By Rep. Jesse Kremer
December 12, 2016 Kewaskum, Wisconsin
It is time… time to take back our state and restore this nation to its founding principles! I was not an avid cheerleader of our President-elect early on, but realized in the last few weeks that we will have a real opportunity with this man in the oval office. I have been cautiously optimistic by the phenomenal experts that he is surrounding himself with. That being said, it is time to ensure that our rights are being protected. Yes, I have been researching RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) legislation, but, quite honestly, we have a much stronger state Constitution than most regarding this issue: “The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed.” Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant regarding our first amendment freedoms. The 2nd amendment “right to bear arms” must also be addressed. Multiple states have begun to take back this fundamental right by changing their statutes to remove any language preventing law abiding gun owners the right to protect themselves without the requirement for a government issued permit. Wisconsin courts and legislators addressed serious 4th amendment issues related to search and seizure during the past couple of years, however there are still very precarious situations regarding police video footage and body cameras when recording in an area where there is an expectation of privacy. Police agencies have been very supportive of a bill that I will be introducing early this next year to help curtail and monitor these situations. Finally, there is the issue of federalism and 10th amendment protected states’ rights. I am very optimistic that the new administration and Congress in Washington will relinquish the choke-hold on many programs including education, transportation, public benefits and EPA regulations. I for one have had it with the EPA and their burdensome, illogical, non-scientific approach to strangulating state economies. Their latest overreach is an increase in regulations being imposed upon Sheboygan County related to non-attainment. I will not stand for this and will be pushing back on the blended fuel regulations and non-attainment zones. Will it be effective? That remains to be seen, but your votes on November 8 made these sci-fi dreams a reality. On Wisconsin!