Meet the close -ups of the legislature »Urban Milwaukee

Senator Howard Marklein and representative Mark Born. Photo of the state of the Wisconsin.

For three months every two years, the 16 members of the joint finance committee of the Legislative Assembly are the princes and tax princesses of the Capitol.

Business leaders, non -profit groups and state -of -scale commercial organizations line up to meet them, asking for specific favors in the budget next two years.

In March and April, the finance committee obtained a summary not in favor of what spends the Democratic government. Tony Ears recommended. Last week, the Republicans who control the committee voted to dump more than 600 budget elements from Evers. In May and June, the Committee established its own spending plan, sending it to the complete legislature to, hope, respect the start of the new budget cycle on July 1.

Each element of expenditure that a member of the committee can insert into the budget, even a change of two words in the current law of the State, could signify millions of dollars in favors to a special interest group, to the detriment of the enemies of this group.

This is why party leaders sometimes affect the members of the “Buddies Buddies” finance committee – legislators who are not on the committee that can ask their “friend” committee to push the budgetary changes they wish.

Of course, the complete Senate and the Assembly can modify what the Finance Committee recommends, but 95% of the least controversial recommendations of the Committee generally become the law.

All this explains why it is not easy to do the finance committee; Legislative leaders have put their most loyal members there.

Who are 12 Republicans and four Democrats, including 12 men and four women, who sit on the finance committee? Five of the 16 are new members.

Sen. Cochairs Committee. Howard Markleinof Spring Green, and representative. Mark BornFrom Beaver Dam, will lead the panel again.

Marklein, 70, has sat in the Legislative Assembly since 2011 and the Senate since 2014. His official biography says that the accountant is an “retirement fraud investigator”.

Born, 49, has been used in the Assembly since 2013. His biography says that, before becoming a full -time legislator, he worked as “supervisor of correctional services” for the Dodge County Sheriff department.

The vice-presidents of the finance committee are the senator Patrick Testinof Stevens Point, and representative. Tony Kurtzof Wonewoc.

Testin, 36, was re-elected for a third term last year after losing a primary on a state scale for Lieutenant-Governor in 2022. His official biography says that he worked in the sales of a “Wisconsin-based wine distributor”.

Kurtz, 58, member of the Assembly since 2019, has an intriguing biography: “Organic Grain Farmer. The former 192005 American army attack helicopter pilot retired from active activity … veteran of the Persian Gulf War; War veteran in Iraq. “

The Republican Senator Eric Wimberger46 years old, from Oconto, is a lawyer and another veteran of the finance committee. He won a second term last year.

Three Republicans of the Assembly return to the Finance Committee: rep. Shannon Zimmerman53 years old, from River Falls, is a owner of a small business that has been used in the Assembly since 2017. Rep. Jessie Rodriguez47 years old, Oak Creek, has been a member of the Assembly since she won a special election in 2013 and has already led a non -profit organization. representative Alex Dallman32 of Markesan, has been used in the Assembly since 2021 and his biography says that he is a former assistant to the congress and “official approved basketball”.

Two members of the Assembly are new members of the Committee: Republican Karen HURD67 years old, from Thorp, which has a nutritional company, and democrat Deb Andraca55 years old, from Whitefish Bay, former teacher and lobbyist.

Three republican senators are new in the budget panel:

Senator Rob Stafsholt49 years old, from New Richmond, owner of a small business, won a second term of the Senate last November.

Senator Julian Bradley44 years old, from New Berlin, won a second term last November and is the first black Republican to serve in the Wisconsin Senate. His biography says he was a “former real estate agent and operations director for Northwestern Mutual and CenturyLink (and) Professional wrestler. »»

Senator Roman Quinn34 years old, from Birchwood, served the assembly before his elections in the Senate in 2022. Former mayor of Rice Lake, his biography says that he worked as “former coca-cola seller”.

The Democrats of the Senate within the Committee are senators. Latonya Johnson52 years old, from Milwaukee, a former daycare supplier and senator since 2017 and Kelda Roys45 years old, from Madison, a former member of the Assembly who won a second term of the Senate last year. She is a lawyer and owner of a small business.

The fourth Democrat of the Panel is the representative. Tip37 years old, from Kenosha, lawyer and former assistant prosecutor of the county of Milwaukee.

This is the season when there are two types of legislators: those “in finance” or what has sometimes been described as the “Chamber of Lords” of the Legislative Assembly and more than 100 other legislators who are not.

Steven Walters started to cover the Capitol in 1988. Contact it to stevenscotwalters@gmail.com