Chris Larson | |
---|---|
![]() Larson in 2011 | |
Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate | |
In office January 3, 2013 –January 5, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Scott L. Fitzgerald |
Succeeded by | Jennifer Shilling |
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 7th district | |
Assumed office January 3,2011 | |
Preceded by | Jeffrey Plale |
Milwaukee County Supervisor | |
In office 2009–2011 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Milwaukee,Wisconsin,U.S. | November 12,1980
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Jessica Brumm |
Education | University of Wisconsin,Milwaukee (BA) |
Christopher J. Larson (born November 12,1980) is an American Democratic politician and a member of the Wisconsin Senate,representing southeast Milwaukee County since 2011. He was Senate minority leader from 2013 through 2014, [1] [2] and currently serves as Senate Democratic caucus chair.
Larson was born and raised in Milwaukee County,Wisconsin. He graduated from Thomas More High School in 1999 and earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a minor in political science. Before entering politics,Larson was a business manager. [3]
In April 2008,Larson was elected Milwaukee County Supervisor on a platform of improving public transportation,parks and education. [4]
As supervisor,he supported economic development efforts near the Milwaukee airport,participated in a coalition to save the Hoan Bridge from destruction and authored legislation to enhance public parks. [5] [6] [7]
On September 14,2010,Larson defeated incumbent Senator Jeffrey Plale in the Wisconsin state senate primary election and defeated Republican Jesse Ripp in the general election on November 2,2010,becoming the youngest member of the senate. [8] [9] [10] In 2013,Larson was elected Senate Minority Leader. [11]
Larson represents the cities of Cudahy,South Milwaukee,St. Francis,Franklin,Oak Creek and Milwaukee. [12]
Following Democrats poor showing in 2014 elections,Larson resigned as Senate Minority Leader on November 11,2014. [13]
PolitiFact Wisconsin,a nonpartisan fact-checking group,has fact-checked 5 public statements from Chris Larson since August 2020,with each of the 5 being rated as "True" or "Mostly True." [14]
Larson was elected to the Wisconsin Senate for a fourth term in November 2022. [15]
In November 2019,Larson announced he would run for Milwaukee County Executive after incumbent Chris Abele announced he would not seek re-election. [1] Larson came in first in the non-partisan primary and was defeated in the April 13 general election. [16] [17]
For the 2021-2022 legislative session,Senator Larson's priorities include COVID-19,public education,cannabis legalization,fair legislative maps,voting rights,environmental protection,healthcare expansion,and criminal justice reform.
In the 2011-2012 legislative session,funding for local public schools was cut by $1.6 billion, [18] and during the 2013-2014 session 50% of Wisconsin school districts received less state money than they did under the previous session. [19] Larson supported initiatives to fully restore funding for local public schools. [20] [21]
In February 2013,Democrats introduced a package of six jobs bills,which included funding for technical colleges and required state agencies,as well as state and local governments,to buy from Wisconsin businesses. [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]
Larson fought to accept federal health care money through the Affordable Care Act to strengthen Wisconsin's BadgerCare program [29] [30] since,according to Wisconsin's nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau,strengthening BadgerCare would expand health care coverage to 85,000 more Wisconsinites,save the state $119 million over the biennium,and create over 10,000 Wisconsin jobs. [31] [32]
Larson and his Democratic colleagues all signed on to a proposed constitutional amendment (2013 SJR 74) to reverse Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage. [33] Larson co-sponsored legislation to reinstate laws to prevent workplace discrimination against women,which had been removed from Wisconsin statutes during the 2011-12 legislative session. [34]
Larson introduced legislative proposals during the 2013-2014 Legislative Session to reform Wisconsin's jobs agency,the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation,which has seen numerous scandals since it was created in 2011,including losing track of $56 million in loans,misuse of taxpayer funds,exaggerated jobs claims,and lack of basic oversight,according to a national report by Good Jobs First. [35] [36] [37] [38] [39]
During the 2015-16 legislative session,Larson introduced numerous proposals aimed at improving public schools. For instance,Larson co-authored a proposal to implement and invest in the community schools model,which provides wraparound services for students,such as providing access to health care and a healthy diet. He introduced legislation to give schools support to provide services for students with disabilities. [40]
In early 2016,Larson and a group of environmental advocates and organizations led a fight against a bill that would have made it easier for Wisconsin water utility systems to be taken over by non-Wisconsin,for-profit companies and corporations. [41] After intense public outrage,the bill was not scheduled for a vote in the Senate and failed to become law. The lead poisoning of families in Flint Michigan galvanized opposition to water privatization in Wisconsin. [42]
For 2020,some of Larson's main legislative issues include public education in Milwaukee,addressing climate change issues,tackling lawmaker corruption, [43] improving access to senior care,and improving infrastructure in areas such as childcare [44] and public transportation. [45] In 2019,Larson has also called for increased regulation of trampoline parks and other amusement parks,which have seen an increase in the number of children injured. [46]
During the protests in Wisconsin,Larson,along with the 13 other Democratic state senators,left the state to deny the state senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation. All 14 state senators returned on March 12. [47]
Senator Larson's committee assignments for the 2021-2022 session are as follows: [48]
During the 2011-2012 legislative session,Larson served as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Review of Administrative Rules,and as a member of the Joint Committees on Finance,Audit,and Information Policy and Technology;on the Senate Committees on Education;Education and Corrections;Natural Resources and Environment;Housing and Insurance;and Environment,Natural Resources and Tourism. He also served on the Governor's Commission on Waste,Fraud,and Abuse;and the Special Task Force on University of Wisconsin Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities. [49]
During the 2013-2014 legislative session,Larson served on the Committee on Senate Organization,the Joint Legislative Council,and the Joint Committees on Employment Relations,and on Legislative Organization. [50]
Larson was briefly a candidate for United States Senate in 2021. He announced his candidacy on May 26,2021, [51] but withdrew from the Democratic primary on August 3,2021,endorsing fellow Milwaukeean Mandela Barnes. [52]
Larson lives in Bay View with his wife,Jessica,and their two children. [53] [54]
Larson is a member of the League of Conservation Voters,Sierra Club,Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin,Bay View Historical Society,Bay View Lions Club,and Arbor Day Foundation. [55]
When Larson was a 19-year-old freshman at UWM,he was arrested for shoplifting from a supermarket and received a $331 municipal citation,which was later dropped after Larson took a court-ordered class. [56]
Four years later,he was illegally parked in a tow-away zone on Milwaukee's east side. When a tow truck arrived and the driver attached Larson's car to it. Larson sprinted out of a nearby house,"yelling and screaming" wildly at the driver. When that driver refused to release his car,Larson climbed inside and then "rode along all the way to the tow yard" while beeping "the car horn continuously." Once they arrived,he refused to get out of his car until lot employees called police. He was cited for disorderly conduct,but that ticket was eventually dropped. [57] [58]
Robert W. Wirch is an American Democratic politician from Kenosha County,Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate,representing Wisconsin's 22nd Senate district since 1997. He previously served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly,from 1993 to 1997,and served on the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors before that.
Scott Kevin Walker is an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party,he previously served as Milwaukee County executive from 2002 to 2010.
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house,Wisconsin State Senate,and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly,both of which have had Republican majorities since January 2011. With both houses combined,the legislature has 132 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. The Legislature convenes at the state capitol in Madison.
Peter William Barca is an American Democratic politician and the current Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in the administration of Governor Tony Evers. Barca is a lifelong resident of the Kenosha area.
Alberta Darling is an American educator,politician and former member of the Wisconsin State Senate. She represented Wisconsin's 8th State Senate district from 1993 through 2022 as a Republican. Her constituency included many of the municipalities directly north and northwest of Milwaukee and part of the city of Milwaukee. She also served three years in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Before entering public office,she was a teacher and marketing director.
Glenn S. Grothman is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party,he was first elected to his seat in 2014.
Scott Lawrence Fitzgerald is an American politician and former newspaper publisher. A Republican,he represents Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs,such as Waukesha,West Bend,Brookfield,and Mequon. He represented the 13th district in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1995 to 2021.
Jeffrey T. Plale was an American politician and stockbroker. Plale served as the Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner. Earlier in his career he represented South Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Senate (2003–2011) and Wisconsin State Assembly (1996–2003).
Frank James Sensenbrenner Jr. is an American politician who represented Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Penny Bernard Schaber is an American politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing the 57th Assembly District from 2009 to 2015.
Leah Vukmir is an American politician and nurse who served as a member of the Wisconsin Senate. A Republican,she represented Wisconsin's 5th District. She previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly. Vukmir was the Republican nominee in the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin,running unsuccessfully against incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin. In March 2019,Vukmir became vice president of state affairs at the National Taxpayers Union.
The Ninety-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 5,2009,through January 3,2011,in regular session,though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 26,2010. The legislature also held two special sessions and four extraordinary sessions during this legislative term.
The 7th Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin State Senate. Located in southeast Wisconsin,the district comprises eastern and southeastern Milwaukee County,including downtown,south side,and lakeshore areas of the city of Milwaukee,as well as the cities of Cudahy,Oak Creek,South Milwaukee,and St. Francis,and part of the city of Franklin. The district also contains the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee campus,the Milwaukee Art Museum,the Port of Milwaukee,Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport,and the Henry Maier Festival Park,site of Milwaukee's annual Summerfest.
Sherburn Duane "Duey" Stroebel Jr. is an American realtor and Republican politician from Ozaukee County,Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate,representing the 20th Senate district since 2015. He previously served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly,from 2011 to 2015.
Daniel G. Riemer is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Milwaukee,Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing Wisconsin's 7th Assembly district since 2013.
David C. Crowley is an American politician and the 7th County Executive of Milwaukee County,Wisconsin. He is the first African American to serve as the county's top official,and,at age 33,also the youngest. He previously represented Milwaukee as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly,serving from January 2017 until June 2020.
The One Hundred Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 4,2021, to January 3,2023, in regular session. The Legislature also held two extraordinary sessions and six special sessions during the term.
The Forty-Third Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13,1897, to April 21,1897, in regular session. They also convened in a special session from August 17 through August 20, 1897.
The Forty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14,1903, to May 23,1903, in regular session. During this legislative term but after the end of the legislative session,in February 1904,the Wisconsin State Capitol suffered a severe fire that destroyed two wings and damaged the rotunda.
The One Hundred Sixth Wisconsin Legislature is the current ongoing legislative term in Wisconsin. It was convened on January 3,2023,in regular session,and is scheduled to conclude on January 6,2025, with a scheduled adjournment for legislative activity on May 15,2024. There has been one special session during this term.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)