Twin Lakes taxpayers are yet another step closer to having an error in the village’s equalized value not effect their next property tax bill. The state Senate has now also passed a bill, originally introduced by state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, to correct the error. From a press release from Kerkman’s office: The Senate concurred in [...]
Posts under ‘Politics’
Kerkman named to post within national state legislatures group
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Randall) has been named vice chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Budgets and Revenue Committee for 2011-2012. NCSL President Stephen Morris, Kansas Senate president, made the appointment. “I feel honored to represent Wisconsin in a leadership role at NCSL,” said Kerkman. “NCSL is an important group of state legislatures [...]
22nd Senate District recall election coverage; Wirch wins
Polls are closed in the 22nd Senate District and some early results are in at 8:20 p.m. A recall effort was started against incumbent state Sen. Bob Wirch after he and 13 other Senate Democrats left Madison for Illinois — where they stayed for about three weeks — to avoid a quorum for a vote on Gov. [...]
Wirch-Steitz forum coverage
State Sen. Bob Wirch and his challenger in the Aug. 16 recall election Jonathon Steitz traded views in a forum at the Kenosha Country Club this morning. The forum was hosted by the Kenosha Area Business Alliance and the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce. The recall election was spurred by Wirch’s participation in the flight [...]
Republican primary recall 22nd Senate District election results: Steitz wins
Polls closed at 8 p.m. in the 22nd State Senate District recall election. At 8:33 p.m., Jonathon Steitz has an early and sizable lead over Fred Ekornaas in the Kenosha County portion of the district — 1118 to 627. Part of the district also is in Racine County. The winner will go on to face [...]
Board gets extension to continue review of Wirch recall
State officials will get a week more to review the recall petitions of three Democratic state senators — including Kenosha County’s Bob Wirch. A Dane County judge granted the extension Friday, various media outlets are reporting. The Government Accountability Board will now have until June 10 to certify or deny the recall election for Wirch. [...]
Paul Ryan says no to Senate run
Western Kenosha County’s congressman Paul Ryan has ended speculation that he might run for US Senate. He won’t run. Current US Sen. Herb Kohl announced this week that he will not seek re-election.
Ekornaas says he will challenge Wirch if recall moves to election
County Board Supervisor and Bristol Municipal Judge Fred Ekornaas has announced he will challenge state Sen. Bob Wirch if a recall election is scheduled, WGTD radio 91.1 FM is reporting today. Organizers of a recall of Wirch have submitted signatures to the state Government Accountability Board. The signatures are under review and a recall election has not been set yet. Wirch became a target of a recall [...]
Ryan to host listening sessions Tuesday in Twin Lakes and Paddock Lake
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan has scheduled listening sessions in Twin Lakes and Paddock Lake on Tuesday. Ryan schedule is: Twin Lakes: 11 a.m to noon, Twin Lakes Village Hall, 108 East Main St. Paddock Lake: : 1:30 to 2:30 p.m, Paddock Lake Village Hall, 6969 236th Ave. Later, Ryan is scheduled to appear in Kenosha.
Enough signatures for a Wirch recall collected, says group
Sen. Bob Wirch The campaign collecting signatures for a recall of state Sen. Bob Wirch says it has enough signatures to force that election, but will continue to collect more signatures, JSOnline is reporting. Wirch’s 22nd Senate District includes all of Kenosha County, except Wheatland. Wirch became a target of a recall after he and [...]
Wirch back in state
State Sen. Bob Wirch, gone from the state for about three weeks regarding a showdown over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, is back in the state. Wirch and the other 13 Democratic state senators who left to deny a quorum for a vote on the bill were the guests of honor at a rally on the [...]
Sen. Wirch reacts on national TV to state Senate vote
With state Senate Republicans passing a bill curbing collective bargaining rights for public employees in a surprise move tonight, Kenosha County’s state senator was prominent on national airwaves criticizing the move. State Sen. Robert Wirch, one of the 14 Democratic senators in Illinois for almost three weeks to avoid a quorum for a vote on the bill, spoke briefly [...]
Kerkman co-sponsor of bill that could send KRM to end of the line
Photo by Eiji Miura via stock.xchng A Senate bill introduced last week to kill the Southeastern Regional Transit Authoritywould also likely take the KRM commuter rail line from Kenosha to Milwaukee with it, the Journal Times is reporting. State Rep. Samantha Kerkman, who district includes most of Western Kenosha County, is a co-sponsor of the Assembly version of [...]
Recall Wirch holds rally; Wirch supporters demonstrate outside
The organizers of the recall state Sen. Robert Wirch campaign held a rally at The Brat Stop Saturday. John Capra, a Salem resident who attended the rally, said about 650 people attended. Meanwhile, at the entrance to the business, supporters of Wirch marched with signs expressing their support for Wirch. The recall campaign began in earnest Thursday. The group estimates they need to gather some 18,000 signatures in the [...]
Effort to force Wirch recall election begins
An effort to gather enough signatures of 22nd Senate District residents to force a recall election for state Sen. Robert Wirch has begun. Dan Hunt, the chairman of recall exploratory committee, announced Thursday afternoon in Wirch’s hometown of Pleasant Prairie that the group has 60 days to gather approximately 18,000 signatures of district residents 18 or older, who may [...]
Sen. Wirch sighting?
The location of all 14 Democratic state senators continues to be “undisclosed” Friday morning. But if anyone was concerned that the Kenosha County’s senator, Bob Wirch, might be holing up somewhere along, relax. I’m pretty sure that’s the Pleasant Prairie Democrat toward the back there in this screenshot (below) of an interview aired last night on MSNBC’s The [...]
Kerkman among legislators targeted by unions over guv’s budget repair proposal
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman was among the legislators statewide Sunday who found opponents of Gov. Scott Walker’s state budget repair proposal rallying outside their homes. wisn.com reported that teachers from the Kenosha Unified School District gathered outside Kerkman’s Randall home to voice their opposition to the bill Kerkman, a Republican, might be expected to support the initiative of newly elected [...]
Ryan chosen to give rebuttal to State of the Union
As perhaps additional evidence of his rising star on the national scene, U.S. Rep Paul Ryan has been chosen to deliver the Republican rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday. Ryan’s district includes all of Kenosha County. In a press release issued today, Speaker of the House John Boehner said: Paul Ryan is uniquely qualified [...]
Priebus closing in on RNC chairman
Somers resident Reince Priebus is closing in on being named chairman of the Republican National Committee, NPR is reporting. The current chairman, the sometimes controversial Michael Steele, dropped out of the contest earlier today. Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin GOP, ran unsuccessfully for state senate in the 22nd District, which includes most of Kenosha County. A lawyer, he is the Twin Lakes [...]
Rep. Kerkman appointed to gov.’s panel on waste, fraud and abuse
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Randall) has been appointed by Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald to Gov. Scott Walker’s Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse. From a press release issued today by Kerkman’s office: Created by Gov. Walker, the commission will be tasked with identifying specific areas of wasteful government spending and develop solutions to deter further waste of taxpayer [...]
Rep. Ryan issues statement regarding shooting of congresswoman
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, who represents Wisconsin’d First District in Congress, which includes Kenosha County, has issued he following statement on his Facebook page regarding the shooting of Arizona Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others today in Tucson: I am deeply saddened by today’s tragic shooting of my colleague Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff and [...]
Committee chairmanships for Kerkman announced
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman has been named chairman of one Assembly committee and co-chairman of another. Speaker-elect Jeff Fitzgerald announced Thursday that Kerkman will be the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and co-chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Said Fitzgerald: “Since she first took office in 2001, Rep. Kerkman has served on [...]
Paul Ryan rates high in Google zeitgeist review
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, who represents Western Kenosha County in Congress, certainly is mentioned a lot more these days on cable news programs. But an interesting insight into just how much his star is rising is provided by Google’s zeitgeist report. The report is a review of popular search topics from the search engine giant. [...]
Priebus announces run for Republican National Committee chairman
Reince Priebus, Wisconsin’s Republican Party chairman, a Kenosha County resident and Twin Lakes village attorney, has announced his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. The current RNC chairman is Michael Steele Priebus announced his candidacy in a statement issued today. Here’s the video version: Priebus ran against Democratic state Sen. Robert Wirch in 2004, but lost.
Sen. Wirch calls for renting out of governor’s mansion
Looking for some new digs in the Madision area? State Sen. Bob Wirch is recommending in a press release issued today the state sell or lease the Governor’s Mansion in order to save tax dollars and to reduce the structural deficit. “The Governor’s Mansion is a significant expense for Wisconsin taxpayers,” said Wirch, a Democrat [...]
Central HS to host candidate forum focused on education
The Central High School Board is hosting a candidate’s forum Thursday, Sept. 30, starting at 7 p.m. at the school. The forum will focus on education issues. Candidates for state offices that include Central High School in their districts have been invited, including Republican state Rep. Samantha Kerkman and her Democratic opponent Steve Brown of the 66th Assembly District. The forum [...]
August surpasses Gibbs after 32nd Assembly GOP primary recount
After recounts in two counties, the winner in the 32nd Assmbly Republican primary is now Tyler August. On election night, it looked like August’s opponent Adam Gibbs had squeaked out a win. Gibbs could still appeal the findings. The eventual winner will vie against Democrat Doug Harrod for the seat now held by retiring Republican Rep. Tom Lothian. [...]
Lake Benedict’s Dan Rostenkowski, former Illinois congressman, dies
The New York Times and other media outlets are reporting that former U.S Rep. Dan Rostenkowski died at his Lake Benedict summer home today. He was 82. Rostenkowski had been “treated for prostate cancer in the 1990s,” the Times article said. Rostenkowski also lived in Chicago and represented an Illinois Congressional district, but had a summer [...]
State Rep. Kerkman commends Trevor-Wilmot retirees
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman attended the retirement open house recently held in honor of Jan Sielski and Dale Kolmos, who are both retiring from the Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District after 36 years of service each. To commemorate their service to the school district, Kerkman presented Sielski and Kolmos each with a citation on behalf [...]
Kerkman announces re-election bid
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Randall) has announced she is seeking re-election to the State Assembly. Kerkman, 36, is running for her sixth term representing the 66th Assembly District. The district includes most of Western Kenosha County, the city and town of Burlington in Racine County and parts of Somers. “This past session I fought for the [...]
