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Robert Jauch
Robert "Bob" Jauch (b. November 22, 1945) is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing District 25 from 1986 to 2015. From 1993 to 1995, he served as the Senate Minority Leader.
Jauch served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1983 to 1987.
On October 9, 2013, Jauch announced that he would not run for re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2014. Citing his inability to muster the energy required to "maintain [his] commitment [to Wisconsin citizens] in a political landscape where representative democracy is on life support," Jauch lamented that "This government is no longer transparent. ...Special interests have too much power...no matter which party is in control. ...I think democracy in this state is at risk. Both sides play way too much to their base."[1]
Biography
Jauch attended the Universities of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and Superior. Jauch's professional experience includes the United States Army, Vietnam. He has also worked as a field representative for United States Congressman David Obey.[2]
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Jauch served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Financial Institutions and Rural Issues |
| • Workforce Development, Forestry, Mining, and Revenue |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Jauch served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Finance |
| • Joint Finance |
| • Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue |
| • Joint Survey on Retirement Systems |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Jauch served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Children and Families and Workforce Development, Chair |
| • Education |
| • Environment |
| • Rural Issues, Biofuels, and Information Technology |
| • Audit |
| • Information Policy and Technology |
Campaign themes
2012
Sen. Jauch does not list his positions on the issues on his website, but some information is available from his state profile:[3]
- His main focus is on education and increased school funding
- He supports the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants
Sponsored legislation
Recent legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Sen. Jauch includes:[4]
- A bill regarding the disposal of electronic devices[5]
- An amendment permitting the legislature to tax principal homesteads differently than other property[6]
- A bill to regulate mercury-added products[7]
Unemployment bill, 2011
Republicans Rich Zipperer, Mary Lazich and Glenn Grothman were the only three state senators who voted no on the Wisconsin State Senate's version of an unemployment bill in July 2011.
The bill to eliminate a newly instituted one-week waiting period on the receipt of unemployment benefits, passed in the Senate with a vote of 30-3. State officials said the one-week waiting period was a crucial part of the effort to root out fraud, but the bill worked to eliminate it.
Senator Jauch called the one-week waiting period “a 55 million dollar highway robbery of workers."[8]
Budget bill, 2011
The legislative process for creating and passing the budget the state budget included protestors and a lot of national attention. Late on June 16, 2011, the state Senate passed Gov. Scott Walker’s $66 billion budget on a party-line 19-14 vote after nine hours of debate.
The 2011 legislative session was sharply divided between Republican and Democratic lawmakers on nearly all of Walker’s proposed legislation. The earlier protests included two protesters who chained themselves to railings in the Senate chamber’s viewing gallery.
Republicans accused Democrats of being short-sighted and resisting measures that could bring jobs to Wisconsin, ultimately benefiting the state.
“You want to talk values? Let’s talk values,” said state Sen. Alberta Darling. “Frugality...having a job...that’s the mission we have.”
Democrats accused Republicans of ignoring the needs of children by slashing funding for education while introducing tax breaks for businesses, and of targeting low-income residents while refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy.
“It’s an abandonment of our responsibility as officials to make sure that each citizen has the same opportunities,” said Jauch.[9]
Legislative walkout
Jauch and the 13 other Democratic senators participated in a legislative walkout on February 17, 2011, in opposition to Assembly Bill 11 - a Republican-sponsored bill aimed at limiting collective bargaining rights, compensation and fringe benefits of public employees.[10] The Democratic departure left the Senate one vote shy of a quorum. Reports confirmed the senators fled to a hotel in Rockford, Illinois.[11] State police were dispatched by Governor Scott Walker (R) to retrieve the senators, but were unable to cross state lines.[12] The 14 state senators who left the state were described as the "Badger 14" or "Fab 14."[13]
On February 22, speaking from the basement of an Illinois hotel, Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller provided the minority response to Gov. Scott Walker, saying, "The governor has the tools at his disposal to put this issue to an end. As soon as he is willing to take a compromise, we will go back to work in an instant." Miller stated that the legislators payed for the trip themselves, and that no taxpayer money was spent.[14]
Walker called on the Democratic senators to return to the state by March 1 in order to vote to restructure the state's debt. If they did not, he stated he may have to start cutting state jobs, saying:
"It’s not just a number, it’s not just a budget, it’s ultimately a real person with a real family, so I’m going to push that back as far as I can. We’ve got to have real numbers to balance the budget to avoid layoffs. My hope is those 14 state senators … realize that in the end, it’s much better off to avoid those cuts, it’s much better off to avoid the most dire consequences that will come if we don’t pass this bill."[15]
The Democratic senators said they would not return until the governor was willing to compromise on the budget-repair bill.
Democrats threatened with arrest
Republicans passed a unanimous resolution on March 3 finding the missing legislators in contempt and threatening them with arrest. It gave them until 4 p.m. to return or the sergeant-at-arms was ordered to take "any and all necessary steps, with or without force, and with or without the assistance of law enforcement, by warrant or other legal process, as he may deem necessary in order to bring that senator to the Senate chambers."[16]
The constitutionality of that resolution was unclear, however, as the Wisconsin Constitution only allows for the arrest of legislators while in session if they are suspected of committing a felony, treason, or breach of the peace. Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, said the resolution was an "unreasonable abuse of police power."[17]
Sen. Jon Erpenbach provided the Democratic response, stating, "All 14 of us remain in Illinois, very strong in our convictions. Issuing arrest warrants at 4 p.m. isn't going to solve the problem. This is a debate about protection of the middle class in Wisconsin; that is what the Republicans should be focusing on."[16]
The move by Republicans came the day after they issued fines of $100 a day for not showing up at the Capitol, along with taking away parking spaces.[18] The week before Republicans also passed a rule suspending direct-deposit of paychecks. Sen. Erpenbach found a way around this by granting power of attorney to two of his aides, giving them power to, among other things, pick up his paycheck. In the end Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald mailed the check to Erpenbach.[19]
Meeting and possible compromises
On March 7, Democratic leader Sen. Mark Miller sent a letter to the governor and senate majority leader asking for a meeting near the Wisconsin-Illinois border to restart talks on the collective bargaining issue.[20] Gov. Walker responded at a press conference, calling the letter "ridiculous," and saying that several meetings between the two sides have taken place, but that Miller has stood in the way of a compromise.[21]
Sen. Chris Larson said, "Dems will return when collective bargaining is off the table. That could be soon based on the growing public opposition to the bill and the recall efforts against Republicans."[22]
On March 8, the Governor's office released an email exchange dated March 6 between Eric Schutt, Walker's deputy chief of staff, and Democratic Senators Cullen and Jauch. The exchange discusses possible compromises on the bill, including allowing unions to bargain for wages beyond inflation rates, permitting collective-bargaining on certain economic issues, allowing public workers to collectively bargain workplace safety issues, and limiting collective bargaining agreements to 2 years or less.[23]
Senate passes bill
On March 9, the Wisconsin State Senate approved Act 10, which included changes to the collective bargaining rights of public-sector workers. Republicans passed the bill by a vote of 18-1, with Sen. Dale Schultz (R) voting against it. Democrats, who had absented themselves in order to prevent the Senate from meeting its 20-member quorum, were not present to vote on the legislation.[24]
On May 26, 2011, Dane County Court Judge Maryann Sumi issued a stay against the law on the grounds that the legislative process had violated the state's open meetings law. The state Departments of Justice and Department of Administration appealed the decision to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. On June 14, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled the lower court's decision, stating it "exceeded its jurisdiction, invaded the legislature’s constitutional powers...and erred in enjoining the publication and further implementation of the act."[24]
Recall campaigns
In the wake of events surrounding the bill, both Democratic and Republican senators were targeted by active recall campaigns. Recall sponsors filed signatures on petitions targeting six Republican state senators and three Democratic state senators. Challenges were filed in all nine of those campaigns, and the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board approved the six campaigns against Republicans at meetings on May 23 and May 31, and approved the three campaigns against Democrats on June 8. Democrats held onto the 30th District seat on July 19. Republicans lost two seats in the August 9 recalls, but held onto four. Two incumbent Democrats successfully retained their seats on August 16.
Mining bill recall efforts
Following Jauch's vote against a proposed mining bill, the conservative group Citizens for Responsible Government filed recall paperwork with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board on March 19, 2012. The paperwork allowed them to begin collecting signatures for a potential recall election.[25] However, they suspended the recall a week before the May 18 deadline.[26]
Elections
Senator Jauch talks about preserving the Great Lakes |
2010
- See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2010
Jauch was re-elected to the Wisconsin State Senate District 25 seat in the November 2, 2010, general election. He was unopposed in the September 14, 2010, primary. He defeated Republican Dane Deutsch in the general election on November 2, 2010.[27][28][29]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 25 (2010) General Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Robert Jauch (D)
|
31,437 | 51.27% | ||
| Dane Deutsch (R) | 29,854 | 48.69% | ||
| Wisconsin Senate, District 25 Democratic Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Bob Jauch (D)
|
8,929 | 99.79 % | ||
2006
- See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2006
On November 7, 2006, Jauch won re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate, District 25.[30]
Jauch raised $68,806 for his campaign, while Shirley Reidmann raised $32,168.[31]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 25 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Robert Jauch (D)
|
38,721 | |||
| Shirley Reidmann (R) | 23,454 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Wisconsin scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2014
In 2014, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 14 through June 4.
- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce: 2013-2014 voting record
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
- National Federation of Independent Business in Wisconsin: 2013-2014 legislative voting record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor policy.
- Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters: 2013-2014 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
- Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: 2013-2014 voting record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on legislation WMC deemed as "most important issues for the business community."
- Wisconsin Professional Police Association: 2013-2014 report card
- Legislators are scored on their votes by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association on legislation related to Wisconsin's law enforcement community.
- Wisconsin Sierra Club: 2013-2014 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 7 to December 31.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 10 through March 16.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Jauch is married and has two children.[2]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Robert + Jauch + Wisconsin + Senate"
See also
- Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wisconsin State Senate
- Wisconsin State Senate Committees
- Wisconsin Joint Committees
- Wisconsin state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Capital Times, "Sen. Bob Jauch in announcing retirement: 'Democracy in this state is at risk'," October 9, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ State Legislature, "Biography," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ State Legislature, "Robert Jauch Legislation," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ State Legislature, "Bill 107," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ State Legislature, "Assembly resolution 8," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ State Legislature, "Bill 200," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ MacIver News Service, "Amended Unemployment Bill Could Hamper Fraud Detection Efforts," July 20, 2011
- ↑ "Wisconsin Reporter," "Senate OKs budget above din of protesters," June 16th, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin.gov, "ASSEMBLY BILL 11," accessed February 17, 2011
- ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Wisconsin Democrats flee to Clock Tower Hotel in Rockford, Ill., to block anti-union bill," February 17, 2011
- ↑ Bloomberg Businessweek, "Senator: Missing Wis. lawmakers left the state," February 17, 2011
- ↑ Facebook, "Fab 14," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ WISN, "State Sen. Minority Leader Responds to Walker," February 22, 2010
- ↑ Christian Science Monitor, "Wisconsin governor to missing senators: Come back or I'll lay off 1,500," February 28, 2011
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Wall Street Journal, "Pressure Mounts on Absent Democrats in Wisconsin, Indiana," March 3, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Senate orders arrest of missing Democrats," March 3, 2011
- ↑ My Fox Chicago, "Wisconsin GOP Slaps Missing Dems With $100 Daily Fines," March 2, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "AWOL Wisconsin Dem Beats The System, Gets His Paycheck Mailed To Him," March 3, 2011
- ↑ New York Times, "Wisconsin Democrats Urge New Talks on Labor Bill," March 7, 2011
- ↑ CNN, "Wisconsin gov: Democratic senator's border meeting idea 'ridiculous'," March 7, 2011
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Wisconsin Dems Deny WSJ Report Of Imminent Return," March 6, 2011
- ↑ CNN, "E-mails: Wisconsin governor offers concessions on budget bill," March 8, 2011
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Wisconsin State Journal, "Front pages from historic Scott Walker protests," February 11, 2016
- ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Citizens For Responsible Government Network plans to recall 2 state senators over mine vote," March 19, 2012
- ↑ Ashland Current, "Jauch Calls Recall Group Disreputable," May 11, 2012
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office, 2010," July 13, 2010
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed April 25, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed April 25, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Official 2006 General election results," accessed April 25, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2006 contributions," accessed Ma 6, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Wisconsin State Senate District 25 1986-2015 |
Succeeded by Janet Bewley (D) |
