Wisconsin’s newest 9th District State Senator says her win is bittersweet.
Amy Binsfeld won the seat in the November 3rd General Election, taking about 56% of the vote.
However, for the first time in 16 years, Republicans will be the minority in both the Senate and Assembly.
Binsfeld tells Seehafernews.com that while it will be a challenge, she looks forward to it.
“The people have spoken, and they would like some changes, and I think it’s important that we work together to give them what they are asking for,” she explained. “So, overall, I’m optimistic that even though we will be under a Democrat trifecta, that I can find ways to connect with some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and we will be able to get some things done that can make all the people happy in the end.”
She will also work with Republican incumbents from eastern Wisconsin who won reelection, including Paul Tittl, Shae Sortwell, Ron Tusler, and Lindee Brill.
Republicans picked State Senator Julian Bradley of New Berlin to serve as Senate Minority Leader for this session.
Binsfeld says that while she’s never worked directly on a bill with Bradley, she has a very good feeling about him.
“He has a great outlook on things, he’s very optimistic, which I think is something that we need right now,” she noted. “So, I look forward to his leadership and maybe it’s maybe a path that many didn’t see coming, but I truly believe he can lead us through these next two years.”
One issue the Sheboygan Republican would like to work on is education, with funding being a “monster” that she thinks will be discussed a lot in session.
She feels the Wisconsin State Legislature has band-aided the issue for years when it really needs to address it.
“I think we need to take a very big approach and very big swing to say can we finally bring this into some new reality of how things are working,” she remarked. “So, I don’t know how that’s going to be received, but it is a big goal that I have.”
Fully funding schools is something Governor-Elect David Crowley says he’d want to work on while running for office.
We also asked Binsfeld about the possibility of changing or overturning Wisconsin Act 10, which helped stop unions in Wisconsin.
She said she hopes it’s not completely overturned, saying it would be devastating for taxpayers.
If anything should change for education, it should be teacher pay.
“Unfortunately, often times I feel like when there’s more money is put into their (school’s) budget, it doesn’t make it to the actual teaching staff, our front line,” she noted. “I’m hoping that they although they have the trifecta, they might tread a little bit lighter and realize that it could have a very adverse effect on the entire district if they just completely overturn it without the thought process of what it might do on the taxpayer budget in the end.”
Binsfeld also said she would support giving the state surplus back to taxpayers, getting no tax on tips and overtime passed, and directing special education funding to schools in need.
She also wanted to clarify her stance on data centers, saying she would not support a bill that would help bring materials tax-free for them, as she did in the state assembly.
In the end, data center development should be left to local cities, not the state.
Binsfeld previously represented Wisconsin’s 26th Assembly District, which, when redrawn, only encompasses the City of Sheboygan.
She would lose to Democrat Joe Sheehan in 2024.
This is her first time serving as a state senator, after Devin LeMahieu announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection.
