Friday, May 3, 2013
Wisconsin's drunk driving-related incidents are the highest in the United States and state Legislators have crafted six bills to confront the issue, but they carries a hefty price tag.
Some state Republican Legislators want to toughen the laws for habitual drunk drivers and first-time drunk drivers if they cause an injury or killed someone, but the price tag for those laws could cost taxpayers up to $236 million, according to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal. Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) have introduced six bills to the Senate and House. The bills would: Because of the jail time provisions, the state expects to have to build 17 facilities that would each house 300 people. "A fiscal estimate from the state Department of Corrections put the cost of the bill regarding third and subsequent offenses at between $169 million and $204 million annually. Other agencies also weighed in, …
Monday, January 21, 2013
What's blocking Wisconsin from implementing new, tougher laws against drunken driving? It could be "the dollar factor."
Mark Grapentine is a seasoned observer of state politics. He was an aide to then-state Rep. Scott Walker and a policy adviser to then-Gov. Tommy Thompson. For the past decade, he’s been a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Medical Society. In this capacity, he’s pushed for tougher state drunken driving laws — and noticed that, despite an absence of pushback, these laws have stayed mostly the same. “It has been interesting to watch how there has been a lack of progress in an area where there seems to be a tremendous amount of agreement on the need to do something,” Grapentine says. Wisconsin remains the only state where first-offense drunken driving is not a crime, although the civil penalties include license suspension and substantial fines. Two …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Bill proposed by state Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. Joe Sanfelippo calls for binding referendum making supervisors part time and axing salary by 70 percent.
Calling it a plan to help Milwaukee County deal with its fiscal woes, two Republican state legislators on Friday unveiled a plan that would enable voters to decide whether to drastically cut salaries of county supervisors. The legislation proposed by Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills and Rep. Joe Sanfelippo of West Allis would authorize a binding referendum in April that calls for reducing salaries by 70 percent — from about $50,000 to $15,000 — and making the positions part time. "This bill is about local control," Darling said in a press release. "It let's voters decide what's more important: parks or politicians." Darling and Sanfelippo are seeking co-sponsors for the bill, which also would eliminate health care and pension benefits …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
From Scott Walker emerging as the only governor to survive a recall and Paul Ryan being selected as Mitt Romney's running mate for president, a national spotlight shined bright on Wisconsin this year.
Divisive — from recalls to recounts, it became a buzzword for Wisconsin politics in 2012. A national spotlight shined bright on Wisconsin this year, as it was a historic one for politics. Scott Walker became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville became a national household name after being selected as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate and state voters elected Tammy Baldwin to fill Herb Kohl's seat, making in her the first openly gay woman in the U.S. Senate. On the heels of a slew of recall elections and large-scale protests on the steps of the state Capitol building, the year kicked off with more recall attempts, including one aimed at Gov. Scott Walker. …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
The state senator of the 8th District, Darling survived contentious recall a year ago and her only challenge on Nov. 6 is Beth Lueck, a UW-Whitewater professor running a write-in campaign.
A Whitefish Bay professor has launched a last-minute write-in campaign against state Sen. Alberta Darling that has picked up some momentum. Beth Lueck, an English professor at UW-Whitewater, said she believes voters deserve a choice in the 8th Senate District. Supporters have been publicizing the effort on social media and blogs. The state Democratic Party is also pushing the write-in candidacy. However, Darling told Patch that voters' choices should be educated ones. She said that voters have even less of a reason to not re-elect her than they did in the high-profile recall election she survived because Act 10’s reforms are becoming apparent. “Act 10, daily, there are positive results,” she said. “In terms of taxes, municipalities are …
Sunday, September 30, 2012
River Hills Republican has represented the 8th District since 1993.
Name : Alberta Darling Age : 68 Place of residence : River Hills. Attended college : Yes College : University of Wisconsin-Madison Degree : Bachelor of science degree Year of graduation : 1966 University : University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Degree : Some graduate work Year of graduation : NA Has served in the military: No Rank : NA Job titles held : State Senator, State Assembly member, teacher, marketing director. Party affiliation : Republican Running for a: State office Running for position: Wisconsin State Senate Chamber/district: 8th Senate District. Incumbent: Yes Previous elective offices : Wisconsin State Senate. Wisconsin State Assembly. Unsuccessful bids for elective offices: None. Website : http://albertadarling.com --- Sources: …
Republican Alberta Darling is unopposed in her bid for the state Senate.
Incumbent Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling is facing no opposition in her re-election bid in the 8th State Senate District on the Nov. 6 ballot. Darling will represent a district with new boundaries this year in the wake of redistricting prompted by population shifts in the 2010 census. The district encompasses portions of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Washington counties. It includes Whitefish Bay, Fox Point and Menomonee Falls. Wisconsin state senators serve four-year terms and earn $49,943.00 annually. The also receive a per diem of $88 per day for each day they work in Madison.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Alberta Darling, Brad Courtney and other Wisconsin Republicans mobilize volunteers at a pancake breakfast at the North Shore GOP Victory Office Sunday afternoon.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Party leaders and delegates offer up some advice for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan on what will be the biggest speech of his life.
TAMPA, FL -- All eyes will be on U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan on Wednesday night as the Wisconsin congressman formally accepts his vice presidential nomination in a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention here. Patch chatted with Wisconsin delegates and other party leaders in Tampa about Ryan's acceptance speech and asked them what they thought he needs to do to introduce himself to America. __________________________________ Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch: "Paul Ryan just needs to go and be himself. Paul Ryan is loved in Wisconsin. Paul Ryan is a hero not just to the GOP in Wisconsin, but to all of us who share his values, who share his love of the outdoors, his love of family and his Midwestern virtues that he is going to bring to …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
At pro-Romney rally in Waukesha, local business owners take offense to president's remark that "you didn't build that."
State Sen. Alberta Darling didn’t hold back Wednesday afternoon as she criticized President Barack Obama for his controversial comments that “offended” business owners. “Your comments are a real kick in the gut” to hardworking business owners and the middle class, said the GOP lawmaker for River Hills said during a rally at the GOP's Waukesha County’s headquarters. Two weeks ago, at a campaign event in Virginia, Obama said: “If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Someone else made that happen.” Republicans are jumping on those comments in their fight to elect Mitt Romney. Romney’s campaign has been on the attack with ads that use Obama’s statements against him. “That statements shows that our president does not know how the …
Lika Phipps
10:46 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Well, this IS beer country, you know... ;p more ›