NEWS

Contrasting views from Laning and LeMahieu

Charlie Mathews
HTR Media
Left, Democrat Martha Laning, right Republican Devin LeMahieu

For the first time since 2002 Joe Leibham won't be on the ballot Nov. 4 seeking victory in the 9th State Senate District.But with her daughter, Maddie, challenging her to run, Democrat Martha Laning indicated her willingness last October to challenge the three-term Republican officeholder.

"People don't like to fire the incumbent ... I am certainly not upset Joe decided to run for Congress," Laning said in an interview exploring her stances on different issues.

Once Leibham jumped into the GOP Partisan Primary to replace retiring 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, Oostburg Republican Devin LeMahieu filed his nomination papers for the Senate seat.

Leibham, who also served a pair of two-year terms in the state Assembly, will be out of political office in January after finishing second to fellow state Sen. Glenn Grothman. Grothman will oppose Winnebago County Executive and Democrat Mark Harris and Libertarian Gus Fahrendorf.

"I am excited to follow in Joe's footsteps ... believe there's a need to keep Wisconsin going forward with his and Gov. Walker's values," says LeMahieu, who was first elected to the Sheboygan County Board eight years ago.

Like Laning, the owner-publisher of the Lakeshore Weekly had no August primary opponent and he also shared his perspectives on state affairs.

'Bring people together'

Maddie, along with her sister, Kaitlyn, attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where their mother earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and personnel management.

Laning and her husband, Wayne, also have a son, Alec, a senior at Sheboygan North High School. They reside in the town of Sheboygan.

"Maddie told me, 'People like you can bring Republicans and Democrats together and end the divisiveness,'" said the former executive director of the Plymouth Intergenerational Center, which opened in 2011.

She said the creation of the facility, including both a child care and senior center, benefited from more than $4.5 million of community support including from many Republicans Laning says might be surprised to learn she's a Democrat considering her emphasis on fiscal responsibility.

But while LeMahieu isn't afraid to link himself to the policies of Walker's administration and the Republican majority in the Legislature the last four years, Laning is quick to offer criticism.

• It was wrong, she said, to get rid of the state Commerce Department and replace it with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which has been criticized for deficiencies in financial accountability with loans it has made.

• Walker's not taking some $200 million of federal funding from taxpayers nationwide to help pay for medical care for the poor wasn't a wise move, Laning said.

She said as a Wisconsin elected official she might have policy differences with Washington, D.C., but it is "my job to get the most benefit of whatever laws get passed at the federal level."

Laning said the Intergenerational Center benefited from $1 million of federal stimulus funds, supplementing the local fundraising, and is a model for the state bringing seniors and children together.

• Walker has signed legislation effectively reducing manufacturers and agricultural businesses state tax liability to virtually nothing, Laning said.

She said she supports a strong business climate but wonders how that is fair tax policy. "What should I say to small businesses, also offering jobs, not in manufacturing or agriculture?"

• Unlike Walker, Laning supports a hike in the minimum wage for Wisconsin workers 18 and older from $7.25 to $10.10, which President Barack Obama has supported.

"When we help people get more money to exist on, there is less of a need for public assistance and they have more money to spend in their communities," said Laning, 49, who also has a master' s degree in business administration from UW-Madison.

• Laning said companies who pay lower wages and offer no health insurance are passing on the burden for coverage and assistance to the state creating a ripple impact including less money available in the budget for shared revenue and schools.

She says citizens are concerned about roads needing repair and fewer teachers in the classroom.

• Laning does support segregating transportation fund revenue and not letting it be used for general budget purposes. But she questions the wisdom of some road projects including three new J-turns constructed on Wisconsin 23 at a cost of some $1 million that may have not been needed if certain traffic patterns were established, via simple signage, to assure safety.

"I don't claim to have all the answers, (but) I am good at bringing the right people into the room who do and making sure the room isn't one-sided," Laning said.

On right track

LeMahieu says he would bring the same fiscal conservatism to Madison that he has exhibited as a county supervisor.

"During my eight years we have reduced payroll-related expenses by over $13 million, streamlined programs, reduced the tax levy four of the last seven years and avoided burdening county residents with a sales tax increase," LeMahieu said.

He said this has been accomplished while maintaining high quality services and employees.

LeMahieu says Wisconsin is headed in the right direction and he is more than willing to link himself to the gubernatorial incumbent who'll face off against Democrat Mary Burke in six weeks.

• "I think Gov. Walker has done a good job turning around the economy and providing property tax relief," said LeMahieu, who earned his bachelor's degree in political science and business administration from Dordt College in Iowa.

The son of state Rep. Daniel LeMahieu, who is retiring after six two-year terms, said, "Now, 94 percent of the business community thinks the state is moving in the right direction ... four years ago it was less than 10 percent."

• LeMahieu says Wisconsin has "done a fantastic job" at helping the "genuinely needy" get back on their feet. He supports Walker's initiative to have single, able-bodied adults seeking unemployment assistance and food stamps undergo drug testing.

He supports Walker and the Legislature's efforts to increase funding of training programs that will help fill skilled labor job openings.

• LeMahieu says it would be a mistake to raise the minimum wage while Wisconsin still has a "fragile economy ... the estimate is 25,000 jobs would be lost in Wisconsin. It would not be good to put up another impediment to business," said LeMahieu, who has been a member of the Executive and Finance committees, as well as chairman of the Human Resource Committee of the Sheboygan County Board.

• He defends agriculture and manufacturing tax credits "to make sure businesses have a chance to survive" and compete with other states offering incentives.

"The main thing is to keep taxes in check for all businesses ... we need to start leveling the tax field... (with) a fair, simplified code," LeMahieu said. "When we have income tax reductions, they need to be across the board, not just for upper income."

• He does not believe Common Core education standards "developed by bureaucrats" should be adopted. "We can do better in Wisconsin working with local educators, school boards, and, most importantly, parents."

He is concerned Common Care "has been associated with 'Race to the Top' funding ... we need to make sure we are not being tied to federal funding for how we do education here."

• LeMahieu, 41, said on the county board he has worked with supervisors "all along the political spectrum, rural and urban," and vowed he would bring the same strategy to Madison "finding compromise and cost-effective solutions."

Charlie Mathews: (920) 686-2969 or cmathews@htrnews.com

Candidate Debate

Martha Laning and Devin LeMahieu will appear on stage at Manitowoc's Capitol Civic Centre at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 in a debate sponsored by Gannett Wisconsin Media.