(Published Wednesday, September 12, 2007 11:43:33 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Jim Winter The Monroe Times
MONROE-Kris Wisnefske wants change.
The Monroe resident worked for Janis Ringhand in her 2006 bid to unseat state Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon. She saw how close Ringhand came to doing it, losing the election by just 249 votes.
Wisnefske, 54, now is hoping Davis' stance on health care, education and the environment will propel her to the state Capitol.
Wisnefske, the parish nurse coordinator at Monroe Clinic, has filed candidacy papers to run as a Democrat in the April election for the 80th Assembly District. She is the only Democrat to file so far.
Kris Wisnefske
Brett Davis
"Issues that are of importance to me and to others I've spoken with are health care for everyone, education and the environment," Wisnefske said.
Wisnefske started thinking about running in February or March, but the Assembly's version of the budget released in July solidified her decision, she said.
"When the budget came out, and the whole thing with education and potentially losing 33 teaching positions in the (Assembly) district," Wisnefske said. "Until we find a different way to finance education, I don't think we need to cut into it any more than it has been cut."
Wisnefske is citing figures released by the Department of Administration and reorganized by Assembly district by the Democratic leadership office.
The Assembly budget allocated $464 million for education, which Davis said is $16 million more than Gov. Jim Doyle proposed. The Assembly budget does put less money aside for general aid but has more money in the pot for property tax relief.
While education funding is high on Wisnefske's platform, nothing tops health care. In her role at Monroe Clinic, Wisnefske said she has seen the effect of health insurance costs on patients.
"We need a plan. I hear stories all the time that people don't have health insurance because they can't afford it," Wisnefske said. "If they have it, they have these humongous deductibles."
Wisnefske said health savings accounts, being pushed by a majority of Republican legislators, are not a blanket answer.
"Health savings accounts are an answer, potentially, for some people for health care access, but it's not the answer for the majority of people I meet and work with," she said. "They can't save the money to have a health savings account."
