The Sixth District Weighs In

Ninety-six delegates, twenty-one from Sheboygan County, met in Mequon on March 23 for the Sixth Congressional District caucus.  The delegates representing eleven counties of the Sixth District elected Dan Feyen district chairman, Tyler Vorpagel vice-chair, Jane Kautzer secretary, and John Wieland treasurer of the Sixth District.

Incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Pat Roggensack greeted the delegates and spoke about the judicial experience needed to referee the work of lower court judges and the danger to the republic presented by judges who legislate from the bench.  Don Pridemore, challenger for superintendent of the State Department of Public Instruction, spoke about the need to return power from the state and the teachers’ union to local school boards.  Representative Tom Petri, fresh from an all-nighter in Washington, received ironic applause when he reported that the Democrat controlled Senate, after four years, finally passed a “framework for a budget,” calling for another trillion dollars of spending with very few cuts, unlike the budget passed by the Republican controlled House. 

In contrast, State Senator Joe Liebham reported that the State of Wisconsin went from a $3.6 billion deficit to a $400 million surplus.  He asked for public support for the Republican majority’s cost-saving measures at public hearings being planned throughout the state. (See his newsletters for times and places.)  Rep. Dan LeMahieu described efforts to review, streamline and clear out the jungle of state regulations imposed by various administrative bureaucracies over the years.  He asked that those encountering regulations that need review alert his committee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Sixth District resolutions committee met prior to the caucus to consolidate resolutions from each county.  Delegates easily approved these resolutions and added several from the floor.  The results were similar to the Sheboygan County resolutions that appear under “Our Beliefs” on the party website (sheboygancountygop.com).  The only significant disagreement centered on whether or not to object to rules adopted by the RNC at the national convention regulating how states select presidential candidates.  After some debate and roll call votes, the Sixth District asked that the RNC declare these rules “null and void.”  Resolutions will be taken up again at the Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention set for May 3-5 near Wausau.