ISSUES

Taxes

Wisconsin’s high tax rate is driving away seniors, workers, job creators, and college graduates. This burden makes it more difficult for families to make ends meet. Rich pledged when he first ran for the Assembly that he would never vote for a tax increase. While other legislators voted for billions in new taxes in the past four years, Rich kept his word. He has made the same written pledge again this year, and will be a constant advocate for allowing Wisconsinites to keep more of the money they earn.  

Jobs and Economy

Taxes and economic development go hand-in-hand. High taxes discourage innovation, entrepreneurship, hard work, and job creation. By reducing taxes we can grow the economy and encourage private sector job creation.  Unfortunately the opposite has happened in recent years.  In 2009 alone, Governor Doyle increased taxes by $5 billion, while Wisconsin witnessed 163,000 jobs flee our state.

As a vocal critic of the Doyle Administration policies that have devastated our state’s economy, Rich was asked by his Assembly colleagues to serve as Co-Chair of the Jobs Now Task Force and as Ranking Republican on the Committee on Jobs, the Economy, and Small Business. In these roles, Rich met with job creators around the state and spearheaded efforts to create a true agenda for economic growth in our state. He authored legislation to repeal the disastrous Combined Reporting tax, which contributed to job losses at local businesses like Harley Davidson and Briggs and Stratton. He has also brought forward tort reforms to weed out frivolous and costly lawsuits, and regulatory reforms to drive down the cost of doing business in our state. 

Rich appeared on UPFRONT with Mike Gousha to discuss his plans to reduce taxes and help businesses grow.  To watch the video, please click here (you will be taken to the WISN website).

Government Spending

Even in the midst of a severe recession, the growth of government spending in Wisconsin has continued unabated. With this runaway spending, it comes as no surprise that this year there were more government jobs in our state than manufacturing jobs for the first time on record. This is simply unsustainable. Rich supports a freeze on state spending, and in the Assembly he has authored legislation to end secret budget earmarks and to put every penny of state government spending online for taxpayers, the media, and government watchdog groups to see.  As transparency of government spending increases, elected officials won’t be able to hide their wasteful spending and pork projects from the public anymore.

Health Care

Access to affordable health care and health care insurance is vital for the citizens of Wisconsin.  Everyone who wants to purchase health care insurance should have the option to do so, but it should not be mandated by the government.

Unfortunately, the debate in Washington and Madison has not been about reducing the cost of health care, which would in turn reduce the cost of insurance and make it affordable and accessible for more families and employers.  Instead, Governor Doyle and President Obama have led us down a path of unsustainable entitlements without measures to reduce costs.  Rather than government mandates, Rich believes we need to focus our efforts on reducing the cost of health care.  This can be done by enacting tax relief for health savings accounts, implementing cost-reducing tort reforms, allowing citizens to purchase insurance across state lines, increasing price transparency, and generally working to increase competition among providers.  Just like any other product, competition will inevitably drive down costs and increase quality.

Education

Education is vital to the success of our younger generations. Rich has authored proposals to provide tax relief for employers who invest in the education of their workers, and his student tuition tax deduction amendment, which was signed into law, is helping families meet the high cost of a college education.  

In the area of primary education, Rich supports giving greater control to parents and teachers, and having less mandates from Washington and Madison.  We are fortunate in Waukesha and Washington Counties to have some of the best public schools available.  Rich will work to provide a K-12 education system that continues to provide the best education possible, while keeping a close eye on taxpayer dollars.  Having attended both public and parochial schools growing up, Rich also understands that families need choices in education.  Milwaukee’s school choice program is one way to give parents and children options they need. Virtual schools are another such option. Homeschooling is another.  In the end, it’s important that all education reforms empower parents, teachers, and local school boards to chart the right course for our children.  Decisions should be left to parents and school boards, not mandated from Madison.

Public Safety

Criminals and predators continue to take advantage of new technology. We need to make sure state laws keep up with the bad guys. In the Assembly, Rich authored legislation to fight crime, including Cindy’s Law, a proposal which would allow for GPS monitoring of dangerous domestic abusers. Rich also strongly opposed Governor Doyle’s plan that allowed early release of criminals back onto our streets, and has worked to reverse that misguided idea.

Right to Life

Rich is proud to have a 100% pro-life voting record in the Assembly and has been endorsed by Wisconsin Right to Life and Pro-Life Wisconsin in each of his previous elections. He helped lead the fight against late-term abortions at UW medical facilities and is a consistent advocate for the rights of the unborn.  

Second Amendment

As a hunter since childhood, Rich understands Wisconsin’s sporting heritage and respects the rights guaranteed by our Second Amendment. He has co-sponsored legislation to implement the Castle Doctrine, a proposal which would allow individuals to defend themselves in their own home, and supports efforts to bring concealed carry to our state. Wisconsin is currently one of only two states that do not allow law-abiding citizens this right.