Fred Risser

Fred Risser
Wisconsin State Senate District 26
Incumbent
In office
1963 - Present
Term ends
January 3, 2013
Years in position	50
Party	Democratic
Leadership
Senate President, Wisconsin State Senate
1979-1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009-2011
Minority Leader, Wisconsin State Senate
1967-1973
Compensation
Base salary	$49,943/year
Per diem	$88/day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 4, 2008
First elected	1962
Next election	November 6, 2012
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
Assembly Member, Wisconsin State Assembly
1957-1962
Education
Bachelor's	University of Oregon, 1950
Other	LLB, University of Oregon, 1952
Personal
Birthday	05/05/1927
Place of birth	Madison, WI
Websites
Office website

Fred Risser (b. May 5, 1927) is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He has represented District 26 since 1962 and served as President of the Senate in the 2009-2010 session. He has previously served as the Senate President (1997-2001), Assistant Minority Leader (1995), President Pro Tempore (1975-1979) and Minority Leader (1967-1973). He was previously an Assemblyman on the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1957 to 1962.

Risser's professional experience is as an attorney and the United States Navy.

Risser attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Carleton College, Minnesota; he earned his BA from University of Oregon and LLB from University of Oregon. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children.

There are 1,971 state senators in the United States and heading into the state senate elections of 2010, Risser has served in office longer than all other state senators.

Issue positions

Sen. Risser's priorities and issue positions, according to his website:

• Supports increased mass transit aids and downtown development in Madison
• Supports environmental programs such as park creation and recycling programs
• Supports competitive salaries and opposes excessive tuition increases at the University of Wisconsin
• Supports affirmative action
• Pro-choice regarding abortion

See also: Fred Risser's issue positions on Project Vote Smart

Committee assignments

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Risser has been appointed to these committees:

• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology
• Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce and Government Operations
• Review of Administrative Rules

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Risser served on these committees:

• Ethics Reform and Government Operations Committee, Wisconsin Senate, Chair
• Administrative Rules Committee, Wisconsin Senate
• Senate Organization Committee, Wisconsin Senate
• Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Legislative Organization (Co-Chair)
• Joint Committee on Employment Relations (Co-Chair)
• Joint Legislative Council (Co-Chair)
• Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission
• Special Committee on Powers and Duties of Coroners and Medical Examiners
• Special Committee on Review of Higher Education Financial Aid Programs

Legislative walkout

Risser 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. The Democratic departure left the Senate one vote shy of a quorum. Reports confirmed the senators fled to a hotel in Rockford, Illinois. State police were dispatched by Governor Scott Walker (R) to retrieve the senators, but were unable to cross state lines. The 14 state senators who left the state are being described as the "Badger 14" or "Fab 14."

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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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. 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 Erpenbaach.

Meeting/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. 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.

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."

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.

Republicans pass bill

2011 Wisconsin Senate Recalls
Senators Facing Recall
Robert Cowles • Alberta Darling • Sheila Harsdorf • Dave Hansen • Jim Holperin • Randy Hopper • Dan Kapanke • Luther Olsen • Robert Wirch
Other Recall Information
Recalls by Year • Recall Law in Wisconsin • Recall laws in other states • Recalls in Wisconsin • 2011 Scott Walker Budget Repair Bill • Protests over Budget Repair Bill • Wisconsin Government Accountability Board • Recall timeline • Election Results

In a surprise maneuver, Senate Republicans on March 9 passed controversial reforms to the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers. In a process that took just over two hours, Republicans passed the bill by a vote of 18-1, with Sen. Dale Schultz (R) casting the only no vote.

Republicans skirted the need for a quorum by removing the sections of the bill that had to do with appropriating funds. With these removed, the bill only needed to be passed by a simple majority -- rather than requiring a quorum of 20 senators. At 4 p.m. on March 9 a conference committee on the budget-repair bill was convened. Two hours later the committee met and advanced the new measure without debate. Immediately following that, the Senate met and passed the new version, also without debate. It was then sent to the Assembly.

The only Democrat present at the meeting, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D), attempted to stop the proceedings, stating that the committee was in violation of the state's open meeting law. According to the law, most public bodies are required to give 24 hours notice before a meeting. The two hours notice that the committee provided led Barca to declare, "Mr. Chairman, this is a violation of law! This is not just a rule — this is the law." Ignoring Barca, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) ordered the vote taken as shouts of protest rang from the galleries.

The bill was given a stay by Dane County Court Judge Maryann Sumi. On May 26, 2011, Sumi struck down the legislative actions leading to the bill eliminating public employee collective bargaining on the grounds that it 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 district court decision, stating it "exceeded its jurisdiction, invaded the legislature’s constitutional powers...and erred in enjoining the publication and further implementation of the act."

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 6 Republican state senators and 3 Democratic state senators. Challenges were filed in all 9 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.

Elections

2010

See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2010

Risser's seat was not up for election in 2010.

2008

On November 4, 2008, Fred Risser won re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate, District 26. He ran unopposed

Fred Risser raised $32,701 for his campaign.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 26 (2008)
Candidates		Votes
Fred Risser (D)		80,923

Sponsored legislation

Recent legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Sen. Risser includes:

• A bill prohibiting the use of a cell phone while driving a school bus or other vehicle while transporting students
• A bill increasing the legislature's power in approving the expenditure of federal economic stimulus funds
• A bill creating a complete ban on smoking indoors or at a workplace

Donors

In 2008, Risser collected $32,701 in donations. Labor interests were his largest donor group.

Listed below are the top four contributors to his campaign.

Donor	Amount
Wisconsin Federation of Teachers	$1,000
Wisconsin Realtors Association	$1,000
Wisconsin Education Association Council	$1,000
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades	$1,000

External links

Suggest a link

Wikipedia® has an article on:

Fred Risser

• Sen. Risser's Wisconsin State Legislature website
• Project Vote Smart legislative profile
• Project Vote Smart biographical profile
• Campaign contributions: 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
• Fred Risser, Legislative information from State Surge

References

Political offices
Preceded by '	Wisconsin State Senate District 26 1962–present	Succeeded by NA