justice’s Division of
Legal Services and a 1995 Harvard Law School graduate.
Department of Health and Family
Services: Helene Nelson, Secretary; 52 years old, served under
four governors as Deputy Secretary or Chief Operating Officer in
five different state agencies and a 1972 graduate of Oberlin
College.
Department of Natural Resources:
Scott Hassett, Secretary; 52 years old, former partner at the
Lawton & Cates law firm in Madison and a 1980 Rutgers
University Law School graduate.
Department of Regulation and
Licensing: Donsia Strong Hill, Secretary; 42 years old,
practiced law at Strong Hill Associates in Green Bay and a 1989
John Marshall Law School graduate.
Department of Revenue: Michael Morgan, Secretary; 46
years old, served as Program Related Investment Officer at the
Helen Bader Foundation in Milwaukee and a University of Wisconsin
Law School graduate.
Department of Tourism: Kevin
Shibilski, Secretary; 41 years old, served as Wisconsin State
Senator from the 24th Senate District and a 1987
graduate of UW-Stevens Point.
Department of Transportation:
Frank Busalacchi, Secretary; 58 years old, former
Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 200 in Milwaukee and
Construction Committee Chair for the Miller Park Baseball Stadium.
Department of Workforce
Development: Roberta Gassman, Secretary; 53 years old, former
President of Gassman Communication and Public Affairs and a 1972
Masters Degree graduate of the UW-Madison.
Public Service Commission:
Burnie Bridge, Chair; 54 years old, former Deputy Attorney
General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice and a 1982
University of Wisconsin Law School graduate.
State Budget Office (in DOA:
David Riemer, Director; 53 years old, former Director of the
City of Milwaukee’s Department of Administration and a 1975
Harvard Law school graduate.
Wisconsin Housing & Economic
Development Authority: Antonio Riley, Executive Director; 39
years old, served as a State Representative from the 18th
Assembly District and a 1987 graduate of Carroll College.
Office of Insurance: Jorge
Gomez, Commissioner; 45 years old, former Vice President and
General Counsel at United Government Services in Milwaukee and a
1986 University of Wisconsin Law School Graduate.
As of this date, Governor Doyle has
not appointed a new Secretary at the Department of Financial
Institutions. Patty Struck, Administrator of the Division of
Securities, is serving as Acting
Secretary.
Additional
information on the above appointees can be found at: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/appointments.asp
The
2003-04 Wisconsin Legislature
The
following is a brief look at the overall makeup of the two houses
that constitute the Legislative Branch of State Government. We
have highlighted some general background information on the men
and women who make up our State Legislature to help better
understand the nature of the collective bodies that decide
important public policy issues that affect all of our professional
and personal lives. This overview helps also to reinforce the
understanding that our legislators are generalists and cannot all
be expected to be experts on the hundreds of bills and literally
thousands of issues that they are asked and required to address.
It also emphasizes the importance for all of us to inform and
petition our elected officials.
[For
expanded information on an overview of the legislature, please see
Profile of the 2003 Wisconsin Legislature at www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb
and my thanks to the Legislative Reference Bureau for compiling
the information that assisted in writing this piece. For
information on individual legislators, please go to the respective
home pages of the Wisconsin
State Senate and Assembly.
The
Wisconsin State Senate
has 33 members, although two of those seats are currently vacant due to
the departure of Kevin Shibilski to Tourism (see above) and Rick
Grobschmidt to the Department of Public Instruction. Republicans
currently hold the majority in the Senate by an 18-13 margin.
Since the Democrats had been in control for the past several
sessions, the new majority brings new leadership and new committee
chairs.
Following
are some additional Senate “profile” statistics:
- 22
senators have previous service in the Assembly
- 8
senators are women
- 2
senators are African American
- 7
senators have served in the armed forces
- 11
senators have served as local government elected officials
- 3
senators are lawyers, all Democrats, with no lawyers among the
18 majority Republicans
- 23
senators have academic degrees, including three law degrees
and five masters
Other
current occupations include bricklayer, newspaper publisher, home
builder, printer, farm management, raising exotic animals, land
surveying, and nursing, while former occupations include teachers,
fire chief and legislative staffers.
The
Wisconsin State Assembly
has 99 members with one current vacancy created by the departure of
Antonio Riley to WHEDA. Republicans hold the majority by a margin
of 58 to 40. The Republicans have held the majority in the
Assembly since the 1995 session, but has also experienced some
changes in leadership including a new Speaker, which has also
resulted in some changes in committee chairs.
Following
are some additional Assembly “profile” statistics:
- 15
of the 98 state Representatives are serving their first term
- 27
Representatives are women
- 5
Representatives are African-American and 1 is Hispanic
- 18
Representatives have served in the armed forces
- 48
Representatives have served as local government elected
officials
- 10
Representatives are lawyers, 8 among the Minority Democrats
and only 2 among the 58 Republicans
- 64
Representatives have academic degrees, including the 10 law
degrees, an M.D. and 21 masters.
Other
occupations include veterinarian, farmer, small business owner,
public affairs consultant, restaurant business, realtor, farm
manager, civil engineer, feed, seed and fertilizer dealer while
former occupations include teachers and legislative staffers.
It
should be noted that 13 Senators and 39 Representative list
themselves as full time legislators.
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