Neal Kedzie

Neal Kedzie (born January 27, 1956) is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 11th District since 2002. He was previously a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving the 43rd District from 1996 through 2002.^[1] After the resignation of Pam Galloway, Kedzie assumed the role of Republican Caucus Chair when the Senate reorganized in July with a Democratic majority.

The 11th Senate district includes Walworth County with the exception of three towns (East Troy, Richmond, and Whitewater); the town of Wheatland in Kenosha County; Waukesha County starting in the south in Eagle and the town of Mukwonago on the east, part of the city of Waukesha, north to Hartland and Chenequa, and then west to include parts of Oconomowoc and Oconomowoc Lake; and, Jefferson County from Palmyra north to the town of Concord, west to the village of Johnson Creek then south to the Rock County line with the exception of the town of Jefferson.

Wisconsin legislature

2007-08 Committee assignments

The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee (Ranking minority member) The Senate Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Technical Colleges and Consumer Protection Committee (Ranking minority member) The Senate Commerce, Utilities and Rail Committee Special Committee on Great Lakes Water Resources Compact Committee (Chair) Law Revision Committee Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB)

Prior to being elected to the Senate, Kedzie served three terms in the 43rd District of the Wisconsin State Assembly. During his tenure in the Assembly, Kedzie served as the Chairman of the Environment Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Tax Exemptions, and served as a member on several other committees including Financial Institutions, Natural Resources, and Aging and Long Term Care.

As part of his interest in maintaining cooperative state and local government relations, Kedzie serves as a member of the Walworth County Local Emergency Planning Committee and meets regularly with other local government officials.

Kedzie served as Chairman of the LaGrange Town Board from 1988 through 1998. He also was the Chairman of the LaGrange Planning and Zoning Commission. Kedzie was an eleven-year member of the Lauderdale-LaGrange Fire Department and currently holds the rank of Major in the Civil Air Patrol.

Professionally, Kedzie has a business and communications background having formerly worked as Local Relations Representative for Wisconsin Electric Power Company and as Commercial/Industrial Coordinator for Wisconsin Southern Gas Company.

Sponsored legislation

Since his first days in office, a trademark of Kedzie’s legislative accomplishments has been his ability to build consensus among generally polarized groups and individuals. His work on key environmental legislation to preserve wetlands, protect groundwater quantity and quality, strengthen air quality regulations, create more expediency for air and water permits, and foster collaborative efforts between the regulators and the regulated has showcased his talent for crafting sound public policy by implementing the art of compromise. Kedzie believes economic growth and environmental protection can work in concert with each other, as his legislative efforts have garnered state, national and even international accolades.

While not limited to those significant pieces of environmental legislation, Kedzie has championed other common sense issues, many of which have become law during his tenure.

Those measures include:

• 2009 WI Act 360 - Sign Language Interpreter Licensure
• 2005 WI Act 450 – Anti-Price Gouging
• 2005 WI Act 360 – Groundwater Quality
• 2005 WI Act 25 – Eliminate taxation of Social Security income (in ’05-’07 Budget)
• 2005 WI Act 90 – Drug Paraphernalia
• 2005 WI Act 35 – Internet Hunting
• 2005 WI Act 305 – Municipal Court Collections
• 2003 WI Act 276 – Green Tier
• 2003 WI Act 137 – Aldo Leopold Weekend
• 2003 WI Act 313 – Sale of deer hunt licenses
• 2003 WI Act 275 – Lake Districts
• 2003 WI Act 179 – Fellow Mortals
• 2003 WI Act 150 – Municipal Court Collections
• 2003 WI Act 312 – Drycleaner Cleanup Response Fund
• 2003 WI Act 88 – Special Wastes Usage
• 2003 WI Act 231 – TAF Districts
• 2003 WI Act 196 – Reckless/Intentional Homicide
• 2003 WI Act 244 – Firearm Sighting
• 2003 WI Act 66 – Forester Education Requirements
• 2003 WI Act 242 – Damaged Timber
• 2001 WI Act 6 – Isolated Wetlands
• 2000 WI Act 147 – Wetland Mitigation
• 2000 WI Act 146 – Local Roads Grant
• 1998 WI Act 142 – Credit Export Act

• 2007 Senate Bill 3 - Tax Free Pension Income
• 2007 Senate Bill 4 - Graduated Tax Exemption
• 2007 Senate Bill 449 - DUI Vehicle Restrictions
• 2007 Senate Bill 545 - Charitable Wine Auctions
• 2005 Senate Bill 310 – School Bullying
• 2005 Senate Bill 165 – Charter Towns
• 2005 Senate Bill 465 - Postdated Worthless Checks

References

External links

• Senator Neal Kedzie at the Wisconsin State Legislature
  • constituency site
• Senator Kedzie official campaign site
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• 11th Senate District, Senator Kedzie in the Wisconsin Blue Book (2005–2006)