Frank Lasee

Infobox AM


honorific-prefix =
name = Frank G. Lasee
honorific-suffix =
caption =
constituency_AM =Wisconsin's 2nd District
assembly =Wisconsin State
majority =
term_start =1994
term_end =Present
predecessor =Rep. Dale Bolle, (D) Whitelaw, WI
successor =
state=Wisconsin
party=Republican
date of birth=December 11, 1961
place of birth=Oceanside, California
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=
religion=
profession=
footnotes=

Representative Frank Gersham Lasee is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Assembly for the state's 2nd Assembly District. Lasee has distributed an update newsletter, "Lasee's Notes", via e-mail to constituents and other interested parties for nearly a decade. [ [http://www.franklasee.blogspot.com/ Newsletter sign-up] on Frank Lasee personal blog]

History

Born December 11, 1961 and raised in Oceanside, California, Lasee graduated in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a major in humanistic studies. [" [http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/insidearchive/05nov3.htm Alumni: UW-Green Bay alums doing a capitol job] " in Inside, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Feature and News Magazine, November 2005] " [http://www.legis.state.wi.us/W3ASP/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=Assembly&district=2&display=bio Frank Lasee Biography] " at Wisconsin State Legislature web site] [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1846&term_type_id=1&term_type_text=People&letter=L Lasee, Frank G 1961] at Wisconsin Historical Society] He is the father of three daughters. [http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/07bb/pdf/A1-3(p.21).pdf Members of State Legislature] at Wisconsin.gov]

Prior to his election to the State Assembly in 1994, Lasee was the Ledgeview, Wisconsin Town Board Chair from 1993 to 1997, and was a supervisor for an insurance company. [ [http://www.madison.com/features/legisdir/41176.php Assembly members, part 1] in 2003-2004 Legislative Directory at Madison.com]

Lasee is a member of the State Assembly who has been a dissenter on many issues, including state budgets. [" [http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/MAN0101/71022116/1984 Frank Lasee to vote not] " Herald Times Reporter, October 22, 2007] He is called an advocate of taxpayers, limited spending and an opponent of the tax increases. [ [http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=4D64D613-5A5E-4C48-9FC16CE0D928FF8C Lasee proposes another version of TPA] by Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network, April 26, 2006] [" [http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071018/MAN0101/710180519/1358/MANnews 'Hold the line' on budget, lawmakers told] " Herald Times Reporter, October 18, 2007] Voters have approved enough of his performance to elect him seven times. [ [http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071014/GPG06/710140581/1269/GPGopinion Rep. Frank Lasee talks about his political choices] by Warren Bluhm, Green Bay Press Gazette, October 14, 2007]

Policy proposals

A list of bills proposed by Lasee is available at the Wisconsin Legislature web site. [ [http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=WI:Default&d=indxauth&jd=A2 Bills sponsored by Frank Lasee] ] Some of his most notable proposals are as follows.

Guns in schools

Lasee achieved notoriety through his proposal to allow public school teachers to carry guns. Lasee asserts that such policies have been effective in other countries such as Israel and Thailand. [ [http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/4309617.html Arming Teachers with Guns?] by Brock Bergey, WMTV 15 News, October 4, 2006] Lasee notes that the proposal would have to "work around a federal law that bans guns on school grounds". [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15142930/ Wis. Lawmaker wants teachers to carry guns] Associated Press, Oct 5, 2006]

Law school funding

Lasee proposed to cut state funding to the University of Wisconsin Law School, claiming that lawyers are a "plague of locusts" and that we already have too many. His plan includes an initial cut of $1 million and a complete removal of funding by 2010. This would affect about 10 percent of the school's total funding. Opponents say that Wisconsin has a shortage of at least 127 state-funded assistant district attorneys. [" [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1186412328825 Too Many Lawyers? Cut Funding, Says Legislator] " by Brittney Pescatore, The National Law Journal, August 7, 2007]

Reducing counties

Lasee feels that Wisconsin has too many counties at 72, and should consolidate the counties in rural areas. [ [http://www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/newsroom/inside-wi/?Id=460 Lop off a few Wisconsin counties? It’s not as far-fetched as it seems] by Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council, August 7, 2007] He believes that this would produce a cost savings in government, though he has never articulated his reasoning.Fact|date=July 2008

Taxpayers Bill of Rights

A Taxpayers Bill of Rights, also known as TABOR, was introduced by Frank Lasee and Jeff Wood in 2004 in Wisconsin. They stated "taxpayers in this state need protection". [ [http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2004/r040304.htm Regents, Assembly speaker discuss implications of "Taxpayer Bill of Rights"] UW #System News, March 4, 2004] [ [http://www.uwosh.edu/acadstaff_senate/files/Academic%20Staff%20Rep/Legislative%202004/Legislative%20Update%204-23-04.doc The University of Wisconsin System Legislative Update] April 23, 2004] TABOR includes five basic provisions: [ [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=14339 Wisconsin Needs a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights] by Frank Lasee, Budget & Tax News, The Heartland Institute, February 1, 2004]
#Limit state and school spending growth to population growth plus inflation.
#Limit county and municipalities the same way.
#Any increase in income, sales, franchise, or property tax rates, would require the approval of voters.
#Any proposal by the state or local governments to borrow money would require the approval of voters.
#Establish an emergency fund and budget stabilization fund.

Taxpayer Protection Act

A 2006 proposal was the "Taxpayer Protection Act". The TPA proposed to tie governments revenue to inflation, population, personal income growth etc. [ [http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/pending/position/tpaPpt4-11-06.pdf Taxpayer Protection Act] presentation, April 11, 2006 with Frank Lasee and Jim Perry]

Paternity Suit

In 2005, Kari Manteufel filed a paternity suit against Lasee for a daughter born in November 2004. Lasee subsequently acknowledged he was the father of the child and agreed to pay child support, giving custody to Manteufel. [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=665949 Pall of hypocrisy hangs over Lasee] by Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 22, 2007]

Campaign reimbursements

In November 2007, Lasee was one of several state lawmakers found to be double-dipping by taking a per-diem from the state at the same time as reimbursing themselves from their campaign accounts. [" [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=687359 Some claim per diem when campaign pays] " By Stacy Forster, Steven Walters and Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Daily Telegram, November 19, 2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.legis.state.wi.us/leginfo/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=Assembly&district=2 Wisconsin Assembly - Representative Frank Lasee] "official government website"
* "Follow the Money" - Frank Lasee
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=110201 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=87553 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=68251 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8543 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58765 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56772 1998] campaign contributions
* [http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-103174.php Campaign 2008] campaign contributions at "Wisconsin Democracy Campaign"