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