Jeff Fitzgerald

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Jeff Fitzgerald is a Republican state legislator serving his 6th term as State Representative for Wisconsin’s 39th Assembly District. He is on the following Senate Standing Committees: Committee on Assembly Organization (Chair) and Committee on Rules. He is also on the following Joint Committees: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization (Co-Chair); Joint Committee on Employment Relations (Co-Chair); and Joint Legislative Council.

Fitzgerald did not run for reelection for his seat in the Assembly. He ran in the Republican primary for the Senate seat vacated by long-serving Senator Herb Kohl. Fitzgerald lost the Republican primary on August 14, 2012.

An ALEC Wisconsin Foot Soldier

Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald has been a member of ALEC since 2001. As of 2011, he is listed as a member of ALEC’s Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force, the committee responsible for a raft of anti-labor and anti-consumer legislation including “Right to Work” bills, “Paycheck Protection” bills, bills that would put an end to living wage ordinances, prevailing wage laws, and even state minimum wages. Without his leadership, the bills discussed in this report could not have become law.

In a newly released video taken in March 2012, Speaker Fitzgerald says his caucus wanted to pass a “Right to Work” bill last year. Fitzgerald is asked by a reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel whether he was surprised when Walker described his plans to attack public workers’ collective bargaining. “No, it wasn’t a shock to me. . .” responds Fitzgerald. “My caucus wanted to go further. I had people in my caucus that was, you know, were wondering if we were going to do Right to Work in this state. So to tell you the truth, the collective bargaining, to me, I thought was more of a middle ground if you can believe that.”

In 2011, he received a $1,329 contribution from ALEC, according to his Statement of Economic Interest. He sits on ALEC's Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force. In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Rep. Fitzgerald co-authored 2 bills that reflect ALEC models, according to an analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy. 

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Support for "Right to Work"

A video released by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin shows Fitzgerald saying: “My caucus wanted to go further. I had people in my caucus that was, you know, were wondering if we were going to do Right to Work in this state. So to tell you the truth, the collective bargaining, to me, I thought was more of a middle ground if you can believe that.” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has not answered the question of whether he would veto "Right to Work" legislation were it to come to his desk.

Representative Fitzgerald and Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development

The following bills were introduced or co-sponsored by Representative Fitzgerald during the 2011-2012 legislative session:

Articles and resources

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