Candidate Profile: Katzenmeyer For State Assembly District 15

NEW BERLIN, WI— The 2020 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jessica Katzenmeyer, a West Allis resident is running for State Assembly District 15.

Age: 41

Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family: John Katzenmeyer (father), Lynn Katzenmeyer (mother), David Katzenmeyer (brother), J.C. (sister)
Occupation: Self-employed over 3 years
Previous elected experience: none
Family members in government: No
Campaign website: http://www.jess4assembly.com

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Definitely the Covid crisis. We need to have strong leaders who are going to be proactive in taking steps to actively stop the spread of Covid. Our current Republican-led State Assembly has not passed a bill now in over 185 days dating back to mid-April. This is unacceptable as our tax payers in our state are paying the salaries of our elected assembly representatives and treat them as full time employees. We need to get back to work so we can tackle the crisis on hand.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I promise I will listen to all of my constituents despite political differences. I will listen to Democrats, Republicans, and anyone in between because that is what our job is. I promise I will bring a much needed positive change in leadership to my district and change in representation. My district has been misrepresented for years, and constituents are excited and want a change! I will be proactive in fighting for the needs of my constituents as well and make sure I use logic and science behind my decisions I will make while I am elected.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have a degree from UW-Milwaukee in Communications and a minor in Political Science. I am a former actress in the community theatre scene here in the Milwaukee area, I am a former podcast show host, I served on the UPS safety committee for over 5 years, the UPS Employee Relations Committee for 3 years. I was a member of the Teamsters Local 344 for over 12 years. During my time, I was elected Secretary of their Political and Legislative Committee for 3 years. I also went through the Emerge Wisconsin program and I am a alum of the Class of 2017 and I also graduated the LGBTQ Victory Institute Training earlier this year. Currently, I am self-employed and a LGBTQ+ rights activist.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

I think first and foremost we need to prioritize where we are spending the money we have. We need to make sure it goes towards the needs of the people in our state who are suffering due to the panic. This is not a time to raise taxes or lower taxes. My opponent has recently passed through a series of tougher on crime bills which would spend more tax payer money to send more people to prison and spend more tax payer money to build more prisons in the state.

If there is non-violent criminals in prison (meaning minor drug charges), why do we need to spend tax payer money to have them sitting in jail? The key word here is non-violent. The state spends on average $35,000/year for every incarcerated individual. We could use that money elsewhere. I think another thing we can do is legalize marijuana for medical use. We can have a sales tax on every single sale of medical marijuana which would help to decrease the expected large budget deficit. 83% of Wisconsinites favor legalizing medical marijuana which tells me this is not a partisan issue. Legalizing medical marijuana will also help to solve the opioid crisis we are currently facing here in West Allis.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

I believe we do need to address racial injustice and take action on police reform. I do not think defunding the police is a good idea because we do need to protect our communities. I think common sense reform is definitely in need and I support the Governor's reform bill package that was introduced recently.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Taking proactive measures to get out of Covid, Healthcare is my top priority. Expanding Badgercare, expanding access to mental healthcare, legalizing medical marijuana, properly funding public education and properly paying our public school teachers, and fixing our infrastructure.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If voters would like to know more about my positions, policies, and endorsements, they can visit www.jess4assembly.com.