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| Lena Taylor | |
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| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 4th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Gwen Moore |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 18th district |
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| In office April 2003 – January 2005 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | July 25, 1966 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Attorney |
Lena C. Taylor (born July 25, 1966) is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 4th District since 2005. She previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 18th District from 2003 through 2005. [1]
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Early life, education and career
Taylor is a life-long resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a graduate of Rufus King High School in 1984. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1990, and a law degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1993. As an undergraduate, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
After law school, Taylor worked as a public defender for more than two years, representing indigent citizens in need of legal services. In 1996, she opened Taylor and Associates Law Office, a general practice firm on the north side of Milwaukee.
Wisconsin legislature
Taylor was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election in April 2003 and was subsequently elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2004. When Democrats were elected to the majority in the Wisconsin State Senate in November 2006, Taylor was chosen to Chair the Committee on Judiciary and Corrections, on which she had served for the preceding two years. In January 2007, Taylor was selected by the Majority Leader to serve on the powerful Joint Committee on Finance for the second time.
In addition to the Committee on Judiciary and Corrections and the Joint Committee on Finance, Taylor currently serves on the Joint Committee on Retirement Systems, the Legislative Council Committee on Affirmative Action, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), the Marquette Interchange Labor Development Committee, the Legislative Council Committee on Sex Offender Placement, Judicial Council, Sentencing Commission, and the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation. During her first term in the Senate, Taylor focused intently on improving education in Milwaukee, working to create equity in school funding and to promote a positive learning environment for children.
2011 Wisconsin protests
During the protests in Wisconsin, Taylor, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, left the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's "Budget Repair" legislation which repealed collective bargaining on benefits for public employees.
Taylor made statements comparing Walker's proposed legislation to Adolf Hitler's plan to eliminate unions.[2] On her twitter account she wrote ""LIKE HITLER in 1933, WALKER is busting unions."[3][4]
As a result of her stance on the issue, Taylor (along with seven other Democratic senators) was subject to a recall attempt. However, her opponents were only able to obtain two signatures for her recall, as of April 7.[5] Experts said that since Taylor is in a strongly partisan senate district, she was unlikely to be defeated in a recall election.[6]
Political campaigns
In 2008, she ran for County Executive of Milwaukee County but lost to Republican Scott Walker, who was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 2010.
Electoral history
2004 State Senate Primary
Lena C. Taylor - 10,042
Johnnie E. Morris** - 7,735
James White - 3, 633
2004 Race for State Senate
Lena Taylor - 99% (No Challenger)
2008 Race for Milwaukee County Executive
Scott Walker - 59%
Lena Taylor - 41%
Personal life
Taylor and her son live on Milwaukee's northwest side.
Taylor is a member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, a member of the advisory board for the Milwaukee Boy Scouts, a member of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Alumni Association, and a member of the Democratic National Committee. Taylor is also involved with the Milwaukee Unity Caucus, the Milawukee Child Welfare Partnership Council, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee AIDS Resource Center, the NAACP, and the Milwaukee Urban League, among others.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Lena Taylor political profile
- ^ Video of Wisconsin State Senator Compares Scott Walker to Hitler
- ^ Wisconsin state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, says like Hitler, Gov. Scott Walker is abolishing unions
- ^ Hitler Tweet Among Social Media Debate
- ^ http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f8e0aa70-60af-11e0-a1b8-001cc4c002e0.html
- ^ Kapanke given toughest odds in recall election
External links
- Senator Lena Taylor at the Wisconsin State Legislature
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- 4th Senate District, Senator Taylor in the Wisconsin Blue Book (2005–2006)
- Campaign 2008 campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
| Preceded by Gwen Moore |
Wisconsin State Senator-4th Senate District January 2005–present |
Incumbent |
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