We haven't seen an open Congressional seat here since 1969, when Rep. Mel Laird of Marshfield resigned to become Secretary of Defense. In that election, Republican state Sen. Walter John Chilsen faced off against Democratic state Rep. Dave Obey.
We all know how that election turned out. But while Obey's decision not to run again will guarantee that we'll have a new representative in central Wisconsin, what is not guaranteed is whether our new representation will be worthy of us.
That's why I'm so thrilled about state Sen. Julie Lassa of Stevens Point jumping into the race. She's already been a strong advocate for the middle class in central Wisconsin through her work in the state Legislature, and I know she'll take that advocacy to Washington.
Lassa grew up on a dairy farm in Portage County (right on the Marathon County border). With her husband, John, she is the mother of two children, and they live in Stevens Point. When she was growing up, her father worked in a factory during winters to support their family, but she remembers what it was like when he was laid off from that job. That is one reason that the economy and jobs have always been such a priority for her.
Before being elected to the Legislature, Lassa graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and later served as the executive director of the Plover Area Business Association, where she worked with small businesses on a day-to-day basis.
Because of her interest in supporting local businesses, she is a member of the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, the Portage County Business Council and the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
It is with this background and focus that Lassa recently authored the CORE Jobs Act. This bill, signed into law a few months ago, provides incentives to provide entrepreneurship opportunities, job training and keep good jobs here in Wisconsin. In addition, she worked in a bipartisan manner to pool state resources so that 600 jobs could be brought to central Wisconsin She has also focused on making government more accountable and efficient. Lassa volunteered to give 3 percent of her salary back during these tough times, and she created the Wisconsin Fraud, Waste, and Mismanagement Hotline so that we citizens can report wasteful spending.
In addition, she authored the Truth in State Contracting Act to make contracts more efficient and save money for all of us.
As a parent who comes from a strong family, Lassa has prioritized protecting our kids. She helped ban BPA, a toxic chemical, from our kids' baby bottles and sippy cups.
And finally, we all know how important agriculture is to our area's economy. Having grown up on a family farm, this issue is close to Lassa's core. She worked hard to get the "Farm to School" and "Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin" programs started to support our local farms.
As I said above, we need to make especially sure that the representation we choose this year is worthy of us -- for our families and our local economy. I hope you'll agree that Julie Lassa will make us proud, and I encourage you to find out more about her at www.julielassa.com if you have more questions.
Mike Moran is the chairman of the Marathon County Democratic Party.
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