Kooyenga Appointed to Joint Finance Committee

Finishing freshman term, CPA who represents much of Brookfield and Wauwatosa receives a key committee appointment from Republican legislative leadership.

  In just his second term in the State Assembly, Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield), who represents a large part of Brookfield and Wauwatosa, has been appointed to the Joint Finance Committee. Joint Finance is a 16-member standing committee with the primary task of reviewing all state appropriations and revenues. Last year, the Repulican-controlled committee was responsible for steering legislation to close a $3.6 billion deficit. “I am honored to serve on such an important committee," said Kooyenga, who was appointed by Assembly Speaker-elect Robin Vos (R-Rochester). “I believe my knowledge on tax and finance-related issues will serve the committee and the citizens of Wisconsin well.” According to the Legislative Reference Bureau, Kooyenga…

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How Mitt Romney Lost Wisconsin After Scott Walker Won

Just five months after Republican Gov. Scott Walker handily won his recall election, GOP nominee Mitt Romney didn't have the same success in the presidential race.

It's a lost prize that stings for Republicans: How could Mitt Romney lose Wisconsin just five months after Gov. Scott Walker won it? While nationally Romney barely surpassed GOP nominee John McCain's popular vote total in 2008 (58.6 million votes for Romney vs 58.3 million for McCain), in Wisconsin, the former Massachusetts governor surged past McCain by about 11 percentage points. Romney had more votes than McCain in the bright red suburban Milwaukee counties. He even gained votes in dark-blue Milwaukee and Dane counties. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama didn't perform as well as he did in Wisconsin in 2008 — his vote total was 4.4 percentage points less Tuesday than it was in 2008. But statewide, neither Romney's gains nor Obama's …

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Novack to Replace Nickolaus as Waukesha County Clerk

City of Pewaukee alderwoman Kathleen Novack will replace embattled Waukesha Coutny Clerk Kathy Nickolaus, who decided to not seek re-election.

City of Pewaukee Alderwoman Kathleen Novack will be the new clerk of Waukesha County. Novack, 62, won 71 percent of the vote, or 155,430 votes, in Tuesday's county clerk race, beating Town of Lisbon business owner Jessie Read, 52, who collected 63,575 votes, or 29 percent of the vote. The results are unofficial. Novack, is a retired federal employee who was first elected to the City of Pewaukee Common Council in 2006 and lost her re-election bid in 2009. She was elected to the council again in 2010 and said she planned to run for another term unless, if elected as county clerk,  it interferes with the county job. Novack is the second City of Pewaukee alderman to serve dual elected roles in recent years. Ald. Mike Hasslinger served as …

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Redistricting Set the Course for 13th, 14th Assembly District Races

Democratic newcomers take on more entrenched Republicans as Brookfield and Wauwatosa become joined at the political hip.

Brookfield Early Voting Exceeds 2008 Presidential Election

With some 400 mailed absentee ballots outstanding, Brookfield already has more than 9,000 early ballots cast, exceeding the total from the 2008 presidential race.

A big push to get people to vote early appears to have been successful in Brookfield, where the number of absentee ballots submitted already exceeds that in the 2008 presidential race. About 31.2 percent of Brookfield's registered voters had submitted absentee ballots by Friday evening, when in-person early voting ended, City Clerk Kelly Michaels said. A total of 9,032 completed absentee ballots had been filed with the city as of 5:45 p.m. Friday, while another 433 mailed ballots had not been returned. To be counted, those mailed absentee ballots must be completed and postmarked no later than Election Day (Nov. 6) and received by the city clerk no later than 4 p.m. on the Friday after the election (Nov. 9), according to the state …

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Absentee Ballots Cast by About 26 Percent of Brookfield Voters

Friday is the last day for residents to go to City Hall to vote absentee. Thursday there were long lines nearly out the door.

Absentee voting is strong in Brookfield and appears on pace to reach or exceed early voting in the 2008 presidential race. "We've had a line almost out the door," Deputy City Clerk Renee Tadych said mid-afternoon Thursday. The city set up ballot stations in a conference room that looked like a polling site. As of about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, a total of 7,926 absentee ballots had been requested, with 7,405 of whose returned, Brookfield City Clerk Kelly Michaels said. That compared to more than thte total of 8,820 absentee ballots cast in the 2008 presidential race. But the 2012 presidential early voting figures are increasing by the hour. In-person early voting continues until 5 p.m. Thursday and again from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at City …

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Should Act 10 Be Repealed? Assembly Candidates Divided

Candidates seeking election to state offices representing parts of Brookfield, Wauwatosa and Elm Grove sparred on issues, including the state's collective bargaining reforms, at candidates forum Tuesday.

The state's sweeping collective bargaining reforms — still being litigated in court — drew widely divergent views from area candidates seeking election to the state Assembly. Asked whether, if elected, they would try to repeal Act 10 which eliminated most public sector union negotiations, reactions fell along partisan lines at a candidates forum held Tuesday in Brookfield. "I actually voted for Act 10 and I stand by that vote," said Republican state Rep. Dale Kooyenga, of Brookfield, who is seeking a second term representing the newly redrawn 14th Assembly District, which includes Brookfield and Wauwatosa. "We made common sense reforms, said Kooyenga, who added school districts and local governments have and will continue to benefit …

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therealconservative

9:38 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I agree. Act 10 is now law and we need to move forward. I would say the same for the federal health care law. It is time to focus our attention on moving forward and set aside this nonsense around arresting officials that implement the law. Isn't this the kind of behavior we were so upset about when the senators left the state? Focus on getting jobs to Wisconsin, this scares people away. Stop it …   more ›

State Assembly Candidates to Debate Tuesday

Come hear the candidates for three state Assembly districts that cover parts of Brookfield and Wauwatosa at a forum in Brookfield sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Patch.

Letter to Editor: Thompson Will Be a Reformer, Uniter

A Waukesha resident urges support of Tommy Thompson for U.S. Senate on Nov. 6th, saying he has a proven record of working across the aisle and eliminating job-killing regulations.

Letter to the Editor: The Nov. 6th election is fast approaching. I am writing in support of Tommy Thompson for U.S. Senate. I remember when Tommy Thompson eliminated job-killing regulations that helped create 740,000 new jobs! Today he can help Scott Walker bring jobs back to Wisconsin! He was the tax cutter extraordinaire saving taxpayers more than $16 million, he knows the danger of the growing national debt and he’s prepared to cut spending and reform entitlements ASAP! If Harry Reid is still Majority Leader after Nov. 6th, moving forward with reforms will be so much more difficult; legislation will be blocked. We not only need to win the Wisconsin Senate seat to help gain the majority, we will need Tommy Thompson in the U.S. Senate …

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