By Press Times Staff
BROWN COUNTY – After serving his first term, Republican incumbent Shae Sortwell is facing a challenge this November from Democrat Mark Kiley for the 2nd Assembly District.
Sortwell first took office, after winning the general election in 2018 by nearly 5,000 votes.
He defeated De Pere alder Dean Raasch in the primary election that year by less than 500 votes.
Sortwell took over the seat after Republican incumbent Andre Jacque won the seat for the 1st Senate District.
Mark Kiley states on his campaign website he is a blue-collar worker, who has lived his entire life in the 2nd Assembly District.
This is Kiley’s first foray into state politics.
The Press Times emailed each candidate the same questions and gave them 100 words to respond to each.
The 2nd Assembly District includes portions of Brown and Manitowoc counties.
Shae Sortwell
What’s the biggest issue in District 2?
The state budget.
It’s always a big issue, but, due to revenue loss from the COVID shutdown, it’ll be enormous this year.
Thankfully, Gov. Walker planned for tough times and significantly increased our Rainy Day Fund to over $500 million.
Now this may not be enough to plug the budget hole completely, and I don’t think we should completely deplete the fund in a single budget, so we will still need to find cuts.
I’m pleased that Gov. Evers has already used his executive authority to make some immediate budget reductions, but we’ll probably have to make more next year.
What should be done on the state level to handle the COVID-19 pandemic?
I don’t believe there is a whole lot more the state can do related to COVID that isn’t already being done.
Making sure the medical system did not get overwhelmed was our No. 1 priority, and we’ve done very well in that regard here in Wisconsin.
The biggest concern from COVID that I’ve heard from my constituents is the governor’s Department of Workforce Development isn’t processing unemployment claims in a timely manner.
So, the Legislature authorized the governor to temporarily transfer unlimited employees from any other department in order to fix that backlog.
How should state lawmakers regulate the use of force by police? Should uniform standards be implemented statewide?
This is where I get frustrated with politics.
We already have state standards for our police officers.
They are already in regulations.
I know the governor proposed a bill to put them into state statute, and I guess I don’t really oppose that, but it doesn’t actually accomplish anything.
It is just pretending to do something.
Now, I have been a strong proponent for criminal justice reform, including probation revocation reform, bail reform, licensing reform, etc; and I believe we can make some improvements in policing; but this vendetta against the police by the Democrat politicians is disgraceful.
What changes should be made to the state funding formula for public school districts to place less of a burden on property taxpayers and to avoid referendums?
Why should we avoid referendums?
You can’t get more local control than the people themselves making the decision as to whether their taxes should go up.
The property tax caps have been in place for years under both Republican and Democrat leadership.
I see no reason to take power away from the people themselves in order to give it to the government instead.
Let the people decide if they feel a tax increase is a good idea.
How should lawmakers in Wisconsin work better together with less partisanship?
I don’t give a whit about partisanship.
Check my voting record.
I stand for the Constitution and my constituents’ liberty.
One day, I’m being attacked for siding with the Democrats.
The next, I’m being attacked for being too conservative.
I’m sick of the partisan games played to stop someone from the other side from “winning.”
If a bill protects the liberty of the people and upholds our Constitution, it gets my support.
If it fails that standard, I oppose it, even when I stand alone as the only “no” vote in the entire Assembly.
And that has happened.
Mark Kiley
What’s the biggest issue in District 2?
Over the last year that conversation has shifted.
I’d been addressing lead laterals, ground water, renewable energy, property development, drug abuse and mental health and much more.
Today, we find ourselves dealing with a pandemic like has never been seen before.
Treating people with this virus and isolating it to combat this pandemic has become a concern for everyone in this district and beyond.
Considering the tragic progression and nature of this virus, we must keep that at the forefront.
Education is suffering, as well as employment issues, and we should not forget there are also many trickle-down ramifications.
What should be done on the state level to handle the COVID-19 pandemic?
Lawmakers must understand that with every challenge brings an opportunity for bipartisanship.
We must give the governor the opportunity to lead and not tie our leaders hands and health officials’ hands up in court.
We must agree that with this virus, the common goal is to defeat it.
We tried animosity and that is not working.
How should state lawmakers regulate the use of force by police? Should uniform standards be implemented statewide?
Situations law enforcement professionals face differ from community to community.
Personal programs currently available for them may need to be enhanced.
Legal accountability may need to be addressed, as well.
Law enforcement, like anyone, should not be allowed to use unnecessary force, but they should be allowed to protect and serve us when necessary.
If you aren’t going to respect them and cooperate, they need to do what they can to restore safety and order.
The law enforcement personnel I know are hardworking, smart people who are brave enough to care about their community and deserve respect. They have mine.
What changes should be made to the state funding formula for public school districts to place less of a burden on property taxpayers and to avoid referendums?
When speaking to school administrators, we all agree this is a loaded and complicated question.
The idea behind the property tax and referendums to fund schools is to allow communities to enhance their educational system.
As a result, making their community more attractive may result in an increase in population.
On the other hand, there are some that feel they don’t want to pay for something they don’t use and that’s alright.
There’s a community out there that is spending some $27 million by spending down their debt and negotiating low cost loans. We will see how that turns out.
How should lawmakers in Wisconsin work better together with less partisanship?
When I was a child, I was told to play nice in the sandbox, that resonates today.
If I didn’t, I would be held accountable.
Lawmakers must realize that if you need to get a little, you may have to ask your constituents to give a little.
These lawmakers must realize that they can be held accountable as well, it’s called Election Day.