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Schultz cites ‘obscene amount of money’ in decision not to run (AUDIO)

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WRN file photo

WRN file photo

He’s been the State Senator from southwest Wisconsin since 1991. This November, he’ll be doing something else. State Senator Dale Schultz has decided to not seek reelection to his position as Senator from the 17th Senate District. That’s despite being confident that he would win another term in office. “Change is always hard for any human being. I’m certainly no different from anybody else, and I’m going to have to come to grips with that,” Schultz told WGLR.

AUDIO: Senator Dale Schultz (1:12)

So why is Schultz retiring from the Senate? He has no specific future plans, although he won’t rule out running for Congress again if asked. But he feels it’s a good time to leave public office, because many times politicians, like athletes, stay around one season too long. He talked about what has changed in Wisconsin politics since he was first elected to the State Assembly in 1982.

“The just obscene amount of money that has poured in, in an absolutely untransparent way into politics. It’s put good people on both sides of the aisle in a very difficult situation, where they have to decide whether they are going to go with the money which provides the discipline and the partisan structure, or they’re going to vote for their constituents,” he said. “I’ve watched my colleagues wrestle with this, and I think that’s sad.”

Schultz feels that’s changed who legislators respond to. “I always sort of thought that in a representative democracy, you were there to represent the people who elected you, not some special interest from out-of-state, or some billionaire from out-of-state,” he said. “I’ve always thought that business should have access to the public square, I just didn’t think they had the right to own it.” Schultz says he will not endorse GOP Senate candidate Howard Marklein of Spring Green for the 17th Senate District election this Fall. Schultz also says he will not endorse a Democrat candidate should someone run.

Doug Wagen, WGLR

Schultz not seeking another term

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A longtime Republican state lawmaker has decided not to seek reelection later this year. State Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) will end a 32 year career at the Capitol after 2014, saying in a statement that “democracy thrives when new blood is injected into the system, and it’s time for someone else to pick up the cause.” 

Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center)

Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center)

Schultz’s decision comes near the end of a term where he has often been a polarizing figure within the GOP caucus. The lawmaker from Richland Center was the only Senate Republican to vote against Governor Walker’s collective bargaining reforms. He has also drawn fire from members of his party for taking a moderate stance on several other contentious bills, including legislation overhauling iron ore mining regulations and the most recent state budget.

Schultz says he’s become “deeply frustrated and saddened” at what the Legislature has become in recent years, arguing that members want to do good but are “being coerced and convinced that the only way to accomplished that is to conform with outside pressures and agendas.” He puts much of the blame for that on the aftermath of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which has allowed more special interest contributions to flow to political campaigns. Schultz says the result of that is “compromise has given way to partisan conformity, and that’s not something in which I’m willing to participate.”

If Schultz had run for office again, he faced a primary challenge from Republican state Representative Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). Democrats are also targeting his seat in the 17th Senate District, which could help them gain some ground in the Republican-controlled chamber. Schultz makes it clear that he’s not going to endorse Marklein in the primary, saying “Howard made it clear in his announcement challenging me that his top two reasons for doing so were my votes on Act 10 and mining. It’s pretty difficult to support someone who’s so out of step with the views of my constituents on major issues they care deeply about.”

Schultz began his career at the Capitol in the state Assembly, where he was first elected in 1982. He was elected to a Senate seat in 1991 in a special election, where he has served since. While he plans to leave office, Schultz says he’s not retiring from public service. “I still want to be involved, but I don’t think you have to have ‘S-E-N’ in front of your name to make a difference.” His statement does not indicate what he plans to do next though.

Schultz has primary challenge

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Schultz WRN file photo

Schultz WRN file photo

A primary challenge is in the works for a moderate Republican in the Wisconsin state Senate. Senator Dale Schultz of Richland Center is a veteran lawmaker who’s broken ranks on two high-profile issues. But he still votes with the party almost 99 percent of the time. “In most circumstances that would be enough to prevent you from facing a primary challenge,” Schultz told WGLR. “But apparently there’s a level of intolerance for an independent voice. That’s new.”

AUDIO: Senator Dale Schultz (:26)

Schultz rankled his party by voting against Act 10, and against the GOP’s mining incentive legislation two years in a row. His crucial vote in the last session meant the controversial measure lacked enough votes for Senate passage.

Schultz said he won’t decide until this fall whether he’ll run again, but if he does, he’ll face a primary challenge from GOP state Representative Howard Marklein, who cited the Act 10 and mining votes as areas of concern. “I guess I want to emphasize my skill set, my abilities,” said Marklein.

Marklein, a CPA, is in his second two-year term in the Assembly. Schultz has served 30 years in the legislature and has been in the Senate since 1991. In addition to his high-profile opposition to important Republican initiatives, he has also formed an alliance with veteran Senate Democrat Tim Cullen of Janesville, calling for an end to divisiveness and polarization.

 

Schultz won’t support Assembly mining bill (AUDIO)

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Senator Dale Schultz PHOTO: WRN

Prospects for Senate passage of the bill rewriting state mining laws look more remote. With only a couple of weeks left in the current legislative session, state Senator Dale Schultz says for now, it’s a no go. He can’t support the Assembly mining bill. “I have received a proposal from the Assembly, it misses the mark, but my door is still open to work with people,” says Schultz, the Richland Center Republican who holds the key vote in the Senate. “I just thought it was important for people in this environment we’re in now, that has gotten so nasty, to know exactly where I was and what my bottom lines were.”

AUDIO: Schultz Q&A (12:25)

The latest proposal was made to Schultz by Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Alberta Darling and Robin Vos. Schultz says any bill he’ll support will have to include at least one opportunity for public input through contested case hearings. Those hearings are seen as a nonstarter by proponents of an open-pit iron ore mine in the environmentally sensitive Penokee Range region of northern Wisconsin.

“If I’m a mining applicant, I’m not going to come to Wisconsin,” says state Representative Tom Tiffany, the author of the Assembly bill. “There’s a reason we’re ranked the worst in the world, in terms of the permitting process for mining. And that’s because it takes so long to get an answer.”

An alternate mining bill written by Schultz and Democrat Senator Bob Jauch includes one opportunity for a contested case hearing. “I think we owe it to the public to make certain that we don’t start changing things without a thorough public discussion,” says Schultz. The bill he crafted with Jauch also addresses the Assembly bill’s timeline of 360 days for granting permits. Jauch and Schultz believe that’s too short a time frame to assess environmental impacts of a proposed mine. Their measure has a 270-day timeline for such a study, but includes an unlimited number of “off ramps” in which the DNR and applicant can mutually agree to pause the process.

READ: Schultz statement (PDF)

Schultz on his no vote, peaceful protests (AUDIO)

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The lone Republican Senator to vote against the GOP rollback on collective bargaining is calling for unity going forward. In an interview with WRCO, Senator Dale Schultz of Richland Center said he was surprised by Wednesday’s actions, which took a modified version of Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill to the Senate floor. “A number of my colleagues were talking about compromise, and then in a very short period of time when I had left the caucus to meet with Farm Bureau representatives, the tide shifted quickly, and people wanted to vote immediately,” Schultz said. [Read more…]

Children seriously injured in Dodge County rollover

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Forty One ChildrenThree young children were seriously injured Sunday when the driver of a car they were riding in rolled over on I-41 in Dodge County. Two of the children were ejected, despite there being childrens’ car seats in the vehicle. “I beleive that two of them were improperly restrained,” said Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schultz. Schultz said investigators are looking at the car seats. The rollover occurred Sunday afternoon in the Town of Lomira. The children, ages 6 months, 1 year and 3-years-old, are all at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee.

Schultz said the driver was taken into custody for operating under the influence. “It wasn’t alcohol related. We believe there was something else on board.” Preliminary investigation shows that the car was northbound on I-41 when the driver entered the west side gravel shoulder. The car then traveled across both lanes, struck an embankment and rolled before coming to rest on its wheels.
KFIZ

Wisconsin Democrats file redistricting challenge

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presserCalling it one of the worst instances of partisan gerrymandering ever, Democrats are challenging the state Assembly districts drawn in 2011 by Republican legislative leaders in Madison. “Wisconsin voters want fair elections, where every vote counts for something, and every voice is heard,” said Peter Earle, lead attorney for the 12 plaintiffs mounting the legal challenge.

Speakers at Wednesday’s Capitol press conference to announce the 30-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Madison were not limited to Democrats. “As a former Senate majority leader, I could have – heck, I should have – introduced meaningful legislation which ended partisan redistricting,” said former GOP state Senator Dale Schultz.

“We’re frustrated because we feel like our votes don’t matter,” said plaintiff William Whitford, a retired UW Law School professor. “We know our votes matter in statewide races, we know they matter in local races, but we know that when it comes to the state assembly, our votes just don’t matter.”

“This case is on track to go to the Supreme Court of the United states, after having been heard by a three judge panel,” said Earle. “This is a suit that challenges the partisan gerrymandering of the map, and we allege that it violates the 14th amendment and the 1st amendment.”

The district boundaries were drawn in secret, at the offices of a Madison law firm hired by GOP legislative leaders.

Republicans widen majorities in Wisconsin Legislature

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File Photo

File Photo

It appears Republicans will return next session with larger majorities in the state Legislature.

Republicans managed to claim multiple open seats in the state Senate, clearing the way for GOP lawmakers to return next session with a 19 seat majority in the chamber. The party was able to pick up an extra seat, winning 11 of the 17 races on the ballot Tuesday. Among the key races were the open 17th Senate District, where Republican Howard Marklein won retiring Senator Dale Schultz seat, and Republican Roger Roth’s victory in the 19th Senate District, the seat of retiring Senate President Mike Ellis. Democrats had needed to pick up two seats Tuesday in order to reclaim a majority in the chamber.

Over in the Assembly, Republicans were headed towards another session of holding at least 60 seats in the chamber, with the possibility of adding at least two more. As of this morning, unofficial returns had Republican candidates with slight leads in the 51st and 85th Assembly districts, with recounts possible in those races.

The victories will mean at least another two years of Republican control at the Capitol, with Governor Scott Walker also declaring victory in Tuesday’s elections.

Lawmakers talk with northern Wisconsinites about school funding

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File photo

File photo

Two state legislators head to the Northwoods to hold a public forum on school funding.

State Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) and Representative Mandy Wright (D-Wausau) will be in Rhinelander Thursday evening to discuss the impact of current and possible future funding on rural schools.

Wright says a proposal to greatly expand the school voucher program could put more pressure on public schools. “$420 million of public funds are going to private schools in this budget alone, and then we are talking about taking the caps off. If we take the caps off, the projected cost is a billion dollars. We would be subsidizing the education of every single private student across the state of Wisconsin.”

Wright says if the proposal is signed into law that money will put more local pressure on public schools. “That comes at a price tag of $1 billion. We simply won’t have the money to address the funding deficits for our rural schools.”

Speaker Robin Vos put together a task force earlier this year, lead by Representative Rob Swearingen of Rhinelander, that met around the state to hear of concerns from rural schools. Democrat Wright says Republican Vos is one of the proponents of the expanded voucher program.

Public schools provide 83 percent of Wisconsin students with an education, and nearly half of them are on free or reduced lunch programs.

The forum is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods. It is from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Thursday, September 11th at James Williams Middle School Auditorium.

Ken Krall, WXPR

Wittwer won’t challenge recount

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Ernie Wittwer

Ernie Wittwer

There will be no challenge to the recount in the Democratic primary for the 17th state Senate district.

The decision by Ernie Wittwer not to challenge the results of the recount means Pat Bomhack will face Republican Howard Marklein in November, for the seat being vacated by veteran Republican state Senator Dale Schultz.

The recount of ballots cast in the August primary left Wittwer 33 votes behind Bomhack.

Wittwer said last week that he was going to consult with an attorney about what course of action to take after Green County officials said 110 ballots were missing.

“We looked at the final tape from the machine, and it matched the final numbers from the recount. We didn’t think we had much chance of success.”

Asked whether he’d be supporting Bomhack, Wittwer said “no I’m not.”