Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SJR21 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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4	4	2025 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 21
5	5	April 14, 2025 - Introduced by Senators SPREITZER, CARPENTER, DRAKE,
6	6	HESSELBEIN, L. JOHNSON, LARSON, PFAFF, RATCLIFF, ROYS, SMITH, WALL and
7	7	WIRCH, cosponsored by Representatives ROE, ANDERSON, BROWN, J.
8	8	JACOBSON, ARNEY, BARE, BILLINGS, CLANCY, DESMIDT, DOYLE, FITZGERALD,
9	9	JOERS, JOHNSON, KAUFERT, KRUG, MADISON, MOORE OMOKUNDE, NEUBAUER,
10	10	SINICKI, SNODGRASS, STUBBS, SUBECK, TENORIO and UDELL. Referred to
11	11	Committee on Senate Organization.
12	12	Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Senator Timothy Francis
13	13	Cullen.
14	14	Whereas, Timothy Francis Cullen was born on February 25, 1944, in
15	15	Janesville, Wisconsin, and passed away on December 23, 2024; and
16	16	Whereas, son of a Teamster and a United Auto Workers Union member, Tim
17	17	was the third generation of his family to work at General Motors in Janesville, and
18	18	he worked there for four summers in the 1960s to pay his way through college; and
19	19	Whereas, Tim graduated from Janesville High School in 1962 and from the
20	20	University of Wisconsin]Whitewater in 1966, and attended graduate school at
21	21	Northern Illinois University; and
22	22	Whereas, after graduation from UW]Whitewater, Tim served in the United
23	23	States Army Reserve and taught social studies at George S. Parker High School
24	24	before being elected to the Janesville City Council in 1970; and
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39	39	Whereas, Tim served as ombudsman for U.S. Representative Les Aspin from
40	40	1971 to 1974; and
41	41	Whereas, while serving as the people[s advocate, Tim bridged the gap between
42	42	constituents of the First Congressional District and the decisions being made on
43	43	their behalf in Washington, through making government more responsive and
44	44	accessible, cutting through the red tape of an often distant and unresponsive
45	45	bureaucracy, lending an ear to their issues and concerns, and giving a voice to the
46	46	people of Wisconsin[s First Congressional District; and
47	47	Whereas, in 1974, Tim ran for the Wisconsin State Senate as a Democrat,
48	48	winning his election to represent the 15th State Senate District with more than 55
49	49	percent of the vote; and
50	50	Whereas, Tim served from 1975 to 1987 in the Wisconsin State
51	51	Senate—including as Senate Majority Leader from 1982 to 1986—and chaired
52	52	committees relating to diverse issues including agriculture, labor, aging,
53	53	transportation, business, and financial institutions; and
54	54	Whereas, Tim[s first bill enacted into law ceded state lands to the City of
55	55	Delavan for park and recreational purposes, and it was followed later that session
56	56	by bills that eliminated a citizenship requirement for bartenders and made Susan
57	57	B. Anthony[s birthday a special observance day in Wisconsin Schools; and
58	58	Whereas, as Senate Majority leader, Tim was a champion for policies that
59	59	improved the lives of everyday Wisconsinites, provided support to local
60	60	municipalities, and protected consumers, workers, and both current and future
61	61	homeowners; and
62	62	Whereas, legislation authored by Senator Cullen that was enacted into law
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88	88	during his first six legislative sessions in the State Senate included improvements
89	89	to state unemployment compensation laws, the creation of the Homeownership
90	90	Mortgage Loan Program, increased payments to Wisconsinites claiming the
91	91	homestead tax credit, better consumer protections for credit card holders,
92	92	prohibiting felons from possessing firearms, and protections against sexual
93	93	exploitation of children and the abuse of vulnerable adults; and
94	94	Whereas, Tim[s advocacy for the people of the 15th State Senate District and
95	95	all Wisconsinites was reflected in his legislative advocacy surrounding consumer
96	96	protection, housing, agriculture, labor, transportation, conservation efforts, and
97	97	government transparency; and
98	98	Whereas, a sharp, shrewd leader and coalition builder, Tim[s great respect for
99	99	his fellow caucus members and colleagues was reflected in the reputation he built
100	100	within his own caucus and bonds forged across the aisle; and
101	101	Whereas, Tim served the people of our state on a bipartisan basis as the
102	102	Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services in the cabinet
103	103	of Republican Governor Tommy Thompson from 1987 to 1988; and
104	104	Whereas, Tim began a twenty-year private sector career at Blue Cross Blue
105	105	Shield in 1988; and
106	106	Whereas, Tim returned to elected office by winning a seat on the Janesville
107	107	School Board in 2007 and later winning election to another term in his former seat
108	108	in the State Senate in 2010; and
109	109	Whereas, in 2008, Governor Jim Doyle appointed him to co-chair a state task
110	110	force to save the Janesville General Motors plant; and
111	111	Whereas, Tim served from 2011 to 2015 in the Wisconsin State Senate and
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137	137	served on committees relating to a diverse range of issues including economic
138	138	development, veterans, military affairs, state and federal relations, information
139	139	technology, workforce development, small business, tourism, education, insurance,
140	140	and housing; and
141	141	Whereas, during this time, Tim was a fierce unapologetic advocate and
142	142	champion for working families, union rights, collective bargaining and basic
143	143	fairness to workers, and access to the ballot box; and
144	144	Whereas, in 2011 Tim made a good-faith effort to negotiate with then-
145	145	Governor Scott Walker[s office concerning the provisions in what would be 2011 Act
146	146	10 related to collective bargaining, underscoring his dedication to finding common
147	147	ground and representing the interests of Wisconsin workers even in times of
148	148	extreme partisanship; and
149	149	Whereas, many of Tim[s efforts, both as a public servant and private citizen,
150	150	focused on attaining equal opportunities for all children, fighting for racial and
151	151	gender equality, putting an end to partisan gerrymandering and maintaining open,
152	152	accountable, and transparent state government; and
153	153	Whereas, during his return to the state legislature, Tim struck up a friendship
154	154	and partnership with former Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz, a Republican
155	155	from Richland Center, who traveled the state with him for years urging the state to
156	156	adopt nonpartisan redistricting and end gerrymandering; and
157	157	Whereas, Tim[s lifelong commitment to serving his community and the State
158	158	of Wisconsin included serving as a board member of Big Brothers of Janesville, the
159	159	Janesville YMCA, the Les Aspin Center for Government, Everyone Cooperating to
160	160	Help Others (ECHO), the Janesville Teacher Diversity Board, Forward Janesville,
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186	186	WisconsinEye, Common Cause in Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Fair Elections
187	187	Project; and
188	188	Whereas, Tim founded the Tim Cullen Government Institute, allowing 11th
189	189	graders to meet with state and local government leaders—making government
190	190	more responsive and accessible and fostering the next generation of leaders; and
191	191	Whereas, Tim authored three books sharing his insight and experience:
192	192	XRingside Seat: Wisconsin Politics, the 1970s to Scott WalkerY; XDisassembled: A
193	193	Native Son on Janesville and General MotorsY; and XWisconsin Gerrymandering:
194	194	The Fight for Permanent Fair Maps and Why it MattersY; and
195	195	Whereas, the proceeds from his published books benefit two programs that
196	196	recognize the need for teachers of color in local school districts and encourage
197	197	diverse students to become teachers—the Janesville Multicultural Teacher
198	198	Scholarship Fund, which Tim started in 2008 and through which eleven
199	199	participants of color have been hired and 20 students are currently in the pipeline
200	200	to become teachers, and Beloit[s similar Grow Your Own Multicultural Teacher
201	201	Scholarship Program; and
202	202	Whereas, Tim will be remembered as an incredible husband to his late wife
203	203	Barbara, a caring and dedicated father and grandfather, a devoted friend and
204	204	mentor, and a beloved member of the Janesville community; and
205	205	Whereas, Tim[s lifelong commitment to bipartisanship and good government,
206	206	to fighting for the working class, and to improving the lives of all Wisconsinites will
207	207	continue to have a positive impact on the Janesville community and the entire State
208	208	of Wisconsin; now, therefore, be it
209	209	Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of
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235	235	the Wisconsin Legislature honor the life, legacy, and public service of Senator Tim
236	236	Cullen and extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends, colleagues,
237	237	and all those who knew him.
238	238	(END)
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