Where Brienne stands on the issues

People who live in smaller towns, such as those in Assembly District 31, 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 31’s share of funding to accomplish this. 

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. Capping insulin prices should be done across the board for all people, not just Medicare patients. After all, no one, at any age, should have to ration insulin. 

Brienne saw how the pandemic highlighted inefficiencies with broadband access across Assembly District 31. 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Wisconsin's current prohibitive abortion ban was written by men in 1849, well before women even had the right to vote. 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.

But Brienne hears you. And she agrees with you. As your Assembly District 31 representative, Brienne will work hard to overturn this antiquated law 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. 

In March, despite many of our citizens facing economic challenges due to global uncertainties, Wisconsin's Republican-led legislature packed up and went home. They ignored their duties and obligations to come up with solutions that could have provided economic stability. 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.

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 revisit Act 10 and put a stop to our disappearing skilled labor force. 

As a former election volunteer, Brienne knows firsthand how rigorously municipal clerks and volunteer election inspectors adhere to checking voter rolls and triple-checking counts. Our citizens must believe in the process, too. This is why she wants to ensure election officials and municipal clerks are well-funded so they can maintain oversight of our democratic processes.

Brienne also sees how constant gerrymandering needlessly wastes taxpayer money. This type of irresponsible spending needs to end so we can better provide for programs that matter - such as our education system. 

There is no question that Wisconsin’s agricultural producers are hard workers and critically important to our state’s economy. That is why Brienne often meets with family farmers and wants to support their businesses in many ways, such as: 

• Protecting resources, such as good, clean water, which is vital to agricultural business 
• Bringing broadband internet access to rural communities so our farmers can use the best technology to run their operations
• Revisiting the Legislature’s previous reduction in funding that gutted UW-Extension’s ability to offer services such as assisting farmers with science-based agricultural practices 
• Restoring UW-Extension’s ability to offer 4-H education, reversing cuts that reduced opportunities for our youth to learn agriculture, technology, and life skills

In addition, Brienne was instrumental in working with local farmers to create the Whitewater City (farmer’s) Market six years ago and helped found the Whitewater Grocery Cooperative (on track to open in 2024), which will provide a business outlet for many growers in Assembly District 31.