Currently holds the office of Wisconsin State Assembly - District 43 until January 4, 2027.
Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly - District 43 in 2026 Wisconsin Primary Election.
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Get StartedWisconsin's current prohibitive abortion ban was written by men in 1849, well before women even had the right to vote. And though a Dane County judge recently ruled that it doesn't apply - it's still on the books. It mandates that a woman who becomes pregnant must carry the baby to full term, regardless of her circumstances and without exception even if she was the victim of rape or incest. And many doctors are now hesitant to provide necessary medical treatments to pregnant women because they are worried about facing criminal charges should something happen to the baby – even if the treatments are for the mother's health. Women deserve the right to plan their families without government interference. Period. And the majority of Wisconsinites support this. Yet our legislators continue to ignore our voices – the voices of those who elected them – and want to take away our freedoms. Learn more
The security of our communities is a top priority. Brienne backs our law enforcement officers 100%. She also recognizes the need to allocate resources for mental health professionals and social workers so they can work with law enforcement and take on non-emergency calls. This allows law enforcement officers to focus on their primary jobs of fighting crime and making our communities safer for all. It is also imperative that our communities have the funding and resources to provide their own fire and EMS services. After all, fire and health emergencies can happen anywhere and the faster rescue services can reach your door, the better. This is why Brienne will fight in Madison to keep our taxpayer dollars here and work with our towns and villages to ensure emergency services are ready and available. Learn more
Brienne knows how challenging (and sometimes overwhelming) it can be for small business owners to take their first steps. This is why she will support legislation that makes it easier for Wisconsin’s entrepreneurs to locate available grants and navigate through licensing requirements and tax obligations. Learn more
Supporting such legislation also makes good sense for the entire community. A district full of thriving small businesses means increased employment opportunities, a stronger tax base, filled and energized Main Streets, and more options for people to shop closer to home. This saves time and money and keeps our spending local, too. Learn more
Education is a top priority issue for Brienne. She knows that schools are both the backbone of our civic life and where good citizens are created. And good citizens foster strong, safe, and prosperous communities. Because of this, Brienne supports allocating part of the state’s 5.4 billion budget surplus to better support our education system. This means our rural communities could continue free lunches for all students, support programs for special needs students, and offer fair wages to teachers. She knows that competitive wages in rural communities help with teacher retention, close workforce deficiencies, and lead to improved teacher-to-student ratios. Learn more
At the university level, Brienne would support a legislative vote to approve Tony Evers’ nine appointees to the Board of Regents. To date, these appointments have been held up by needless opposition in a shameless abuse of power. This stymies our educational system and signals how little regard Republicans have for maintaining our top-tier universities. Brienne would also like to resurrect bipartisan Assembly Bill 1108, which was co-introduced by Horlacher, Allen, Vruwink, and Vos, to equalize General Purpose Revenue across UW campuses (excepting UW-Madison and Milwaukee). This bill died in Committee in March 2022. In addition, Brienne supports reevaluating University of Wisconsin System budget cuts. This reduction in funding gutted UW-Extension’s ability to offer services such as assisting farmers with science-based agricultural practices and defunded 4-H education, both of which are important to our farming communities throughout Assembly District 43. Learn more
Protecting our resources is also vital for agricultural businesses. For instance, clean water is important for healthy cows, which leads to a healthy dairy industry (and really good milk). Brienne talks extensively with farmers in our area who are doing their part to raise crops and livestock with the future in mind. The bottom line is that environmental pollution and reckless management benefit few yet hurt everyone. Poor stewardship negatively impacts our people and our local businesses. This is why Brienne will stand up to safeguard our lands and waters for both our current and future generations. Learn more
Assembly District 43 is home to some of the most beautiful lakes and forests. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful places in which to recreate. Brienne wants us to be good stewards of this land by strengthening laws that protect it. Part of this includes making sure that our local elected officials – not outside corporations – are in control and able to decide how to best utilize and preserve our public resources. Learn more
Protecting resources, such as good, clean water, which is vital to agricultural business. Learn more
Brienne is proud to be recognized as a Gun Sense Candidate by Moms Demand Action, and to be endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety. She supports their three initiatives for Wisconsin. Require background checks on all gun sales Enact an Extreme Risk law, which allows family or law enforcement to petition for the removal of guns from someone in crisis who presents a risk to themselves or others Strengthen laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Learn more
Furthermore, Brienne does not believe that an 18-year-old should be allowed to purchase an AR-15 (as is the current law). She would like to raise that age to 21, which is currently the minimum age to purchase a handgun in Wisconsin. Learn more
People who live in smaller towns, such as those in Assembly District 43, must often travel great distances when in need of advanced or specialized healthcare because these services are unavailable locally. And part of why they are unavailable locally is because rural communities have larger percentages of patients on BadgerCare, which does not reimburse medical offices adequately for services. This drives medical clinics, including doctors and specialists, away from our rural areas and into bigger cities. Brienne believes that Federally Qualified Health Centers should be increased in rural areas so that our communities have greater access to affordable health and dental care, and will fight in Madison for Assembly District 43’s share of funding to accomplish this. Learn more
She also maintains that Wisconsin needs a strong BadgerCare system to help families lift themselves out of poverty. Additionally, she will work hard to ensure fair pricing for medical needs such as insulin and inhalers. Capping prices on medicine should be done across the board for all people, not just Medicare patients. After all, no one, at any age, should have to ration their medicine. Learn more
Brienne saw how the pandemic highlighted inefficiencies with broadband access across Assembly District 43. For people such as our students, working professionals (including farmers), and small business owners, good, reliable, affordable internet is no longer a luxury – it’s an absolute necessity. Companies look for reliable high-speed Internet when they decide where to create new jobs, and younger generations look for it when they decide where to live and raise their families. This is why she will work hard in Madison to ensure that our district is no longer overlooked for broadband services and will capitalize on all of the resources available that will bring high-speed Internet right to our doors. Learn more
In March, despite the fact that money had been allocated in the budget to remediating PFAS in our water supply, Wisconsin's Republican-led legislature packed up and went home. They ignored their obligation to release approved funding and quit. But that was not how Brienne was raised. She was taught that it’s the job of our elected officials to stay open for business and face our challenges head-on, and that is exactly what she will do. Brienne also believes in responsible spending, transparency, cutting out waste, and investing in our futures. For example, as a Whitewater City Councilmember she’s helped to structure budgets that not only include funding to improve critical infrastructure now but also earmarks funds to provide future maintenance for when (not if) it's needed. This type of planning for the future helps alleviate undue (or surprise) financial burdens and makes sound financial sense. Learn more
A strong workforce is also a priority for Brienne because many businesses in our communities rely upon and need skilled workers. But Act 10 gutted the local unions, which is where a majority of training, mentorship, and apprenticeship occurs. That is why Brienne wants to repeal Act 10 and put a stop to our disappearing skilled labor force. Learn more
But Brienne hears you. And she agrees with you. As your Assembly District 43 representative, Brienne will work hard to make sure legislators don't make women's healthcare decisions for them.. She will move to overturn the antiquated law (still on the books) so that the hard-working women of Wisconsin reclaim the right to make their own medical decisions. In addition, with over 50% of the workforce being female, Brienne believes that Wisconsin should have universal 4K and paid maternity and paternity leave. This will provide support so that parents don't have to sacrifice their jobs (or their ability for dual income) to raise a family. It would also give them choices to decide what works best for them and their family’s needs. Learn more
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