By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
May. 18, 2009
Madison -- The Legislature's debate over banning indoor smoking is one of those rare political fights that doesn't always follow partisan lines.
Often, the divisions followed urban and rural lines, rather than ideological ones.
Democrats control the Senate and Assembly, and they led the charge on banning smoking in workplaces. But they had some defections and were helped by a coalition of Republicans.
In the Senate, Kathleen Vinehout of Alma parted ways with the other 17 Democrats and voted against the bill. The fifteen Republicans were split, with eight voting for it (Rob Cowles of Green Bay, Alberta Darling of River Hills, Mike Ellis of Neenah, Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls, Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac, Dan Kapanke of La Crosse, Luther Olsen of Ripon and Dale Schultz of Richland Center) and seven voting against it (Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, Glenn Grothman of West end, Ted Kanavas of Brookfield, Neal Kedzie of Elkhorn, Alan Lasee of De Pere, Mary Lazich of New Berlin and Joe Leibham of Sheboygan).
In the Assembly, 13 Republicans voted for it -- Mark Gottlieb of Port Washington, Mike Huebsch of West Salem, Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Phil Montgomery of Green Bay, Jeffrey Mursau of Crivitz, Al Ott of Forest Junction, Jerry Petrowski of Marathon, Kitty Rohades of Hudson, Keith Ripp of Lodi, Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh, Jeffrey Stone of Greendale, John Townsend of Fond du Lac and Karl Van Roy of Green Bay.
Five Assembly Democrats -- Chris Danou of Trempealeau, Phil Garthwaite of Dickeyville, Ann Hraychuck of Balsam Lake, Mark Radcliffe of Black River Falls and Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc -- voted against it, as did Jeff Wood, an independent from Bloomer.
The Senate roll call vote is here; the Assembly vote is here.
Lawmakers don't always trumpet their viewpoints. For instance, Kanavas wrote a constituent before the vote in the Senate to note he voted for the bill in committee and to say he expected it would pass by a wide margin. Left unsaid in the letter was that he opposed the final version of the bill.
|
