Last Updated: August 20th, 1:58 P.M. CDT
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David Crowley
Tom Tiffany
Create Wisconsin and Imagine MKE invited all gubernatorial candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties to respond to a four-question survey about their vision for economic growth, arts, culture, and well-being for Wisconsin residents. Responses are displayed in the order we received them. These are all of the responses we have received to date.
Wisconsin’s arts and culture sector contributes $12.4 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 95,000 jobs. What impact do you see arts and culture playing in Wisconsin’s economy, tourism and growth, and what policies and strategies will you pursue as governor to grow that impact?
DAVID CROWLEY
Wisconsin’s arts and culture are not merely “extras” to be considered disposable to our state’s economy, they are clearly economic drivers through tourism, community building and increasing Wisconsin’s appeal for relocation in a global marketplace. From our amazing museums, to local theaters, cultural institutions and live music entertainment, arts support more job creation and growth. They also support small businesses, revitalize downtowns and make our communities more diverse and vibrant, which keep young people and families in our state long-term.
As Governor, I will treat arts and culture as part of the broader economic development and tourism agenda for Wisconsin. This includes increasing support for the Wisconsin Arts Board and local cultural organizations, working to expand grant opportunities for artists and creative nonprofits, supporting the music and event production industries with an eye toward independent venues and producers, not mega-monopolies, and invest in districts and spaces that drive local economic activity. We also must strengthen and invest in arts in our schools to expand access and create stronger pipelines for arts education and creative careers in Wisconsin.
I will also focus on supporting the live events, hospitality, and festival economy that plays such an important role across Wisconsin- we are the home to the largest music festival in the world with Summerfest. Festivals, concerts, fairs, and cultural celebrations generate tourism revenue, support restaurants and hotels, and create opportunities for local artists, vendors, and small businesses. Wisconsin can and is working toward positioning itself as a national destination for arts, music, and cultural tourism.
With this, we need to make sure artists and creative workers can afford to live and work in Wisconsin. That means supporting affordable housing, small business development, workforce grants, and public-private partnerships that help creative communities grow and thrive. Investing in arts and culture is not just about entertainment, it is about economic growth, talent attraction, quality of life, and building stronger, more connected communities across Wisconsin.
Through the Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin ranks 48th in per capita arts and culture funding at $0.20, which is far behind the Midwestern and National averages at ~$2. How will you prioritize increasing the state’s investment?
DAVID CROWLEY
As Governor, I would support increasing funding for the Wisconsin Arts Board and building a long-term plan to move Wisconsin closer to national and regional funding averages. That includes restoring stability to arts grant programs, expanding support for local arts organizations and cultural institutions, and ensuring smaller and rural communities have equitable access to funding opportunities—not just major metropolitan areas.
Research shows that students who participate in arts education have higher academic achievement, better attendance, and increased graduation rates—yet access and resources remain inequitable across Wisconsin schools. How will you ensure all Wisconsin students, especially those in underserved communities, have access to high-quality arts education?
DAVID CROWLEY
Every Wisconsin student deserves access to high-quality arts education, no matter their ZIP code, family income, or school district budget. Arts education strengthens our schools and our kids, which is why it should be treated as part of a strong public education system, not an optional add-on.
As Governor, I would increase state investment in and fully fund public schools so districts are not forced to cut music, theater, visual arts, and creative programs when budgets are tight, or go to referendum to provide these programs. I would also support dedicated arts education grants, stronger partnerships with local arts organizations and cultural institutions, and targeted resources for underserved urban, rural, and high-poverty districts.
We should also build arts education into workforce and career pathways by connecting students with creative industries, apprenticeships, technical colleges, and community-based programs. The goal is simple: every student should have the chance to learn, create, perform, and explore their talents as part of a well-rounded education.
What role do you believe arts and culture play in strengthening Wisconsin’s communities, and how will your administration support local cultural activities and ensure access to the arts for families across the state?
DAVID CROWLEY
Adults, kids, families and visitors in Wisconsin should be able to participate in arts and cultural experiences regardless of income or where they live. This means supporting affordable public programming in arts education, community festivals, creative spaces, and local cultural organizations which serve as anchors in their communities. Investing in arts and culture is an investment in economic growth, tourism, education, and quality of life across Wisconsin.
I also want to ensure smaller communities and underserved neighborhoods have equitable access to funding and programming opportunities, not just large cities or major institutions. Arts and culture are part of what make communities feel connected, vibrant, and alive. They bring people together across backgrounds and generations, ideologies and upbringing. They help shape the character of communities across Wisconsin and I will always amplify their positive contributions to the fabric of our multicultural communities across the state.
Create Wisconsin and Imagine MKE also distributed a survey to legislative candidates regarding their perspectives on the arts and Wisconsin’s creative economy, as well as on their personal creative background. Below are the responses we have received to date, and will be updated as additional responses come in. The information does not constitute a comprehensive list of candidates running in every district. Questions that were left blank are excluded.
Here are the questions legislative candidates were asked:
Personal background: 76% of Americans believe the arts are personally important to them. Do you or an immediate family member(s) have experience in the arts?
Community engagement: Have you attended, partnered with, or supported any arts or cultural organizations in your district/state in the past two years? Please describe.
Economic Growth: What policies would you prioritize to support economic growth and small businesses locally and statewide, including sectors such as tourism, hospitality, and arts and cultural organizations that contribute to local economies and quality of life?
Education: What are your top priorities for strengthening education outcomes in your district or state, and what role, if any, should arts education or creative learning opportunities—from pre-K through higher education—play in state education policy?
Workforce: Increasingly, Americans work as freelancers, independent contractors, or in other non-traditional employment arrangements—including artists and creative professionals. What state-level policies would you support to improve economic stability, access to health and retirement benefits, and professional opportunities for these workers?
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts, Media Arts
Community Engagement: In my family, we are huge fans of the arts. I am a professional photographer, my husband and I were both musical theater kids, our son is a professional actor and a phenomenal writer (likely an emerging writer-actor-director), and we are often attending and supporting various arts around the area. I love an opportunity to support local theater by photographing the cast or show, we love seeing shows, we love outdoor concerts, and we love supporting student productions to encourage young performers (they’re so brave!).
Economic Growth: The Arts are a major economic engine! We need to talk more about this. I was thrilled we finally included the establishment of a state film office and established a tax credit for film and television production in a state budget (last year). And I’d heard lots of positive feedback on this. Let’s keep building on this!
We also need to fund the arts. FUND THE ARTS! We are tragically behind the nation on this. And again–the arts are a massive economic engine.
Over 99% of Wisconsin businesses are small businesses–Wisconsin is a small business state! I know how difficult it is to start and run a small business centered around the arts. Almost two decades ago, I started a professional photography business that remains vibrant today. It is difficult to run a small business in our industry, which is why I authored the “Go Big for Small Business” bill to create a “one-stop-shop”, for small business creators to start, manage, and grow their businesses and change how they interface with the state. Small business owners wear so many hats, we need to save time, and make it much easier to interface with the state of Wisconsin.
Education: Fund the schools so they can invest in the arts. Let’s start there. I wrote the first bill in state history (that I’m aware of) that funds special education at 90% (my Save Our Schools bill). This will more adequately fund the schools and free up funding for the arts across Wisconsin. Every child in Wisconsin has a constitutional right to an adequately funded public education, and right now, the legislature is failing to uphold that right. The underfunding of public schools the last 15 years has hurt the arts, and I want to see a robust shift toward better funding, upholding that right, and better supporting the arts.
My kids benefited from phenomenal theater programs growing up. They learned to be brave, empathetic, and–brilliant on stage. We are so lucky to have incredible theater programs in the Tosa schools, as well as First Stage in Milwaukee to teach life skills as stage skills. To this day, my adult son teaches at First Stage after growing up there.
When at the Peck School of the Arts, my son saw class after class cut, one of which was required to graduate. I have fought, and will continue to fight, for robust UW system funding. The ROI (23:1) on UW system funding is one of the strongest ROIs in the state budget. We must restore funding to the universities, and stop the cutting of classes in the arts–especially the classes deemed important to take in order to graduate.
Workforce: To support these professionals, I authored the bill to establish a Badgercare public option. A public option would allow freelancers, independent contractors, and those in non-traditional employment arrangements to access affordable health insurance that is not tied to their employer.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Photography, Costume design
Community Engagement: South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
Economic Growth: Wisconsin’s 7th District is a destination for visitors from around the country and around the world. From Mitchell International Airport to cruise ships at the Port of Milwaukee, from festivals at Henry Maier Festival Park to museums and performing arts centers, tourism is a powerful economic driver—supporting jobs, small businesses, and generating more than $4.3 billion in economic impact. I understand that a strong tourism industry means a strong local economy. I will be a leader who proudly promotes the communities of the 7th District, highlight what makes them special, and work to grow tourism so it continues to create jobs and opportunities for local families.
Education: I believe education should prepare students for the real world. With parents as partners, schools should focus on skills that lead to opportunity and independence. As both an employer and a member of local school committees, I have worked directly with high schools to help students graduate job-ready, with the skills employers actually need.
Workforce: To support Wisconsin’s growing independent and freelance workforce, I advocate for free-market solutions that preserve worker autonomy while expanding access to voluntary benefits. Key state-level policies that would include fostering a robust portable benefits marketplace, reducing regulatory burdens, and passing legislation that explicitly classifies gig workers as independent contractors.
Personal Background: Visual Arts
Community Engagement: Yes. I regularly attend art walks and art festivals in my district, such as the Evansville Art Crawl, the Tallman Arts Festival, Edgerton Pottery Festival, Beloit Art Walk, First Fridays at the Beloit Art Center, and more. I have also attended plays and shows at the Beloit Civic Theatre and Janesville Performing Arts Center. I enjoy concerts from the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra and local bands. On a statewide basis, I enjoy seeing plays and concerts at American Players Theatre, Northern Sky Theater, Stoughton Opera House, Atwood Music Hall, and more.
Economic Growth: I support additional direct funding for the arts, such as through the Wisconsin Arts Board. I also support tourism promotion through maintaining support of our destination marketing organizations and adding the ability to establish Tourism Promotion Improvement Districts. I support housing policies that encourage reinvestment in our downtowns through upper-floor housing. I also support funding for state parks, bike paths, and other outdoor recreation opportunities that attract people to communities and improve quality of life. Finally, I have strongly supported the Grants for Local Projects program in the last two state budgets, which has provided capital funding for numerous nonprofits, including many associated with the arts and culture.
Education: I support more state funding for public schools so they can meet the needs of all students and have adequate budgets for art education and creative learning opportunities. These are often the first opportunities to be cut when budgets get tight. This funding should take the form of increased revenue limits that keep up with inflation and avoid the need for referendums, general school aids from the state to avoid increasing property tax burdens on local communities, special education reimbursement so schools can provide these needed services, healthy breakfast and lunch for all students who want it, and funding for additional interventions for students who need them. I also believe that education starts before kindergarten, and I support funding early childhood education through community-based providers and school district partnerships.
Workforce: I support policies to make it easier for small businesses and self-employed people to access health insurance and retirement savings opportunities, such as a public option health plan through the state, or a state retirement program similar to the Wisconsin Retirement System that private-sector employees or freelancers can easily opt into. I also support clear policies with strong enforcement to ensure that employees can choose to be actual freelancers and independent contractors, but that employers cannot misclassify employees as such simply to avoid paying for benefits such as healthcare, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Photography
Community Engagement: I have attended multiple art fairs and music concerts throughout the district. Creativity flourishes in so many ways around our district and state and it is always incredible to witness.
Economic Growth: I see supporting our rural communities as critical to the economic growth and success of Wisconsin. That includes nurturing the arts which is a wonderful way to encourage people to visit new communities, investing in our natural resources which are a huge driver of our tourism economy, and creating an environment where Wisconsinites feel supported to start a business. We can do that by making sure everyone has access to housing; healthcare; mental health, vision, and dental care; and an education that is affordable.
Education: In the State Assembly I have consistently advocated for increased funding for our k-12 public schools, early childhood education, and post-secondary education. Part of that funding is to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn the arts as a critical component to their public education. I will continue to advocate for that in the State Senate.
Workforce: In the State Assembly I supported a Badgercare public option, paid family and medical leave, healthy school meals for all public school kiddos, and expansion of rural broadband grants. These policies would give more freedom of choice to Wisconsinites around our state. Because economic stability should not just be limited to a few people, but should be available to every Wisconsinite, no matter who you are or where you live.
Personal Background: Music
Community Engagement: Yes. Northern WI has a rich tradition of promoting the arts. From attending concerts at Big Top Chautauqua to meeting with the Shell Lake Arts Center when they were developing a plan for their remodel and expansion, I have supported arts throughout the district in many ways.
Economic Growth: I was the senate author of the Rural Creative Economy bill that would have provided grants to support arts based businesses. This would have directly impacted small businesses and provided a boost to our tourism, hospitality, and arts/culture organizations. I was also a proponent on increasing the Tourism department budget during the last biennium.
Education: I have always believed in targeting funding to make sure schools can compete on an even playing field. Sparsity aid, high cost transportation aid, special education aid, etc all solve specific challenges. I leave general funding and programing for locals to decide. I’ve always gotten requests for money to fund only certain programing (school nurses, school psychologists, music progams, etc), but I would rather fund schools on a higher level and leave those decisions up to local communities to decide.
Workforce: We need to make sure that the government does not try to force free lance workers into some sort of box/category like W-2 employees. I also voted for the benefits portability bill that would have created more options and access to benefits for these non-traditional workers.
Personal Background: Fiber Arts
Community Engagement: Farmer to Farmer (Glenwood City, WI): I donate to its education scholarship program for children of Guatemalan and Honduran coffee growers and cultural expression through traditional textile cottage industry. Travel to Guatemala in 2025. I donate to First Nations Development Institute, National Parks Conservation Association, Habitat for Humanity –
Wild Rivers Chapter (WI). My campaign partners with a media professional and a graphic Design professional.
Economic Growth: I would support grants to individuals and groups to initiate creative ventures and events designed to have a lasting impact on a community.
Education: My top priority is fully funding public education. That includes early childhood education. I support experiential learning through exposure to nature, the arts and cultural history.
Workforce: I would support an expansion of BadgerCare. I would support unemployment compensation.
I would support a state-backed loan program for career advancement.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Media Arts
Community Engagement: No
Economic Growth: I support small business small business owners by supporting policy that provides grants and low interest loans for small business owners as well as affordable healthcare access for small businesses.
Education: I support full funding of public education, including special education, general, education, music, and arts programs and athletic programs. I strongly feel that K through 12 public education should offer a wide variety of opportunities for a wide variety of students.
Workforce: As mentioned above, I support affordable healthcare access. I believe this can be done through the expansion of bad care and also through the creation of a public option that would benefit these workers. In addition, I would love to see a state program for retirement benefits.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: Not since I have held office but I was active in several choirs as a performer and board member in the past.
Economic Growth: Wisconsin invests far too little to arts. We must re-evaluate our priorities and at least invest as much as our surrounding states.
Education: Our formula for supporting our public schools has been broken for decades and our school districts should not have to rely on referendums to operate. Fix the formula and stop pouring public dollars into private schools. Our university system was the envy of the nation until the past 15 years when our Republican led legislature forced cuts and changes that have weakened our system.
Workforce: First of all, the term Independent Contractors has been abused by businesses to avoid paying the benefits and pay workers rightfully earn. We need to define what that means and also raise the pitiful minimum wage to a living wage.
Personal Background: Visual Arts, Theatre, Media Arts
Community Engagement: No, I’m not aware of many arts or cultural organizations operating within AD-2 itself, but I’d welcome the chance to connect with any that are out there.
Economic Growth: I’d focus on cutting the red tape and fees that hit small businesses hardest, and making sure tax relief actually goes to local Main Street businesses instead of large corporations. I’d also tie any state business incentives to local hiring and fair pay. For tourism and hospitality specifically, I support expanding passenger rail along I-41, which would make it easier for people to visit and travel between communities without relying on cars. I don’t have a specific proposal for arts and cultural organizations, but I’d want them treated fairly under the same small business protections.
Education: My top priority for strengthening education outcomes is fixing how we fund public schools, including addressing the impact Act 10 has had on teacher pay, which has been stagnant for years. Strong public schools are the foundation for everything else, including economic growth in the district.
On arts education, I think it deserves real, protected support at every level, not just as an extra. My kids went through the Kimberly school district, one benefited from the art program, and my oldest did theater and choir, so I’ve seen directly what those programs do for kids. Creative learning teaches problem-solving and gives students another way to succeed that isn’t just measured by a standardized test. At the state level, that means funding arts programs consistently so they’re not the first thing cut when budgets get tight, from pre-K on up through the UW system and technical colleges.
Workforce: Gig work is only becoming more common, including for artists and creative professionals, and state law hasn’t caught up. I’d support finding real ways for freelancers and independent contractors to access health coverage and retirement savings that aren’t tied to a single employer, without stripping away basic worker protections to get there. Last session’s gig worker bill got that trade-off backwards: it would have locked app-based drivers into independent contractor status, cutting them off from unemployment insurance, workers’ comp, and minimum wage protections, in exchange for benefits companies weren’t even required to provide. It was heavily pushed by companies like DoorDash, and Governor Evers was right to veto it. Any solution needs to expand access to benefits and stability without asking workers to give up protections to get it.
Personal Background: Visual Arts, Theatre, Literary Arts, Fiber Arts
Community Engagement: As a fiber artist, I have taught knitting and hand-spinning classes at the local fiber arts store where I work, helping people develop new skills while building connections through a shared creative tradition. I have also organized community fiber arts gatherings that provided a space for people to grieve, heal, and support one another while creating “Melt the ICE” hats.
I use my undergraduate degree in Arts Management to serve as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for The Art Garage in Green Bay. In that role, I oversee budgets, work with accountants, and help ensure the organization’s long-term financial sustainability. The Art Garage’s mission is to encourage an appreciation for and participation in the visual, performing, and literary arts. Its vision recognizes the arts as essential to vibrant community growth and prosperity by providing meaningful, accessible opportunities through exhibitions, workshops, performances, and community programming. Supporting organizations like The Art Garage reflects my belief that public investment in the arts strengthens communities, expands educational opportunities, supports local artists and creative entrepreneurs, and enriches the quality of life in the community we share.
Economic Growth: Strong local economies are built by investing in the people and places that make Wisconsin unique. I support policies that help small businesses, strengthen Main Streets, expand tourism, and recognize the arts as an economic driver rather than an afterthought. We should increase access to affordable capital for small businesses, invest in downtown revitalization, support local festivals and cultural events, and ensure workers earn wages that allow them to participate in their local economies. I would also restore Wisconsin’s Percent for Art program, which was eliminated during the Walker administration. By dedicating 0.5% of the construction budget for state-funded public building projects to commission Wisconsin artists, we can create jobs for local artists, support creative businesses, and make public spaces more welcoming and reflective of our communities. Public art attracts visitors, enhances quality of life, and creates a lasting return on public investment while celebrating Wisconsin’s diverse history and culture.
Education: I support modernizing Wisconsin’s school funding formula to ensure every student has access to a high-quality education, regardless of ZIP code. Our current system does not adequately account for the needs of low-income students, rural districts, students with disabilities, or multilingual learners. I support fully funding special education, strengthening support for bilingual and multilingual education programs, adjusting aid levels for inflation, and providing additional resources to districts facing unique economic and geographic challenges. Every child deserves access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, and our funding system should reflect that commitment. In an increasingly standardized education system, the arts in all their forms allow students a way to share ideas in a way that may not fit in to other types of school work. Companies have continually shown that they are looking for creative thinkers who can problem solve, and those skills are developed over a lifetime of creative expression. By prioritizing that kind of thought, we can make the Wisconsin workforce attractive to businesses.
Workforce: Freelancers, independent contractors, artists, and other creative professionals are an important part of Wisconsin’s economy and deserve the same economic security as traditional employees. I support expanding BadgerCare, creating a public health insurance option, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age so affordable healthcare isn’t tied to a traditional employer or full-time job. I also support the Wisconsin Private Secure Retirement Act to give private-sector and self-employed workers an accessible way to save for retirement. In addition, we should invest in public arts programs, strengthen local arts organizations, expand grants for artists and cultural nonprofits, and ensure state economic development programs recognize the arts as a vital industry.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Photography
Community Engagement: I support Menominee and all tribal nations. I like going to Mielke theater/their arts/craft show and enjoy event’s at Weidner center. Being we are a small rural community we don’t have to many organizations but those we do I support and enjoy. Our high school has a wonderful Jazz band
Economic Growth: I live in Shawano county, adjacent to me is Menominee Reservation. I have several Menominee friends who I love sharing in their culture with. From Pow Wow to bead work, learning how to make fry bread, listening and learning tribal history. And their art is amazing! I will be attending their Pow Wow that is visited by hundreds from across the US. It’s an opportunity for old friends to connect and to make new ones. This event is huge for our area too. Not only friends and family but it draws a lot of tourist too. I support tourism in my area of this kind. But unfortunately we, like so many other communities with lakes and river are being inundated by it making it difficult for locals to just go about our daily lives. I’m active in my community, working with the city council trying to find better ways to manage tourism not get over run by it.
Education: I’m no fan of voucher schools because they draw off funding from public schools, to the extent many programs have been abandoned, like music. Voucher program doesn’t just end programs like music and some art classes it makes it harder to hire teachers for those classes Even special needs classes where art is a learning tool. I know this because I was a aid to special needs kids.
If elected I would like to see some of the state surplus go back into the public school system, while limiting or ending the voucher program which then would put taxpayers monies back into the public school system alleviating the need for surplus monies that then could be spent on other programs.
Workforce: These Americans are like a independent business owner. There are laws already in place that address their needs. And there is some funding available thru the Better Business Bureau for those who open a store to sell their works. But when it comes to health care today it’s not just independent business people hurting it’s everyone. I would work on expanding Badger care for the lower income businesses. Right now there’s little federal funding coming into the state to depend on. Another important issue is our rural hospitals are at risk of closure, which I believe some of the state surplus should be spent on. As to retirement it’s not a easy thing to offer a solution on because it’s more of an individual commitment- which has been made difficult by the increased cost of things (such as art supplies)making it harder for people to save for. I will try to get the costs lowered, it’s affecting me also. What we are living now is not sustainable.
In closing:
WE need the arts in our lives today. We are over stressed, over worked and over social media’d. The arts offer a reprieve from the chaos. But most importantly it’s a way to express the self, be an individual, create! One thing I will absolutely do- is fight against any excessive Data centers and the unmitigated injection of AI into our society. And having the opportunity to travel, to take in local sights and culture like that our Native neighbors offer should be available to everyone.
Thankyou for this opportunity.
Personal Background: No background in the arts
Community Engagement: Yes
Economic Growth: Yes
Education: Yes
Workforce: All that would help
Personal Background: Music, Dance, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Yes. Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Public Museum, National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and National Museum of African American History and Culture
Economic Growth: Wisconsin’s economy is strongest when local businesses, entrepreneurs, tourism, hospitality, and arts and cultural organizations all have the opportunity to succeed. I believe state government should focus on creating an environment where businesses can grow by reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, improving access to capital, investing in workforce development, and maintaining modern infrastructure, including broadband, transportation, and utilities. We should also strengthen our downtowns and neighborhood business districts, which are often the heart of local economies. Tourism, hospitality, and the arts are more than amenities—they are economic drivers that create jobs, attract visitors, support local businesses, and enhance our quality of life. Wisconsin should continue promoting our parks, festivals, cultural institutions, and recreational opportunities while supporting restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, and community events that bring people together. Public investments should be transparent, fiscally responsible, and focused on measurable results that benefit communities across the state. By fostering innovation, encouraging entrepreneurship, supporting workforce development, and partnering with local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, we can build an economy that creates opportunity for families, strengthens local communities, and positions Wisconsin for long-term growth and prosperity.
Education: Every child deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in college, careers, military service, or the skilled trades. My top priorities are improving reading and mathematics proficiency, strengthening career and technical education, recruiting and retaining excellent teachers, supporting safe and orderly learning environments, and ensuring schools have the flexibility to meet the unique needs of their students and communities. I also believe we must strengthen partnerships among families, schools, businesses, higher education, and community organizations to help students succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
As part of my Bill of Rights for Students, I believe every student, regardless of ZIP code, deserves access to a well-rounded education. Every student shall receive instruction in art, music, physical education, library media, and computer science, because these subjects foster creativity, critical thinking, digital literacy, physical well-being, and lifelong learning. In addition, every student should complete at least one meaningful internship, apprenticeship, or career-based learning experience that allows them to explore their interests, connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities, and make informed decisions about their future. https://youtu.be/nZwzFikmPt4?si=VT_nTGW9UoVRMhWS
Arts education and creative learning opportunities are not extras—they are essential components of a comprehensive education. Participation in music, visual arts, theater, dance, and other creative disciplines helps students develop communication, collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving skills that employers increasingly value. The arts also enrich our communities, preserve Wisconsin’s cultural heritage, support tourism and our creative economy, and improve quality of life. By ensuring every student has access to these opportunities, we prepare graduates who are not only academically proficient but also creative, engaged, adaptable, and ready to contribute to Wisconsin’s future.
Workforce: Freelancers, independent contractors, artists, and other self-employed professionals contribute significantly to Wisconsin’s economy, yet many do not have access to the health insurance, retirement plans, paid leave, and workforce-development opportunities. I support policies that preserve the independence and flexibility many freelancers/contractors value while providing greater access to benefits, financial security, and professional opportunities. Wisconsin considered portable-benefit legislation in 2025, although that proposal was ultimately vetoed, so the issue remains open for further bipartisan work.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts, Media Arts
Community Engagement: As a State Representative, recording artist, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker, I have been actively involved in Wisconsin’s arts community. I have supported local artists, musicians, filmmakers, churches, and community organizations through performances, productions, and community events. I also supported legislation and budget initiatives that strengthen Wisconsin’s creative economy and expand opportunities for artists and cultural organizations across our state.
Economic Growth: I believe the arts are an economic driver, not simply entertainment. I supported creating Wisconsin’s film production tax credit and state film office because they help attract productions, create good-paying jobs, support small businesses, and generate economic activity for hotels, restaurants, retailers, construction trades, and creative professionals. I also support reducing unnecessary barriers for entrepreneurs, expanding access to capital for small businesses, investing in tourism, and encouraging public-private partnerships that strengthen our local economies while improving quality of life.
Education: My priorities are ensuring every child has access to a quality education, supporting teachers, improving student achievement, expanding career and technical education, and preparing students for college, the workforce, and entrepreneurship.
Arts education should remain an important part of a well-rounded education. Music, theater, visual arts, media arts, and other creative programs help students develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, and teamwork while exposing them to careers in Wisconsin’s growing creative economy. I support giving schools the flexibility to provide strong arts education alongside core academic subjects. If it wasn’t for the arts, I don’t know if I would be where I am today.
Workforce: As someone who has worked as an artist, producer, filmmaker, and small business owner, I understand the challenges independent contractors and creative professionals face.
I support policies that:
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Photography, Media Arts, Fiber arts
Community Engagement: I’ve attended numerous local theater performances and events to support local arts organizations. In the last two years, predominately local groups – Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove, and local elementary & high school stage productions.
Economic Growth: I believe economic growth starts with making Wisconsin a place where people want to live, work, start a business, and raise a family. That means keeping housing, childcare, healthcare, and transportation affordable; supporting small businesses with less red tape and more predictable rules; and investing in the community assets that help local economies thrive, including parks, libraries, downtowns, tourism, arts, and cultural organizations.
My priorities include making the Child Care Counts program permanent, expanding workforce housing through “missing middle” development, modernizing Wisconsin’s shared revenue system so communities can invest in the infrastructure businesses rely on, and ensuring state economic development incentives deliver measurable public benefits. I also support investing in passenger rail, broadband, and clean water infrastructure to connect communities, attract employers, and strengthen Wisconsin’s tourism economy. As a small business owner and project manager, I understand that employers need a skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, and vibrant communities to compete and grow.
Education: My top priorities are fully funding public schools, increasing the state’s special education reimbursement rate, and creating a funding formula that keeps pace with inflation so districts can plan responsibly instead of relying on repeated referendums. I also support providing teachers with paid preparation and grading time, expanding school-based mental health services, and strengthening career and technical education, youth apprenticeships, and partnerships with technical colleges and employers.
Arts education and creative learning should be part of that vision. Music, theater, visual arts, and design build creativity, communication, and critical thinking—the same skills employers consistently seek. As the co-owner of a business that develops STEM education materials for schools, I’ve seen firsthand that hands-on learning and creativity help students develop confidence, curiosity, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for success in college, careers, and life.
Workforce: Wisconsin’s workforce policies need to reflect how people actually work today. That includes freelancers, independent contractors, artists, caregivers, and small business owners whose careers don’t fit a traditional employment model. I support expanding access to affordable healthcare through a BadgerCare public option, creating portable retirement savings options that workers can carry from job to job, and investing in workforce training, apprenticeships, and continuing education so people can keep pace with a changing economy.
I also support paid family and medical leave, stronger enforcement against worker misclassification, and expanding technical assistance and access to capital for entrepreneurs and creative professionals. Wisconsin’s artists, musicians, designers, writers, and other creative workers are small business owners and economic drivers in their own right. By supporting the creative economy alongside manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and the skilled trades, we strengthen both our workforce and our communities.
Personal Background: Music
Community Engagement: Yes. My husband and I have been Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra subscribers and supporters for many years.
Economic Growth: To strengthen economic growth and support small businesses across Wisconsin, I would prioritize policies that expand access to capital, reduce regulatory barriers, and invest in sectors like tourism, hospitality, and arts and cultural organizations that anchor our local economies. We should strengthen small business by expanding state-backed microloans and grants for start-ups. We should also invest in arts, culture, and creative industries by increasing stable, predictable state funding for these areas. To grow tourism and hospitality, I support expanding statewide tourism marketing, investing in infrastructure that supports tourism, and increasing paths to hospitality jobs through training programs and partnerships with local employers. As a longtime instructor at Waukesha County Technical College, I see firsthand how effective these training programs are.
Education: My top priorities for strengthening education outcomes center on expanding access, improving quality, and ensuring every learner, from early childhood through higher education, has opportunities to thrive academically, socially, and creatively. Arts education and creative learning are essential components of that vision. We must expand access to affordable, high-quality pre-K and Early Childhood Education. We must also make school funding more equitable so all students, regardless of geography have access to high-quality education. I will advocate for arts education in all school districts and support funding for theater, music, visual and digital arts. The orchestra program in my district had a profoundly positive effect on my sons and programming like this should be available for all kids. As an educator in the Wisconsin Technical College System, I will also prioritize strengthening access to a variety of post-secondary credential pathways like apprenticeships and early college opportunities for high school students because I witness the success of these programs every day.
Workforce: As more Wisconsinites earn their living through these types of positions, we need state policies that recognize and support this modern workforce. My priorities focus on improving economic stability, expanding access to benefits, and strengthening professional opportunities. I support expanding access to benefits by creating a public healthcare option, expanding BadgerCare, and offering options for state retirement programs that allow independent workers and small businesses to join. To improve economic stability, I support protections for freelance workers and expanding access to small business grants and microloans for independent contractors and creative professionals.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Media Arts
Community Engagement: My daughter was very active in choir and theater in high school and is studying theater management at Emerson College. I am a season subscriber to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Economic Growth: As a member of the Joint Finance Committee I supported Governor Evers’ proposals to bring Wisconsin out of the very bottom of state investment in the arts!
Education: I am working on policies that will increase state investments in public education so that schools don’t have to choose between math and music, art and after-school tutoring. With increasing use of AI the arts have never been more important. As a former elementary school teacher and as a parent lucky enough to send kids to schools that value the arts, I am a strong supporter in the arts for ALL ages.
Workforce: I support a BadgerCare public option so that health care is not tied to employment, increasing the minimum wage, repealing Act 10, and strengthening collective bargaining.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts, Media Arts
Community Engagement: I am on the Board for the Rahr-West Art Museum
Economic Growth: The State has had a fairly active tourism bureau that I think could be well used to support intra-state tourism as well. I know it is difficult to measure the ROI on Public Funds spent in support of tourism and arts, but it does matter
Education: Strong support of all the Arts is vital throughput education. Here in Manitowoc, I have been an advocate for a broader view of Student Art Month to include the performing and the mechanical arts.
Workforce: I am an advocate for opening up our state run healthcare and pension system to anyone who wants to buy in. These folks should also be welcome.
Personal Background: Dance
Community Engagement: Yes! Our community hosts a regular Levitt Music Series at City Green that I often attend. I also regularly attend many Sheboygan Area School District plays and concerts. I have an annual membership to the Sheboygan Theater Company as well, and love getting to see their productions.
Economic Growth: We in Sheboygan county are blessed with a strong Sheboygan county economic development corporation. They are constantly being tapped into to assist in supporting existing small businesses and foster the growth of new ones. Economic development is critical, and must be planned for through cooperation between state and local governments and businesses. I will be a partner with local governments to craft legislation that they see fit to help benefit small business growth.
Education: My top priority in the Assembly will be fully funding public education in the state. When we were facing large budget cuts at the Sheboygan Area School District while I was superintendent, we made a point to preserve strong programs in the arts. Different students learn differently, and the arts are one way many people thrive. We need to make sure our students have access to the arts and pass legislation to support these opportunities in our schools.
Workforce: I support badgercare expansion to make sure everyone in the state has access to affordable healthcare.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: My wife and I often attend performances at the Phipps Center For the Arts in Hudson WI. My son Ben was very involved in the Children’s Theater as he was growing up. This organization is a gem for Hudson. It showcases amazing local talent in all types of art forms.
Economic Growth: Local artisans and cultural sites are a critical part of economic development in the state. Its tourism draw is undeniable. Just from a purely economic perspective the arts are a win for Wisconsin and should be supported by the state in forms of grants. Of equal importance is what art adds to our quality of life. Art reminds us of what unites us. I think we can all agree that coming together as a community and enjoying and celebrating the arts is good for the community.
Education: As a recently retired public educator I can say with certainty that education in the arts plays an essential role in providing our students with a diverse set opportunities. Our economy needs workers with a wide variety of skill sets.
Workforce: In the 23-24 legislative session a bill was proposed for a state run retirement plan market place for small business owners and individuals. This cost saving method would have increased access to these retirement accounts. This bill needs to be reintroduced. A state level public option for healthcare is another needed step to bring more affordable healthcare to every Wisconsin citizen.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: Regularly attend plays at Nicolet College theatre
Economic Growth: I think one of the best ways we can help small businesses, and the smaller cultural organizations we find in the Northwoods, is by a making a viable, affordable public option for Health Insurance available to their employees.
Education: End the Voucher system. At the very least increase funding for Special Education. Ideally we will revamp the current funding formula across the state.
Workforce: At the state level we can provide a public option for Health Insurance. Especially in rural areas this will help when we have little to no competition for Health Insurance. At the national level I would like to see Universal Healthcare and we need to fix Social Security now!
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: local concert association
Economic Growth: Policies that make it easier for small businesses to spread out their tax obligations over time would take some pressure off of the type of economic activity that can take years to show a positive return.
Education: Currently, art programs are among the first to be cut from school when budgets are tight. I would favor DPI requiring schools to offer art programs K-12 in order to maintain accreditation.
Workforce: BadgerCare expansion would create an environment in which artists could focus on their work rather than have their work be avocations that come after they have worked for someone else all day just to get health insurance.
Personal Background: No background in the arts
Community Engagement: Yes, local live music in many different venues.
Economic Growth: Knowles Nelson DNR Grants. Live music venue support, and small business and entrepreneurship stimulation.
Education: Encourage foreign language study and acquisition, arts, and culture to strengthen communities.
Workforce: Extend state healthcare options to all Wisconsinites to opt in.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: American Players Theater – attend yearly performances, yearly tour
Circus World – attend yearly, past performer
Ov erature center – yearly performance membership
ALL theaters and Theater Guilds in my district – Zona Gale, Baraboo Theater Guild, UW Baraboo Theater, Sauk Prairie Arts Center
All Madison Theaters and performances involving art exhibits, plays, musicals, orchestra
Opera in the Park – patron and sponsor
Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Circus performer/director 30+ years
Economic Growth: There are several policies that I would prioritize to help support economic growth and small businesses. Specifically, we need to renew programs like the Main Street Bounceback program, invest in arts funding, and enable municipalities to reap the benefits of tourism through the increased regulation of short-term rentals.
First, I believe that we need to invest in programs like the Main Street Bounceback program and other grants programs that stimulate small businesses. Small businesses have an outsized impact on their communities and are the backbone of rural Wisconsin. Many have not fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and need support to sustain their operations or expand.
In addition to small business-specific grant programs, we need to increase arts funding generally in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is far behind neighboring states in arts funding despite the incredible economic impact arts and culture programs have. Investing in the arts is an investment in our communities’ economy, education, and health.
Other policy priorities that could help municipalities benefit more from tourism would be the increased regulation of short-term rentals. A growing issue is single-family houses and affordable residences being bought up by hedge funds or converted into short-term rentals for platforms like Air BnB. When properties are bought for investment purposes, they often sit empty for the majority of the time. Additionally, when residential properties are converted into short-term rentals, they place upward pressure on home prices and rents which prices people out of their communities. Municipalities also lose out on revenue from a loss of “room tax”. I have heard from constituents across the 40th District that because of these short-term rentals they aren’t able to accurately estimate the amount of vacation housing that is available.
Education: My top priority in strengthening education outcomes is increasing general and categorical aid to school districts. It is crucial that we prioritize public schools in a number of impactful ways. School funding needs to be addressed by increasing general school aid and other categorical aids like transportation aid and the special education reimbursement rate. An increase in general school aid is essential in supporting our students and educators by decreasing class sizes and increasing educational opportunities and offerings. General school aid is also where most arts education comes from, and increasing that funding would allow districts to expand art and music opportunities. An increase in transportation aid would be meaningful for school district budgets, especially rural districts. An increase in the special education aid to a reimbursement rate of 90% would also have a positive impact on district budgets and improve outcomes for students with disabilities. The State of Wisconsin also needs to invest in our educators through things like Grow Your Own teacher programs and other scholarship programs. When higher education and professional development for educators is more accessible, districts and students benefit.
For the pre-K level, it is crucial that we fund childcare programs. Childcare is fundamental to early childhood development and education, but Wisconsin’s childcare industry is struggling with operational costs rising faster than families can afford. With the reauthorization of programs like Childcare Counts, we could help re-stabilize the industry by providing essential relief to early childhood education providers.
Workforce: I would support measures that strengthen protections for workers in non-traditional employment arrangements and seek to create opportunities for them to opt-in to benefits.
To strengthen protections, Wisconsin could take inspiration from legislation such as California’s Freelance Worker Protection Act (FWPA). Some of the important protections in that legislation include the requirement of timely payment and written contracts prior to rendering services. In addition to these requirements, the act also prohibits discrimination, retaliation, and the changing of terms as a condition of timely payment.
It is also important to allow those with non-traditional employment arrangements to be able to opt-into family and medical paid leave. When workers are allowed to opt-in to these benefits, they are able to have the security and protection of supplemental income when they are unable to work. This is crucial to the wellbeing of the worker and improves long-term financial stability.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: I am a contributor to WPR and a member of my city’s Whitewater Arts Alliance. While on city council, I created an arts board so that we could fund local art projects around the city. I drive into Madison, Milwaukee, and Spring Green regularly to attend and support arts events.
Economic Growth: I would prioritize projects that help cities create more third spaces and a walkable environment to enjoy public art. Local cultural organizations are often the cultural soul of a city, and need more support for their projects. I would like to see small businesses rewarded for creating pleasing events and spaces for people to participate and lounge. My master’s work was in the built environment and public health. I deeply understand the need to make our urban environments more walkable, and more interesting and beautiful, creating healthy habits and more eyes on the street. I created a souped up farmers market in our little town where people can listen to music, bring their children and pets, have a refreshing drink. I also think there should be more public funding for fun parks, park benches, murals, artistic concrete work, great sidewalks, sculptures, skate parks, gathering spaces, bandstands, mosaics, and other things that give cities charm and bring people pride and whimsy.
Education: We should be prioritizing language and the arts. All other education actually stems from there. Beauty not only keeps us sane, the effort to create that beauty is often what helps encourage people to learn the hard skills and diligence it takes to create that beauty. It sickens me that when schools lose funding, the first thing they cut is music, art, and language. My caucus has a plan to restore special education funding for schools in a sustainable way that doesn’t force schools to cut the most important subjects. In fact, we have a plan to do it that will not raise property taxes. Farther down the road, I think we need to revamp our education degrees in college, make them more difficult and harder to get into, pay our teachers a lot more, and make education a career that everyone respects.
Workforce: I will work toward making sure that healthcare is accessible and affordable so that entrepreneurs can start a business with the knowledge that they can afford their healthcare. This may be making it possible to buy into Badgercare, but I would like to move toward single payer healthcare or something very similar. My caucus has also discussed opening up the Wisconsin retirement system, which is well-managed, so that entrepreneurs can save for their retirement.
Personal Background: Visual Arts
Personal Background: Music
Community Engagement: Yes. Often. I attend Fox Valley Symphony concerts a couple of times a season, see a few shows at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and the wonderful free concerts at Lawrence University where my sister is an alum and my niece is a student in choir. I also attend Mile of Music Concerts. I am also a member of the Trout Museum of Art and attend openings.
Economic Growth: I think Wisconsin needs to raise its per capita arts spending significantly. I think this can be done thorugh supported grands via WEDC that encourage the creation of art and music.
Education: The state should fund special education reimbursement to 60%+ and increase it’s investment in the general fund to start. When we fully fund public schools, we know that programs like music and the arts are supported. They are often the first cut during deficit and budget crisis as the general public see them as optional and not core curriculum.
Workforce: We need a public healthcare option not tied to employment so that freelancers and others can buy into Badgercare at an affordable rate for quality care. We need paid family leave for all and we need to accept the federal Medicaid expansion. I think it is also work looking into reduced rate housing for artists and creators.
Personal Background: Music, Theater
Community Engagement: We have gone to all the museums locally that I know of. Also some high school plays
Economic Growth: Lowering property taxes to start. Which would allow people to have more to spend on participating in the arts. Would love to find a way to increase tourism, which again would help increase spending in the arts community.
Education: Arts should be a part of any school. My daughters were all very talented in that area.
I think we need to find a way to improve education outcomes for kids, not just throw money at the issue without seeing good results. Arts are very important for younger students and should be available as kids progress through the grades.
Workforce: I have owned my own businesses for 30 years, so I know the struggles of affording healthcare. I know this can be improved. When people are just starting out there should be affordable options for them to have a health plan whether single or a young family. Insurance companies need to work with the state on this.
Personal Background: Music, Dance
Community Engagement: Plays and galleries in Milwaukee. Plays, Peninsula Players in Door County, Birch Creek youth camp all instruments performances
Economic Growth: Legislation to support and monies to advertise and support all sectors of our way of life. To invest in human capital funding thru education and training. I support state wide Arts and tourism grants.. I support the small business development grant programs. I support institutional partnerships. I support film and production incentives.
I what small businesses to be protected from being squeezed out by corporate chains .
Education: I support our public schools who do not get the funding needed. I support a 66% funding level and a 100% level for special ed. I do not support voucher school that take away funding from our public schools. Many school in our stat are facing referendums because of not being funded. This causes public schools to cut back or eliminate programs and teachers in the specials such as art and music. This is not fair and I would seek legislation to tackle this problem
Workforce: The gig economy faces complex issues. They deserve respect. They must feel supported. We need to classify workers to avoid legal and financial problems. We need to pay attention to the culture and the community. Support and embrace flexibility in the work life balance. Establish a recruiting strategy for hiring. Be fair about compensation for services provided. Pass legislation to support Gig and all workers.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: I have sung with South Shore Chorale, the largest volunteer choir in the Fond du Lac area. My children and husband have been very active in Fond du Lac Community Theatre, and I support them in all of their productions. Two of my children also sing in the Fond du Lac Area Children’s Chorale, and all three of them take dance classes, so I support them and attend all of their performances. I attend visual art exhibits and concerts in the Fond du Lac area as I am able to, as well. We are so fortunate in my district to have a thriving arts community!
Economic Growth: We saw a great deal of success with the Main Street Bounceback Program, which supported small businesses and nonprofits with grant funds to get them into vacant spaces in their communities. In my work on the Fond du Lac City Council, we worked to mirror this program by allocating funds to the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership to create grant programs for new businesses and experience generators. I would support a statewide program to provide this type of funding to help create and enhance small businesses and nonprofits, especially those that focus on arts and culture. I see a great deal of value in supporting the arts, as this increases tourism and brings dollars into our local economies.
Education: One of the main reasons I am running for State Assembly is to address our state’s broken education funding system. We need a more equitable and sustainable funding system in Wisconsin. Currently we rely on a system which has required many school districts to go to referendum to address budget deficits. For the districts that are unable to pass referendums, we are seeing them cutting staff and programs, leaving those students with less access to educational opportunities that their peers might get in better-funded districts. I will prioritize working to fix education funding—including special education funding—to ensure all students have access to a quality public education, which would absolutely include access to arts education and creative learning opportunities. I see the tremendous value of arts education from my own experience and my children’s experiences, and all of Wisconsin’s kids should have opportunities to participate in art, music, and other creative outlets in their schools.
Workforce: As we see more workers participating in the “gig economy,” we need to start by expanding healthcare access and ensuring healthcare is more affordable. We could start by expanding Medicaid access in Wisconsin. We need to look at ways to ensure all workers have access to retirement accounts. As someone who would be in my first term in state office if elected to the Assembly, I would be willing to work with fellow legislators to find solutions. Above all, I support workers’ rights and will be committed to finding ways to support hardworking Wisconsinites, who shouldn’t have to worry about how they are going to afford healthcare or retirement.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Growing up in Wisconsin, my family were patrons of the American Players Theatre and Overture Center in Madison, and I regularly attended shows and plays, becoming acquainted with the arts scene in our state’s capital.
Since moving back to the state, I have been looking to explore the vibrant arts scene in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas, including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Skylight Theatre, and Pabst Theater. I am also looking to become a member of the Milwaukee Public Museum . I regularly attend the Greendale Farmer’s Market to support local artists directly and am impressed by their continued dedication to the arts despite the lack of existing state support.
Economic Growth: Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and the arts community in Wisconsin depends on them, from local galleries and music venues to the coffee shops that host open mic nights. Right now, it’s harder than ever to start and sustain a small business in our state. That’s why my affordability agenda includes small businesses, not just households.
First, we need to make it more affordable for small businesses to provide healthcare to their employees. The rising cost of insurance is one of the biggest burdens small business owners face, and I support expanding state tax credits to help them offer coverage without cutting into wages or forcing impossible tradeoffs.
Second, we need commonsense regulatory reform. Small business owners shouldn’t need a compliance department to navigate state requirements. I’ll work to streamline licensing and permitting so entrepreneurs, including working artists and creative businesses, can spend less time on paperwork and more time serving their communities.
Third, we need to reform our corporate tax structure so a five-person shop isn’t paying the same effective rate as a massive corporation. Our tax code should reflect the difference between a Main Street business and a multinational company.
When small businesses thrive, local arts thrive alongside them. I would also support increased funding for cultural organizations through the Wisconsin Arts Board and pursue public-private partnerships that give local artists more opportunities to showcase their work in their own communities.
Education: I understand the critical role that education plays in improving the outcomes for our next generations. The state currently is not fully funding our public schools, which creates critical gaps in support for our children. I support using existing state funds to fully fund public schools, which will also lower property taxes for individuals, improving affordability and giving Wisconsinites more funds to live comfortably. Once our schools are funded, I also support increasing the role of arts education in our curricula, as I’ve seen the benefits that the arts have played in my own upbringing and broadening my perspectives on the world around me. Kids should be exposed to a variety of different perspectives, and using the arts to do so benefits everyone. I believe that arts education makes better citizens and better people.
Workforce: As our economy continues to change, it is important that we don’t leave everyday people fending for themselves. That’s why I support improving healthcare access for all citizens through a public option at the state level. This would improve access by giving a low cost alternative to the rising healthcare premiums, especially for freelance and contract workers, lower costs across the board through competition, and allow these creatives to not worry about how they are going to pay for healthcare. I also support lowering property taxes to lessen the economic burden that they play in the lives of working class Wisconsin residents. I understand how hard it is to get by in this state right now, and I will fight for any measures that will lower costs and put more money in your pocket.
Personal Background: Music, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: We own a local business that partners with the Lemon Street Art Gallery, which puts on a monthly art market in the summer months. We also sponsor several music festivals in Kenosha: The Kenosha Pops, Tuesdays at the Shell, the Peacetime Music Festival, and Midwest Mix Fest. We also book live music at our establishment Wednesday – Sunday.
Economic Growth: As a local business owner that books live music and arts and crafts shows every week we understand the connection between the economy and the arts. Kenosha is a tourist economy. I sing with a local German choir that performs regularly and own a business that books live music five days a week, including open mics and jams. Our business is also part of the Union Park Arts District in Kenosha.
Education: I am a former colleges professor and have served as a trustee of Gateway Technical College. Education is essential to developing critical and adaptive thinking skills. I believe that we should dramatically increase the budget of the Wisconsin Arts Board and prioritize music education in our schools.
Workforce: We need to expand BadgerCare and offer a pubic option. We also need to offer a public option for people to buy into the Wisconsin Retirement System.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: In the past two years I’ve attended over a dozen events at the Pablo Center and the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre. As an author, I’ve done presentations about my books, including a public presentation in Black River Falls last year, and I attend other author events.
Economic Growth: Wisconsin spends about 20 cents per capita on arts funding which seems pathetic next to Minnesota’s $10.07. Their Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund receives about $70 million annually due to their Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, of which 47% is allocated to the state arts board. Wisconsin needs to increase investment in the Wisconsin Arts Board. This would allow for broader grant distribution, such as the Creative Communities program. And we could offer substantial grants to individual artists like Minnesota does. But we also need to acknowledge that a larger investment would make arts and cultural opportunities accessible to Wisconsinites. I fully support the program for Rural Creative Economy Development.
Education: First, keep public dollars in public schools. Put transparency in our property tax statements so we know where money for our local public schools is being siphoned. Fully fund public schools. Wisconsin ranks 48th in per capita arts funding. Pre-K -12 arts education and creative learning opportunities are an absolute necessity if Wisconsin is going to be considered a place where arts and culture thrive. Public schools need to teach the arts right alongside STEM.
Workforce: As a freelance writer, I am one of these workers. Fortunately, my husband’s job provided health insurance. But most of us are left hanging with no retirement other than what we manage to set aside. Wisconsin’s motto is Forward and we need to embrace that by building an industry around arts and culture within which former freelancers can thrive with consistent income that includes benefits. There should be tax incentives as well as advocacy that stresses the importance of the arts to communities, the economy, and the culture of our state. Creativity could exist inside of the economy as a permanent workforce, not just a part-time gig.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Photography, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Yes, CREATE Portage County, Central Wisconsin ACT, Overture Center for the Arts, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, etc, etc.
Economic Growth: Creating a Minnesota style funding model for the creative economy.
Education: Fully funding our public schools, including the arts and music, so that our children have ample opportunities to creatively express themselves and maximize their learning potential.
Workforce: Wisconsin has been left in the dark regarding program creation and funding for our creative economy. We need to seriously consider a per capita increase to our creative economy funding formula so that communities have the opportunity to apply for grants for placemaking and increased tourism.
Additionally, significant health benefits could be attained through the BadgerCare Public Option bill we proposed, which would allow individuals and small businesses to opt in to insure themselves and their employees.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: Long before I became a candidate, I regularly attended community festivals, cultural events, local performances, museums, and historic celebrations throughout central Wisconsin because I enjoy learning about the communities that make our state unique. Since beginning my campaign, I have continued to make these events a priority, recognizing that the arts and cultural organizations are essential to preserving our history, supporting local economies, attracting tourism, and bringing people together. As someone who is also pursuing creative projects of my own centered on Wisconsin’s landscapes and stories, I have an even greater appreciation for the work of artists, musicians, writers, and cultural organizations. If elected, I look forward to continuing those relationships and ensuring the arts have a seat at the table in conversations about education, economic development, and community investment.
Economic Growth: Wisconsin’s economy is strongest when our small businesses and communities succeed together. I would prioritize policies that reduce unnecessary barriers for entrepreneurs, invest in workforce development, expand reliable broadband, and support the infrastructure that allows businesses to grow in both rural and urban communities.
My career in hospitality has shown me firsthand how tourism creates a ripple effect that benefits restaurants, hotels, retail shops, local attractions, artists, and cultural organizations. Visitors don’t just spend money at one location—they support entire communities. That’s why investing in tourism, preserving our historic and cultural assets, and promoting local events are smart economic investments.
I also believe we should continue supporting the arts because they are both an economic driver and an important part of our quality of life. Strong communities attract businesses and families when they offer vibrant downtowns, cultural experiences, public spaces, and opportunities for creativity.
Economic growth isn’t about picking winners and losers. It’s about creating an environment where small businesses, family farms, manufacturers, nonprofits, artists, and entrepreneurs all have the opportunity to succeed. Government should be a partner that helps communities thrive, not an obstacle they have to overcome.
Education: Some of my favorite memories from grade school were in art class. Looking back as an adult, I have an even greater appreciation for my teacher. Art wasn’t even her primary subject—language arts was—but she made sure we experienced the joy of creating. She taught us that art wasn’t about being perfect; it was about expressing ourselves, trying new things, and seeing the world a little differently. I don’t think I appreciated what she was doing at the time, but I certainly do now.
Those experiences helped shape my belief that arts education is an essential part of a well-rounded education, not an extracurricular luxury. Every child deserves access to music, visual arts, theater, and creative writing because those experiences foster creativity, confidence, critical thinking, and curiosity.
My priorities for education are ensuring our public schools are adequately funded, supporting and retaining great teachers, expanding career and technical education, and giving every student the opportunity to succeed. As technology continues to reshape our world, creativity will become just as valuable as technical skills. We should encourage opportunities that allow students to combine the arts with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics so they are prepared for the future.
Strong public schools build strong communities, and that means investing in both academic excellence and the creative opportunities that help students discover who they are.
Workforce: My career has allowed me to experience the workforce from several perspectives—as an employee, a manager, a consultant, and now as someone building a small creative business. Each role has taught me that independent workers, freelancers, artists, and entrepreneurs make important contributions to Wisconsin’s economy, but they often face unique challenges when it comes to affordable health insurance, retirement savings, and financial stability.
I support policies that expand access to affordable healthcare, encourage portable retirement savings options, and provide practical resources that help independent workers start and grow successful businesses. We should also continue investing in workforce development, broadband access, and small business programs that help creative professionals reach new markets and customers.
Wisconsin has a long tradition of innovation, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship. Whether someone is an artist, musician, writer, software developer, tradesperson, or consultant, they deserve the opportunity to build a sustainable career without unnecessary barriers. Government’s role should be to create an environment where people have the tools and opportunities to succeed while allowing them the freedom to pursue their own path.
As I’ve worked to build my own creative business, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the courage it takes to turn an idea into a livelihood. It’s exciting, but it’s also challenging. That experience has reinforced my belief that Wisconsin should be a place where innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship are encouraged and supported.
Personal Background: Music, Photography, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Community theatre has a big presence in my district, and I regularly attend shows. I’m also a huge fan of live music and attend local shows regularly, be they large acts that visit our seasonal venue in Bayfield or smaller, homegrown bands. In my first term in the legislature, I was a strong supporter of the film tax credit that was passed and signed into law.
Economic Growth: We need to fund arts and culture as an economic development strategy. There is a well-developed body of research that makes clear that investments in the arts is a smart use of money. This is why I have advocated for an increase in funding that could go to statewide arts grants. We also need to address the cost of housing as a foundational requirement for any tourism / arts economy. There are many artists in my district who figure out how to get by financially so that they can commit as much time as possible to their craft, but that is made much, much harder when housing becomes too expensive. My district is also a major tourism hub, and we have a large number of employees who come to the region for seasonal work. They all need housing!
Education: My top educational priorities include: increasing funding at the k-12 and higher-ed levels; advocating for holistic education grounded in the liberal arts; and strengthening the teaching profession by ensuring that educators are able to have dignified careers. I whole-heartedly believe that the arts have a critical role to play in education. Education should be focused on helping people to become whoever they are, and it plays a key role in helping us learn how to create a flourishing life. I was a professor of sociology at a small liberal arts college for 12 years, and in that time, I became evermore convinced that to help people discover their purpose and meaning, we have to provide them with a wide array of intellectual and creative opportunities. Education is not first and foremost getting a job; it is the path we walk as we figure out what we can contribute to the world, and we need to craft policies that value education at this deeper, more human level.
Workforce: We need a universal healthcare system that is not tied to employment for many reasons, not least because it would allow people more freedom to pursue their passions rather than being tied to a job simply for healthcare. While this would have to be a federal initiative, I support expanding Badgercare access and creating a state public option as a step in that direction. Retirement is a tougher nut to crack at the state level, though I am open to looking at any policy idea.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre, Photography
Community Engagement: I have attended many concerts at the Indianhead Harts Center in Shel Lake, WI. Amazing talent from all around the world.
Economic Growth: I’m prepared to ask that the art center be given a grant to expand their season into the winter bringing in Shakespeare.
Education: Our schools seem to threaten dropping the arts as funding is reduced. We need to enpower students and staff to resist and support our schools.
Workforce: Healthcare should be a right, all deserve no matter the income.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Literary Arts, Media Arts
Community Engagement: As an artist myself, I’m constantly creating art. From performing as a comedian, writer, and actor, I support the arts by engaging with other artists and attending performances in our community. As an alder on the Madison Common Council, I’ve also served on our city’s Arts Commission. My small business, Lady Laughs Comedy, has produced comedy shows and podcasts and has trained artists in stand up, camera acting, sketch comedy, script writing, as well as the business of the arts.
Art is a powerful tool of resistance and community building. It brings us together. At a time when the humanities are under attack and our freedom of expression is being undermined, we can’t lose sight of the value of the arts and the role they play in our society. I’m fiercely committed to that.
Economic Growth: As a small business owner, I know that when our small businesses do well, our economy does well. That includes the artists, performers, and cultural organizations that bring people into our downtowns and Main Streets and give visitors a reason to stay.
In the Assembly, I will fight to expand access to low interest loans and targeted forgiveness programs so that creative entrepreneurs and small business owners are not locked out of getting started. I will work to create a one-stop-shop licensing system that standardizes timelines across the state to thirty days or less, because red tape should never be the reason a business can’t open its doors. I will support Community Development Financial Institutions that serve small businesses often overlooked by traditional lenders, and I will push for Main Street revitalization grants that help communities fill vacant storefronts with the kind of local shops, galleries, and venues that strengthen a community and give it a sense of meaning, unity, and character.
Tourism, hospitality, and the arts are not separate from our economy and cannot be seen as such. They are part of what makes people want to live, work, visit, and build a life here. As someone who has worked in the arts and entertainment industry for most of my life, I know that firsthand.
Education: Wisconsin has a constitutional obligation to fund public education, and it’s time we finally meet it. My top priority is fully funding our public schools so districts are not forced to rely on referendums just to keep the lights on. That means raising the special education reimbursement rate to at least ninety percent, increasing general aid, giving teachers a raise, stopping the voucher school program that siphons taxpayer dollars from public school classrooms, and making sure every child has access to free healthy meals and real mental health support at school. We can do all of these things, and fixing our broken school funding formula is the first step.
Education also doesn’t stop at high school. I’ll fight for more affordable tuition at our public colleges and universities and work to offer free community college to all Wisconsin residents. When we invest in education, we are investing in our future. And I will always invest in our future first.
A well-rounded education gives our kids more than one way to find their voice, and for a lot of students, music, theatre, and visual arts are where they first find their confidence and sense of self. When schools are forced to cut budgets, arts programs are all too often the first to go. That couldn’t be more backwards. I will fight to make sure our schools are fully funded so that artistic and creative learning are not treated as expendable.
Workforce: For most of my career, I’ve worked in the service industry for $2.33 an hour plus tips. I built a small creative business of my own and pieced together gig work to barely make ends meet. I know what it’s like to live without the benefits and safety net that comes with a traditional job, and I know that I’m not alone. That is exactly how so many of our artists, musicians, and performers get by in this economy.
As a State Representative, I will raise the minimum wage and tie future increases to inflation. I’ll invest in truly affordable housing, fully funded public schools, and universal childcare to make life more affordable for working families. I’ll fight for healthcare as a human right, including a BadgerCare public option with lower premiums and greater coverage, so that freelancers and independent workers are not one medical emergency away from bankruptcy simply because they don’t have a traditional employer. I will pass paid family and medical leave for all workers, not just those with a W-2. And I will support portable benefits models that allow creative and gig workers to build toward retirement and access health coverage that follows them from job to job, because your economic stability and dignity should not depend on what kind of paycheck you get.
Personal Background: Music, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: During my tenure on the Dane County Board of Supervisors, I was proud to initiate public investments into the Black Business Hub and the Center for Black Excellence and Culture in South Madison, which continue to provide state-of-the-art spaces for visual and performance arts, as well as cultural events and small business development within the community.
Additionally, I actively participate in annual events, including the Madison Juneteenth Celebration and AfricaFest, which, in addition to being important cultural celebrations, also showcase and highlight the talents of local visual artists, performers, musicians, artisans, and chefs.
I have also previously served as a member of the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, the Alliant Energy Center Redevelopment Committee, and the Monona Terrace Board of Directors, giving me an active role in shaping my district and county’s strategy for attracting, retaining, and developing tourist and cultural events.
Economic Growth: As a former member of the Assembly Committee on Tourism and the Governor’s Council on Tourism, I understand the magnitude to which tourism, hospitality, and local arts and cultural organizations not only fuel economies, but also help build stronger, healthier, happier communities.
I have been a strong supporter of the Main Street Bounceback Program, which was administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and helped many small businesses recover after closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I will continue to support state investment to reactivate this program, which was originally funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars, so that it can once again support small businesses across our state.
This session, I was also proud to cosponsor 2025 Wisconsin Act 175, which seeks to improve the effectiveness of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Opportunity Attraction and Promotion Program. I additionally cosponsored Assembly Bill 1009, which would authorize counties and municipalities to establish tourism promotion improvement districts.
I will continue to introduce and support legislation that creates economic opportunities for small businesses and local municipalities through tourism, hospitality, and the arts.
Education: We cannot strengthen educational outcomes without strengthening investment in our schools. As a former Special Education teacher, I have consistently advocated for 100% reimbursement of special education for every district in our state since I was first elected to the Legislature in 2018.
Our current school funding formula deprives our schools of the funding they require to ensure that every child has access to a quality free public education, while at the same time raising property taxes and putting intense economic pressure on homeowners. I will continue to advocate for comprehensive school funding that makes sufficient and proactive public investments in our education system while alleviating costs for taxpayers.
I believe that arts education and creative learning opportunities are critical for empowering students’ self-expression and helping them grow into well-rounded members of our community. This session, I cosponsored Assembly Bill 1114, which would establish a fine arts teacher mentorship program for beginning music, art and performance art instructors. I will continue to support and prioritize funding for the arts and arts education.
Workforce: Every Wisconsinite should have access to economic stability. This past session, I cosponsored Assembly Bill 1153, which would create a BadgerCare public option, providing affordable healthcare access to Wisconsinites without employer-sponsored health insurance.
I also cosponsored Assembly Bill 1012, which would create a paid medical and family leave program for the State of Wisconsin, expanding access to this critical benefit for more workers across our state. The session previous, I cosponsored Assembly Bill 1170, which would create the WisEARNS retirement program for individuals without access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts
Community Engagement: Yes. I partnered with the Verona Community Orchestra on a kids concert and narrated Peter and the Wolf for them. It was the most fun thing I”ve done as a legislator!
Economic Growth: I’m the lead sponsor of the bill to bring back Regional Transit Authorities. I’m a cosponsor of all major labor bills to support workers in every industry.
Education: A sound public education is the constitutional right of every student in Wisconsin. The K-12 funding formula needs an overhaul, and special education funding needs to be dramatically increased. Public dollars should not support private schools. The burden of school funding needs to be shifted back to state income tax from local property tax, which is a shift that was a result of Republican policies since 2011.
Workforce: I’m the lead sponsor of WisEarns, which would create a state-sponsored retirement program for all workers whose employers do not offer them. I’m a cosponsor of a bill that prevents misclassification of workers as contractors, a loophole employers abuse to exploit workers. I’m also the lead sponsor of a bill to expand and increase the Homestead Credit, which helps people afford their rent or mortgage and stay in their homes. I’m the lead sponsor of a bill to expand and increase the earned income tax credit, which puts money in the pockets of workers who need it most.
Personal Background: No background in the arts
Community Engagement: no
Economic Growth: I would fight to keep property taxes at an affordable rate.
Education: My top priority is to increase the literacy rate. The literacy rate in Wisconsin is unacceptable. An excellent education is the key to a better future. More emphasis should be put on reading , writing and math. The arts should play a vital role but only after students are testing at grade level. We should be working for at least 99% literacy first.
Workforce: It should not be the responsibility of the State to underwrite independent Contractors. The focus of the State should be to help people that are disabled or have health issues that prevent them from affording their own health and retirement benefits.
Personal Background: Photography, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Yes, Arts for All. I attended a tour of classes and programs they offer to the public.
Economic Growth: On the Tourism Committee, I’m committed to investing in arts programs that currently are being left behind in the state. Wisconsin is 49th out of 50 in state support for the arts and that needs to change. Specifically, I championed restoring the Mainstreet Bounceback Program that helped small businesses get access to capital to open or expand their operations into vacant storefronts. This would help revitalize main streets in all 72 counties.
Education: It is crucial that we fix Wisconsin’s outdated funding formula. When districts are not getting the state portion of school funding to keep pace with inflation, districts are often left with having to cut their operating budget or raise property taxes (or both). Arts programs are usually first in line to get cut. That hurts our kids’ educational outcomes. Wisconsin has the funds to adequately fund our schools so that we can help students explore creative learning opportunities rather than just demanding our schools do more with less
Workforce: We need to establish more public options for freelancers, independent workers, and non-traditional employment arrangements. First establishing a public option buy-in for BadgerCare would expand access to reliable healthcare so that people don’t have to tie their health insurance to their job. I also sponsored legislation to allow Wisconsinites to buy into the state retirement plan, which would offer another great option for those that do not have access to a company plan. Then we have to better market the funding opportunities that state has available to those looking to expand their professional work or businesses.
Personal Background: Music, Theatre
Community Engagement: Yes, I am a Board member of the Central Chamber Chorale and have sung with them for over 20 years. I am also very active in our local Theater community performing in various productions over the last 2 decades as well.
Economic Growth: The largest priority upon election is to begin to raise the tax rate on the top 1% of income earners in this state. I believe that increasing our tax income in the state will allow us to begin supporting a large variety of programs ranging from Healthcare to road repair and increased funding for the Arts will be one of those priorities.
Education: I’ve spoken with School superintendents and increasing the funding rates, creating equity in per child spending, increasing funding limits to match inflationary increases, and eliminating the Voucher system are some of the largest priorities to repair our school systems. If Public schools can once again rely on proper state funding the Arts in those schools won’t constantly be on the chopping block.
Workforce: I believe that by increasing the tax rate on the highest earners we will be able to afford to expand Badgercare, and if an employer is faced with higher taxation rates they will also pay employees a higher wage to avoid paying taxes. If we begin to push our highest earning citizens to pay their fair share of the tax burden it will lead to positive outcomes for average citizens in many areas, and that will buoy the Arts as well.
Personal Background: No background in the arts
Community Engagement: I try to show up for the arts in this community as much as I can. I go to the Art Walk every year, and I make a point of attending our high school’s plays, musicals, and jazz band performances. Our kids put so much work into those; they deserve a full house. I enjoy catching shows at the Birder Theater in De Pere with my family, and every year, I volunteer at our holiday craft fair too.
Economic Growth: Small businesses, tourism, and our arts community hold up a lot of local economies; this district is no different. I want business owners to actually be able to hire and grow, which means lowering costs standing in their way: affordable child care so employees can show up to work, and health care options that don’t force an owner to choose between covering their team and keeping the doors open. Programs like the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund bring real tourism dollars into districts like ours too. We need leadership in Madison that will prioritize putting dollars into programs like these so our state continues to be an affordable place for families to live, work, and play.
Education: I’m a School Board Treasurer. Fixing how we fund public schools is where I start. Districts shouldn’t have to keep going back to taxpayers with referendum after referendum, year after year. Every kid deserves a well-funded school with well-supported teachers, and that includes the arts. Music, theater, dance, and creative learning teach kids how to think and grow. They should be treated as real parts of the curriculum from pre-K through college, rather than the first thing cut when budgets get tight because Madison won’t pay its fair share.
Workforce: A lot of folks in this district, including our artists and freelancers, are piecing together a living without the protections a traditional job provides. In Madison, I’d advocate for a BadgerCare Public Option, health care coverage that doesn’t depend on having one single employer. I’d also fight for 12 weeks paid family and medical leave that covers these workers too. Doing creative work for a living shouldn’t mean going without basic security and peace of mind.
Personal Background: Music, Dance, Photography, Media Arts
Community Engagement: Yes. I believe the arts are central to the civic life of any strong community, and artists are essential to building connection, improving mental health, and increasing our quality of life.
I opened the only community office for a State Representative in Wisconsin, and from the beginning I wanted it to be more than a traditional politician’s office. For our opening, we partnered with local artists who specialize in mental health and incorporated activities that used art to bring people together and support well-being. I have also worked with SAGE to amplify social prescribing, connecting people with local artists, creative activities, and community experiences as another tool to address mental health and social isolation.
Through more than 30 town halls and community conversations, I have also heard directly from artists worried that the arts are being left behind because of inadequate funding, the rising cost of housing, and the difficulty of earning a living wage. Those conversations have informed my work on housing, wages, and local efforts to strengthen our creative community.
Supporting the arts cannot just mean showing up for performances or events. It means treating artists as workers, neighbors, and essential contributors to the identity, economy, health, and future of our communities, and making sure they can afford to live and create here.
Economic Growth: I believe economic development works best when the people who already make a community special are centered in its growth.
We saw that with the NFL Draft. As Chief of Staff, I helped lead Green Bay’s work to prepare the smallest market in the NFL to host one of the largest sporting events in the country. We worked intentionally to create opportunities for local small businesses, artists, hospitality workers, and mental health supports, while showcasing what makes Green Bay unique. After leaving City Hall, I continued supporting those efforts as a State Representative, including helping secure tourism and public safety dollars to make the event successful.
As State Representative in partnership with local leaders took that same approach with 1st ever Pride in downtown Green Bay, where nearly 3,000 people came together and we created opportunities to feature local artists, musicians, food vendors, and locally made products. Events like these are not just celebrations. They are economic development, talent attraction, and a way to build stronger community connections.
That is the lens I bring to policy statewide. I support increasing wages so people can afford to participate in the communities they help build, expanding accessible and affordable housing so workers and artists can stay here, investing in tourism and destination marketing, and making sure small businesses and arts and cultural organizations have access to capital, grants, and technical support.
The way we do big things is by making sure our small businesses, local artists, hospitality workers, and residents are not an afterthought. They should be at the center. When we invest in the people and experiences that make our neighborhoods worth visiting and living in, we strengthen both our economy and our quality of life.
Education: My top priority is making sure Wisconsin finally meets its responsibility to fully fund our public schools. For too long, the state has underfunded public education and pushed more of that burden onto local taxpayers. I have stood with Green Bay schools in that fight and led efforts to bring greater transparency to publicly funded private voucher schools, including making sure taxpayers can see on their tax bills where those dollars are going.
But funding is only part of the answer. I believe in community schools that support the whole child and the whole family. That means strong academics alongside mental health services, arts and music, case management, after-school opportunities, and connections to community resources. Government can be a force for good when we remove the barriers that keep a young person from learning and thriving.
That is also why I co-authored Healthy School Meals for All. A hungry child cannot fully learn, create, participate, or simply enjoy being a kid. No student should have their opportunity limited because their family cannot afford breakfast or lunch.
Arts and creative learning should be an essential part of education from universal pre-K through higher education. The arts teach creativity, confidence, problem-solving, collaboration, and expression, while also creating pathways into our creative economy. Green Bay is fortunate to have schools, technical colleges, and universities where people can develop those skills, produce art, and explore careers. We should strengthen those opportunities, not treat them as extras that disappear when budgets get tight.
I also strongly support our technical colleges because education should not have one doorway to success. They provide affordable pathways for people of every age to learn a trade, develop creative and technical skills, change careers, and pursue their dreams.
Learning also happens outside the classroom. I helped create the Green Bay Conservation Corps, bringing together service, workforce development, environmental stewardship, and hands-on learning.
Whether someone discovers their future through college, a technical program, the arts, a skilled trade, or service, our education system should give them the tools and opportunity to thrive. When we invest in the whole person, we build stronger families, a stronger workforce, and stronger communities.
Workforce: Every worker deserves the chance to earn a meaningful wage, afford housing and health care, build retirement security, and have benefits they can actually use. Whether you are a meatpacker, an artist, a freelancer, or someone starting a small business, Green Bay believes hard work should pay off.
That is why I have supported restoring collective bargaining rights and strengthening worker protections, because workers should have a real voice in their pay, benefits, and working conditions. I have also supported expanding health care options, including a BadgerCare public option and a state-based marketplace that would give more Wisconsinites affordable coverage even when their job does not provide traditional benefits.
Economic stability also means protecting people from systems designed to keep them in debt. I helped lead bipartisan legislation to cap certain predatory consumer and short-term lending rates at 36 percent and require greater transparency from lenders. Too many working people get trapped by interest rates that make it nearly impossible to get ahead. Government has a responsibility to create a fair playing field.
I also support expanding access to retirement security for workers who do not have a traditional employer-sponsored plan. Wisconsin has built one of the strongest public retirement systems in the country, and I believe we should explore ways to make high-quality, portable retirement opportunities available to more Wisconsinites, including independent workers and people employed by small businesses. Wisconsin’s current retirement system primarily serves public employees, while many private-sector workers still lack workplace retirement options.
We also have to address the basic cost of living. I have worked on policies to raise wages, expand affordable housing and homeownership, and strengthen consumer protections because freelancers and creative professionals face the same pressures as every other working family, often without the stability of a traditional paycheck.
The future of work is changing, but our values should not. Benefits and economic security should not disappear because someone changes jobs, works independently, creates art for a living, or builds their own business. State policy should make health care, retirement, housing, and basic economic security more portable, accessible, and dependable so people can take risks, pursue their talents, and still build a stable life.
Personal Background: Music, Dance, Literary Arts
Community Engagement: Yes! I have regularly attended music festivals, music concerts, plays (both traveling and local performances) art shows, book reading, poetry events and writer’s guild events in my area. I have a rule that I must see a live art event at least once a month.
Economic Growth: I was happy to support the movie incentives in the last session but the arts are also about local CVB having the resources to advertise local events as well as big events. Its about making sure we have funding for the humanities council. Making sure local areas have great parks and bike trails to attract day travelers is as key as making sure large festivals attract large crowds that sell out all hotel rooms. But the biggest importance is making sure the Tourism department and local CVB have the resources to uplift what they see as being unique and timely. Businesses bring people to an area to work, schools make sure families stay there but the arts are what people want to make sure they enjoy life in an area.
Education: I am the ranking Democrat on Colleges and Universities and sadly we see more and more talk about job preparedness in higher ed. I worry that means we will be shutting down music, art and theater departments as budgets get tighter. That would be a terrible decision for our schools and our communities. People may not be able to afford a traveling show at a performing arts center but they can go to the local college’s band concert. And if we want to look at preparing people for the future, making sure they can have a theater class that helps them speak in front of people is an important piece of the puzzle.
As far as k-12 education, making sure we have art and music is sometimes the only thing that keeps some students engaged in school. They show up for math because they love band.
Workforce: I believe its critically important for us to have medical policies that folks can buy into while also receiving group buying power. We have introduced bills about Badgercare public options in the past and I would love to see them signed into law. I would also love to see more policies that encourage retirement programs for those who do not have access to a work related 401k. It does need to be separate from the WRS system but it could mirror it.
Personal Background: Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Literary Arts, Fiber Arts
Community Engagement: My husband, Tim, and I have financially supported UFAH (United Fund for the Arts and Humanities) for more than 30 years, and I proudly served as a director on the board of UFAH. I volunteer at local music festivals. Over the years, we have been season ticket holders for the La Crosse Symphony, Viterbo Brightstar Series, and La Crosse Community Theater.
Economic Growth: Wisconsin must follow the lead of our neighboring states to expand tax credits for tourism and the arts in Wisconsin. The Film Wisconsin program, which I supported, is a great example of this. The program provides tax credits and other financial incentives to film projects that shoot in Wisconsin. This should be a model for promoting the arts and tourism of our beautiful state.
Education: Public education must be fully funded by state dollars and the voucher experiment has to end. We can’t afford to continue using public dollars to subsidize private education, while our public schools go to referendums just to pay the bills. This includes funding for special education, transportation, and school arts programs like music and drama. Too many districts, especially in the most rural areas of our state, are having to choose between paying an art teacher or a music teacher and keeping the lights on. This is unacceptable. Every child deserves comprehensive, well-rounded public education including arts education and creative learning opportunities.
Workforce: One of the biggest costs small business owners and freelance workers face is healthcare. That is why I am proud to have been the Assembly lead author of the BadgerCare Public Option which would allow these businesses and individuals to buy into the state Medicaid program at an affordable rate. This would help self-employed artists and small businesses to afford quality comprehensive healthcare.
