The following is an editorial by Sen. Joan Ballweg.
I began my first term of service in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2005. I was honored to serve my friends and neighbors in the assembly and then in the Wisconsin State Senate in 2020. I am proud of what we have accomplished together for the families and businesses in south central Wisconsin over the past 20 years of my state service.
First and foremost, it has always been my priority provide outstanding constituent services and there are thousands upon thousands of individuals, organizations and businesses that we have assisted since I first took office. One of the services I provided was my annual “Joan Ballweg Leadership Scholarship”. Each year this $500 scholarship was awarded to five graduating seniors from the 41st Assembly District while I was in the assembly and up to 12 graduating seniors from the 14th Senate District while I was in the senate. In total, I awarded scholarships to over 130 graduating seniors.
It was a great honor to be selected by my friends and neighbors to be your voice in Madison. With this honor came great responsibility. I worked to author and support legislation to elevate the industries which are the economic lifeblood of the 14th Senate District – agriculture and tourism. I successfully authored 106 bills that were signed into law. Throughout my time in the legislature, I have been chair or co-chair of 10 standing committees, served as chair or co-chair for six Legislative Council study committees and as a member of the Joint Committee on Finance. I also was elected to caucus leadership in both houses, serving as Majority Caucus Chair in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 2011 and 2013 sessions and as the Majority Caucus Vice-Chair in the Wisconsin State Senate for the 2023 legislative session.
When authoring legislation, I always believed that the best ideas came as requests from residents of the district. For example, I authored 2009 Wisconsin Act 364 which created the one-day fishing license so more visitors can try their luck on Big Green Lake. I also authored 2015 Wisconsin Act 279 which ensures an exemption for underage alcoholic beverage violations for a victim of sexual assault so the victim is not intimidated from seeking care. 2021 Wisconsin Act 201 created support for the agricultural industry to increase exports. This has been an astounding success for our state’s agricultural exports as they have greatly increased over recent years.
Other successes that I am proud of include serving as the Midwest Regional Chair and National Chair for the Council of State Governments. This organization is a bipartisan, three branch, national organization that helps policymakers from across the entire country. I have also served as a member of Wisconsin’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board and as a founding member and Co-Chair of the Legislative Children’s Caucus. In each of these roles I worked with my colleagues to improve child welfare programs that strengthen families in Wisconsin, a policy area that I have always been passionate about.
Finally, thank you for your support over the years. I appreciate the trust and confidence you placed in me to be your voice in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate. I look forward to seeing you in our communities and at local celebrations. It has been my honor to serve you in the Wisconsin State Legislature. On Wisconsin!