MARINETTE — Marinette and Peshtigo residents will be saying goodbye to Republican Sen. Eric Wimberger next year after Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative maps into law last week.
Folks in Marinette County will belong to the 12th District starting in 2025, currently led by Republican Sen. Mary Felzkowski. They previously belonged to the 30th District.
The 12th District is now 65.4% Republican, whereas the 30th District was 57.2% Republican, according to an analysis by John Johnson, a research fellow at Marquette University.
The new maps will be in place for the fall elections, and voters will have the chance to decide on a senator, as Felzkowski is up for reelection.
“I am excited to represent new areas of northern Wisconsin, including the City of Marinette and the rest of Marinette County,” Felzkowski said. “I’ve had the opportunity to visit Marinette Marine and work with employees at the state level — I’m excited to continue that relationship.”
VOTINGWimberger didn’t vote for the maps. They passed in the Senate 18-14.
“I’m the only one in the area who refused to vote for the maps,” Wimberger said. “I did it because I thought there were significant legal problems — fundamental constitutional issues — that were concerning to me. By the legislature passing the maps, it eliminated the court case.”
Wimberger is referencing the court case that brought the district maps into question — Clarke vs. Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Felzkowski voted for the redistricting.
“Governor Evers made the right choice by signing the maps passed by the legislature rather than vetoing this redistricting bill and placing the map-making authority in the hands of the partisan-leaning Supreme Court,” Felzkowski said. “Although I still strongly disagree with the intent behind the Governor’s map to draw numerous sitting legislators out of their district — leaving thousands of Wisconsinites without proper representation — this map contained the least amount of change out of the four liberal-drawn maps that were recommended to the Supreme Court.”
Evers said the new redistricting was necessary to avoid partisan bias. Wisconsin has “some of the most gerrymandered maps in the United States.”
“Wisconsinites don’t want Republican or Democrat maps because Wisconsin isn’t a red or blue state—we’re a purple state, and our maps should reflect that basic fact,” Evers said in a statement.
Wimberger was drawn into the new 30th District with two other senators.
“Putting me, Robert Cowles and Andrew Jacques into one district so we have to duke it out was deliberate,” Wimberger said. “It was very political.”
He said he will run for the 30th District.
FELZKOWSKI
As for Marinette County, Wimberger said Felzkowski has expertise in rural healthcare. He sits with Felzkowski on the Joint Finance Committee, where she’s a senior member.
“She’s the go-to person on that,” Wimberger said. “She’s a very relied-upon and a powerful advocate in the Senate.”
“My goal for northern Wisconsin: You should have the same quality healthcare, education and a family-supporting job, regardless of your zip code,” Felzkowski said.
Her district is home to Stella, which has significant PFAS contamination. Wimberger said she would be a good resource for the county.
“Her concern and influence in the Senate are good,” Wimberger said. “You’re going to be in good hands with Mary doing that.”
Felzkowski said that the private and public sectors must find a balance to clean up the contamination.
“It’s going to take all hands on decks to get cleaned,” Felzkowski said. “To set unrealistic measurements and then bankrupt a business or community; what purpose did you serve? We need to come to a conclusion to work together.”
Felzkowski is also a supporter of property rights, equal education, the 2nd Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms, a reduction in government size and is opposed to mandated vaccinations.
PFAS
Wimberger stressed that he’s still heavily involved in the PFAS issue.
“It’s not like I’m going to go away and forget it about it or something,” Wimberger said. “It’s still a statewide issue. It’s still my district until January 1.”
The Wisconsin Assembly passed his Senate Bill 312 last Wednesday, which mainly would prevent private landowners from being held accountable for PFAS pollution on their property. The Senate had previously passed the bill in mid-November.
What’s left is the governor’s office, which has expressed opposition. Wimberger said they will learn about Gov. Evers’ position within a few weeks or less.
“SB 312 still contains concerning language we have discussed at length that hamstrings the DNR’s ability to hold polluters accountable,” Evers said in a letter sent to the senator. “Despite raising these concerns in our previous meeting, you moved forward without making the necessary changes in SB 312 necessary to earn my support.”
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