« Workforce Development Report Released | Home | 2012 Revenue Collections Exceed Projections »
Nygren Early Favorite for JFC Co-chair
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | August 30, 2012
From WisPolitics . . .
If Republicans hold on to control of the state Assembly in this fall’s elections, Rep. Robin Vos is expected to become speaker next session. And the early favorite to replace Vos as Joint Finance co-chair is fellow committee member John Nygren of Marinette, GOP budget watchers say.
But others caution the plum committee assignment will also likely be a reward for a member who puts in the time and effort this fall to help fellow Assembly Republicans with their campaigns, and they say JFC members Pat Strachota of West Bend and Dan LeMahieu of Cascade are expected to be in the mix as well.
“Robin’s smart. Why give anyone an indication who it will be before the campaigns are over?” one Republican said, adding Vos has sent the message to members that the work they put in to help the caucus this fall will be remembered next session in handing out assignments.
Republicans are heavily favored to retain the Assembly after this fall’s elections with a current majority of 59-39 with one vacancy and a map that tilts in their favor.
In addition to Vos likely leaving for the speaker’s office, Dan Meyer, R-Eagle River, is retiring, probably creating at least two vacancies on JFC. One GOP source also indicated Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, has sent signals he would like to chair a committee next session rather than returning to JFC. If he leaves, that would mean at least half of the six-member Assembly GOP JFC team would turn over next year.
With those three out, Nygren, Strachota and LeMahieu would be the most logical candidates to take over as chair. But LeMahieu’s hopes, some say, have been damaged by his son’s challenge of freshman GOP Rep. Mike Endsley, who easily won his primary earlier this month. The race forced Assembly Republicans to spend significant resources on a seat they never should have had to defend, and there remain some raw feelings in the caucus over it, some say. Rewarding LeMahieu with the JFC co-chair appointment after that likely wouldn’t go over well with the caucus.
Still, LeMahieu and Strachota were asked by Vos to co-chair what Assembly Republicans have dubbed “Leggiepalooza,” the effort to get members to travel to other districts to do doors and help their colleagues get re-elected. Strachota and Nygren have also each had fundraisers in recent weeks to help the Assembly GOP cause, another sign of the effort lawmakers are putting in with the JFC co-chair appointment on the line.
The appointment would be a redemption of sorts for Nygren. He was the party’s pick to challenge Dem Sen. Dave Hansen of Green Bay in last summer’s recall elections but failed to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Several GOP sources say there’s no one overriding reason pointing to Nygren as the favorite for the co-chair spot. Instead, some say there is a perception that Nygren is an “outstater” who would satisfy southeastern Wisconsin Republicans, the more conservative wing of the caucus, as well as members living in northern and western Wisconsin. Some also perceive him to be closer with Vos than Strachota. Meanwhile, Strachota has chaired a committee during her four terms in the Assembly, while Nygren has not in his three terms.
“He just seems to make the most sense to the most people,” one Republican said.
The co-chair, whoever it is, will be working with a GOP team light on committee experience. Nygren, LeMahieu and Strachota are all in their first terms on JFC. Vos, with three terms, and Meyer, with four terms, are the only members of the Assembly GOP team with prior sessions on the committee — and they’re both on the way out.
“Our bench is not very deep right now,” one Republican said, referring to the limited JFC experience in the rest of the caucus.
Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Jeff Stone of Greenfield and Steve Kestell of Elkhart Lake are the only members to have served on JFC besides Scott Suder of Abbottsford, who would be in line to come back as majority leader next session.
Some of them may be interested in going back to the committee, but it’s rare to leave and come back, some point out. It’s also expected numerous members will vie for a spot on the committee once the openings become clear.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
Comments are closed.