41st State Assembly Race
31 October 2018 News
The match up in the 41st State Assembly race features an experienced politician and a novice to politics. Democrat Frank Buress of Westfield is a retired financial consultant. He believes in term limits. “Oh I just really don’t believe that rural and small town Wisconsin needs professional politicians it is time to get the people’s voice heard in Madison.” Incumbent Republican Joan Ballweg has been in the State Assembly for 14 years and before that was on the Markesan City Council for 10 years including 6 years as Mayor. She believes experience does count for something in government. “I liken to if you’re going to the doctor to get a knee replacement you’d rather have the guy that has done it several hundred or a thousand times than the guy who just got out of medical school, same thing in the legislature.”
Home Rule
Candidates vying for the right to represent the 41st State Assembly District differ on the issue of home rule. Democratic challenger Frank Buress feels the state has infringed too much on home rule especially in the last decade. “But in the last eight to nine years there has been 128 instances where the state legislature has imposed on that home rule making decisions that really should be left up to the counties, cities, villages.” Republican incumbent Joan Ballweg disagrees about that. She says the one area the state might be willing to do something about is on the levy limits that were set in place before she was elected to the legislature. “One of the things that might be considered has to do with those levy limits that we have had in place for probably I think 16 years or so.”
Medical Marijuana
Both candidates running for the 41st State Assembly District seat see some benefits in the use of medical marijuana. Democratic challenger Frank Buress feels legalizing for medical purposes would benefit those with Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer and could help reduce the number of our veterans addicted to opioids. “They have managed by using Cannabis to get off those drug cocktails they are issued at the VA; anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, pain pills, sleeping pills, wake up pills and so.” Republican incumbent Joan Ballweg also sees some benefits, but says there has to be some limits on who is eligible to use medical marijuana. “In some states it has become a bit of the Wild West that medical marijuana can be called for anything so we definitely need to regulate and use it in a proper way.” The election is on Tuesday, November 6th.
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