FOR HUB CITY TIMES

CENTRAL WISCONSIN – Democrat Lisa Boero is facing Republican Donna Rozar (Incumbent) in the Nov. 8 general election, in a race for the 69th District seat in the state Assembly. The 69th Assembly District covers portions of Wood, Clark, Marathon and Jackson counties, including most of the city of Marshfield, the villages of Spencer, Stratford, and Granton, and the cities of Colby, Abbotsford, Loyal, Neillsville and Owen.

In an effort to bring you some information about the candidates, and their views on certain subjects, we posed the same set of questions to each of them. Their responses follow.

Lisa Boero

In helping our readers get to know the candidates a bit better, please talk about your background, and perhaps more specifically how it relates to the 69th State Assembly District.

I am a lawyer, author, wife, and proud mother. My story starts in Rockford, Illinois. My mother taught elementary school and my father worked as a scientist. My maternal grandfather survived Pearl Harbor and became a decorated WWII pilot. My father’s family farmed in central Illinois and my grandparents understood the value of hard work and dedication. I grew up in a household that valued dignity, grit and most of all, education. As a young child, I survived a brain tumor, and this experience reinforced the importance of family and taught me how precious our time on this earth really is. While in college, I spent a year abroad where I learned Spanish and began to appreciate the value of diverse viewpoints. I then went to law school and started my legal career in 2000. After college, I met and married my husband, a physician from Peru. We worked together to build a life in America and have two wonderful children. We moved to Marshfield in 2007 and have raised both of our children in the Marshfield school system. I have spent over twenty years practicing corporate law, with extensive experience in health care, immigration, education, and business. I believe in leaving the world a better place than I found it and would like to harness all of my experience in the service of Wisconsin families in the 69th Assembly District.

Why have you chosen to run in this election?

I believe in the power of democracy and the power of the vote. I am passionate about upholding our rights, including the fundamental right to privacy, and feel that we can do more to improve education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development in our region.

What would you list as qualifications for this elected position?

I have more than twenty years of legal experience in areas such as health law, business and corporate law, immigration, and civil litigation. My goal is help craft solutions to some of the 69th Assembly District’s most difficult problems: affordable and accessible healthcare, preparing our children for rewarding professions, immigration policy, and assuring a readily-available workforce for our local businesses.

As you campaign, what are the people of the district telling you are their biggest priorities, and how would you address those priorities as the elected representative?

Voters are concerned that the Dobbs decision has created a slippery slope that will lead to fundamental infringements on the right to privacy and the ability of many to receive needed health care. Voters find losing their rights to be a damaging intrusion of the government into a very personal and private part of their lives. They are concerned about a lack of funding for our schools and the ongoing teacher shortage. They worry that our region has been left behind in terms of critical digital infrastructure which will prevent us from seeing economic growth and will increase the flight of our young people away from the region. And they are concerned about the state of rural health care because they know that the trends are pushing them to seek care farther and farther away. Finally, they worry that all of these factors will make the long-term costs of staying in the 69th District unsustainable. While this list of concerns is daunting, I think that a shift in focus away from political theater and towards common sense solutions is what is needed to address all of these pressing issues.

Local governments continually argue they are having a harder time meeting budgets and rising costs, particularly because state aids have leveled off, and because of state-imposed levy limits, which control the amount municipalities can raise taxes. Those levy limits, along with other state mandates, generally have not kept up with inflation. Is it time to adjust or do away with state levy limits, so local governments can tax and spend according to what their needs are?

Over the past 12 years the state government took away the ability of communities to craft their local solutions to the problems those communities face. Cities, villages, towns, and school districts have been prevented from designing and implementing the solutions to keep their water clean, educate their children and provide for public safety and infrastructure. The state government should trust their local partners to craft the best solutions for their communities.

Donna Rozar

In helping our readers get to know the candidates a bit better, please talk about your background, and perhaps more specifically how it relates to the 69th State Assembly District.

My background as a Wood County Board Supervisor, RN, and nurse educator help me take a unique perspective to Madison to participate in the discussions that shape public policy about shared revenue, unfunded mandates, healthcare, workforce, and education. I am also a small business owner and have served as vice-chair of the Small Business Development Committee this legislative session. I consider myself a citizen legislator, not a politician. My varied life/work experiences make me uniquely qualified to represent my friends and neighbors in the 69th Assembly District.

Why have you chosen to run in this election? 

It has been my privilege and honor to represent the 69th Assembly District for the past two years. I have served effectively, helping friend and neighbors navigate government bureaucracy, as well as assisting with legislative efforts on public policy. I have made connections and developed relationships over those two years that I can build on to advocate for the needs of rural Wisconsin. I look forward to serving this district for another term.

What would you list as qualifications for this position?

My years on the Wood County Board of Supervisors have given me an understanding of how policies at the state level affect local municipalities. My leadership positions on various Boards and Commissions, as well as my time as an RN and nurse educator also helped me develop a skill set that serves me well as a state legislator. I am a graduate of Leadership Marshfield and was named the Alumni of the Year shortly after graduating from that program. I would also state that my two years in the State Assembly have given me valuable experience that I will use to represent the 69th Assembly District effectively during the next legislative session.

As you campaign, what are the people of the district telling you are their biggest priorities, and how would you address those priorities as the elected representative?

Inflation, the economy, and public safety. Unfortunately, inflation and the economy are affected horribly by policies coming from Washington, D.C. At the state level we can help folks keep more of their hard-earned money and use available resources to assist small businesses and corporations remain viable to provide jobs for Wisconsinites. Regulations and taxation needs to make sense and individuals need to understand the value of work, as productive and contributing members of society. We need to make certain that people are safe in their homes and communities. Law enforcement needs to be supported and valued as they put their lives in harm’s way to protect property and persons. Individuals need to be supported in their right to protect themselves in regards to their second amendment rights.

Local governments continually argue they are having a harder time meeting budgets and rising costs, particularly because state aids have leveled off, and because of state-imposed levy limits, which control the amount municipalities can raise taxes. Those levy limits, along with other state mandates, generally have not kept up with inflation. Is it time to adjust or do away with state levy limits, so local governments can tax and spend according to what their needs are?

I do not believe there is broad support for doing away with levy limits. There is some support; however, to exempt certain critical services from the levy limit. I believe that unfunded mandates are wrong, and state mandates need to be fully funded or removed from the mandate list.