The state Legislature opened its 2010 session on Monday, and a Democratic lawmaker says the new majority of Republicans is already forgetting its promise to focus on jobs and restoring Wisconsin’s economy.
State Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) says the first bills being circulated for sponsors on Monday morning dealt with social issues that will do nothing to live up to the Republican campaign platforms of creating jobs in the state.
The proposals cover a wide range of sometimes controversial issues, such as ending same day voter registration and allowing off-duty law enforcement to carry guns on school property. They also cover lifting the ban on selling motor vehicles on a Sunday, increasing penalties for retail theft, and expanding the ability of minors under the age of 12 to drive an ATV.
Still, Pocan says Republicans promised to lead with job creation, not a social agenda. He says they need to be careful about upsetting the voters who put them in power, or they could be out of the majority again in two years.
State Representative Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc), who introduced most of the proposals circulating Monday, says the majority of them are bills that passed in the Assembly last session but failed to get a vote in the state Senate. He says Republicans are still very focused on job creation as they begin the session.
