Jon Erpenbach
Encyclopedia
Jon B. Erpenbach is a Democratic
member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 27th district since 1999.
, Wisconsin
and graduated from Middleton High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1979 to 1981. He worked as a radio personality
on two Madison
area radio stations and also worked for a Milwaukee station. He subsequently worked in both the State Assembly and Senate in media relations and as communications director.
.
.
Erpenbach is well known for his Healthy Wisconsin bill. The bill was proposed but not passed last session, and Erpenbach is hoping to make it law this session.
Erpenbach authored the Traveling Sales Crew Regulation bill, also known as Malinda’s Law, which would give traveling sales crew members similar employment rights that part-time workers in Wisconsin are currently guaranteed by state law. The bill would also require all crews to register with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection before going door to door in state communities. By registering members of the crew, alerts for members with outstanding warrants in other states can be identified and criminals detained. The bill passed last session in the State Senate but was stopped in the Assembly. It is expected that the bill will become law this legislative session.
's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 27th district since 1999.
Early life, education and career
Erpenbach was born in MiddletonMiddleton, Wisconsin
Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a western suburb of the state capital, Madison but it was actually founded before Madison. It got its name from Middletown, Connecticut; the "w" being dropped was due to a paper work error made by long time historian Edward Kromrey...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and graduated from Middleton High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1979 to 1981. He worked as a radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
on two Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
area radio stations and also worked for a Milwaukee station. He subsequently worked in both the State Assembly and Senate in media relations and as communications director.
Wisconsin Senate
Erpenbach was first elected to the state senate in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He served as the Democratic Minority Leader from 2003 to 2005. He authored Wisconsin's No Call List legislation that was passed and signed into law in 2001. The legislation was a forerunner of the federal government's Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003United States National Do Not Call Registry
The National Do Not Call Registry is intended to give U.S. consumers an opportunity to limit the telemarketing calls they receive. To register by telephone , consumers may call 1-888-382-1222. The registry was set to begin in 2003, but a court challenge delayed its implementation until 2004. The...
.
Bills and policy positions
The achievement that Senator Erpenbach is most well known for is his extremely successful and popular Do Not Call legislation, passed and signed into law in 2001. The bill had bipartisan support in both the Senate and Assembly. The consumer protections in the bill include: allowing consumers to add their land or cellular telephones to the Do Not Call list, creating a prohibition for unsolicited faxes, and Increasing the penalties for violations from the current maximum of $100 to amounts between $1,000 and $10,000. The bill was a forerunner of the federal government's Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003United States National Do Not Call Registry
The National Do Not Call Registry is intended to give U.S. consumers an opportunity to limit the telemarketing calls they receive. To register by telephone , consumers may call 1-888-382-1222. The registry was set to begin in 2003, but a court challenge delayed its implementation until 2004. The...
.
Erpenbach is well known for his Healthy Wisconsin bill. The bill was proposed but not passed last session, and Erpenbach is hoping to make it law this session.
Erpenbach authored the Traveling Sales Crew Regulation bill, also known as Malinda’s Law, which would give traveling sales crew members similar employment rights that part-time workers in Wisconsin are currently guaranteed by state law. The bill would also require all crews to register with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection before going door to door in state communities. By registering members of the crew, alerts for members with outstanding warrants in other states can be identified and criminals detained. The bill passed last session in the State Senate but was stopped in the Assembly. It is expected that the bill will become law this legislative session.
2011 Wisconsin protests
During the protests in Wisconsin, Erpenbach, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, drove to Illinois to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott WalkerScott Walker (politician)
Scott Kevin Walker is an American Republican politician who began serving as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, 52 percent to 47 percent in the November 2010 general election...
's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation.
External links
- Senator Jon Erpenbach at the Wisconsin State Legislature
- 27th Senate District, Senator Erpenbach in the Wisconsin Blue BookWisconsin Blue BookThe Wisconsin Blue Book is a biannual publication of the Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau. The Blue Book is an almanac containing information on the government, economics, demographics, geography and history of the state of Wisconsin. The book was first published in 1853...
(2005–2006)