Jeff Smith in the News

August 11, 2022 | Evers, Democrats rally support as campaign goes full swing

Area legislators Sen. Jeff Smith, D-town of Brunswick, and Rep. Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire, also spoke at the rally.

“This is the right time, this is the right place,” Smith said of kicking off the march toward the general election.

If Evers loses his seat, or Republicans in the Legislature obtain a super-majority where they can override any veto, “this state of Wisconsin will not be the same one it is now; you won’t recognize it,” Smith said.

About 300 supporters attended the rally, cheering for remarks from each of the candidates about their support for abortion access, increased gun safety legislation, and their defense that the 2020 election was decided fairly and accurately.

May 16, 2022 | Wisconsin Democrats look for do-over with rural voters after Trump-era shellacking

Towns have been hollowed out, with Main Streets crumbling as small-business growth in rural counties has slowed and store fronts sit empty for years. Younger generations have left for bigger cities, leaving populations markedly older -- a particularly significant problem as rural hospitals across America close. And family farms, once the lifeblood of many rural communities, have become increasingly dominated by large corporations and Big Ag.

It's a dynamic that state Sen. Jeff Smith -- one of the few Democrats still able to win in rural Wisconsin -- knows well.

Every few days, Smith drives his 1999 Dodge Ram pickup to a part of his district, climbs onto the bed and hoists up a large sign: "STOP & TALK -- Senator Jeff Smith".

And then he waits, until voter after voter -- many of whom have long left the Democratic Party -- come to pepper him with questions. Not all the queries are easy, but Smith engages with his constituents, hoping that even if they don't like his party, they will like him enough to back him in November when he's up for a second term.

February 21, 2022 | State Democrats Introduce Bill Package to Address Teacher Shortage

“Wisconsin is facing a problem for a number of reasons. Years of bad policies implemented a decade ago have driven many teachers out of this profession. The constant disparaging attacks on public education has only added to burnout among teachers, and widespread shortages. This is an issue affecting schools across the state, one that I’ve heard from rural superintendents in western Wisconsin where I serve. When it comes down to it, those most impacted by our teacher shortage are our students,” Senator Smith says.

February 16, 2022 | Senate votes on guns, vaccines, China

The bill also allows internet service providers near a grant recipient to block a grant by promising to build the needed infrastructure and provide the service to that area within two years.

The bill passed on another 20-12 party-line vote. Before the vote there was no Senate debate on the bill — just a lone, and unanswered, critique from Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick).

“The honeymoon is over for broadband expansion in Wisconsin,” declared Smith. He said the bill would effectively prioritize increasing speeds for people already getting service at the expense of providing broadband service where there isn’t any yet. “Many of the communities I represent were last to receive electricity in the ‘30s, and they are considered not profitable by many broadband internet providers today.”

February 10, 2022 | Fending off Floods

The damage wrought by a 2001 rainstorm in the town of Brunswick left a lasting impression on Jeff Smith.

The democratic state senator recalled the destruction caused by rising waters that crept closer to his home.

“We had a rain event overnight that took out a bridge, culverts and my road,” he said Thursday during a small meeting of state and local officials in Eau Claire.

After helping his town recover from that flooding, Smith said he no longer takes for granted the possibility that natural disasters could strike close to home at any time.

He was among the attendees at a mid-day meeting in the Eau Claire County Courthouse to discuss local efforts to mitigate flooding and reduce costs of flood insurance.

February 4, 2022 | Wisconsin celebrates Transit Equity Day on Rosa Parks’ 109th birthday

"Ensuring that transit systems are affordable, accessible, and that people of color, economically disadvantaged people, people with disabilities, and other marginalized populations have full access to the benefits of public transit," Smith said. 

October 20, 2021 | Bills to curb catalytic convert theft, allow green warning lights advance

The State Senate passed legislation Wednesday intended to curb the growing problem of catalytic converter theft from vehicles and permitting the use of green warning lights on certain vehicles including snowplows and highway department vehicles.

The bills, both co-authored by Sen. Jeff Smith, D-town of Brunswick, both passed with bipartisan support. 

"No matter where you are in the state, you’ll hear from Wisconsinites worried about their catalytic converter being stolen — it shouldn’t have to be this way," Smith said in a news release. "As a co-author, I’m proud that we’re now one step closer to enacting legislation to discourage thieves and prevent expensive car repairs for working families."

July 14, 2021 | With poor data, deficient requirements and little oversight, massive public spending still hasn't solved the rural internet access problem

State officials ought to demand more accountability, according to Marklein and other state lawmakers including state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, and state Rep. Rob Summerfield, R-Bloomer. 

Smith proposed legislation that would allow consumers to seek a refund if their internet provider didn't live up to advertised speeds.

"We are just asking for accountability, truth in advertising," he said.

He also authored a bill that would task the Legislative Audit Bureau with biennial performance audits of the state broadband expansion grants. 

Februrary 24, 2021 | State Lawmakers Unveil Slew Of Proposed Election Law Changes In Wisconsin

The ranked-choice voting bill has bipartisan support. Under the plan, primary elections for Wisconsin's congressional delegation would no longer be partisan. Instead, all candidates would appear on the same primary ballot and the top five vote-getters would advance to the general election. 

Sen. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, one of the bill's sponsors, said the current partisan primary system encourages polarization and gridlock… He argued ranked choice voting would "change the incentives" for candidates. 

"The incentives are to not just cater to your base, but to have a larger view of representation," he said.

Kooyenga and Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, and state Reps.Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, and Daniel Riemer, D-Milwaukee, are co-sponsoring the bill. 

"Wisconsinites are increasingly frustrated with Washington, D.C. and Congress’ inability to get anything done," the sponsors said in a memo seeking additional co-sponsors. "This dysfunction is incentivized by election rules that rewards absolute fidelity to ideology because the party primary is the most important election."

January 14, 2021 | CONFEDERATE IDEOLOGY: WHY WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS ARE FOLLOWING TRUMP’S CONTEMPT FOR THE RULE OF LAW

“Wisconsin Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort to condemn last week’s assault of the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead and police officers beaten and hit with stun guns. Senate President Chris Kapenga denied a resolution from Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith of Eau Claire from being taken up during Tuesday’s floor session saying it was not relevant to the state Senate…Republican senators agreed with Kapenga’s ruling and voted to block the resolution from being taken up.”

December 20, 2020 | Local legislators want UWEC building money in next state budget

Getting the second half of funding for a new academic building at UW-Eau Claire into the next state budget is among top priorities for state legislators representing the area.

During a Friday morning panel discussion hosted online by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, local politicians from both sides of the aisle spoke about their intention to push for $147 million needed to push ahead with a new Science and Health Sciences building at the local campus.

“That was on the top of my list,” said state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-town of Brunswick.

Smith said he personally met with Gov. Tony Evers to urge him to include the building’s funding in the budget proposal.

March 31, 2020 | ‘Everyone has to have it’: Broadband gap leaves rural Wisconsin behind during coronavirus crisis

Already, Wisconsin lags behind the national average in broadband coverage. An estimated 43% of Wisconsin’s rural residents lack access to high-speed internet, compared to about 31% of rural residents nationwide, according to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

“We have such a long ways to go,” said state Sen. Jeff Smith, a Democrat who has tried unsuccessfully to increase the state’s investment in broadband. He added the crisis has highlighted how “we shouldn’t have dragged our feet for so long, and now we’d better get serious about it.”

Smith lives about five minutes outside of Eau Claire in the town of Brunswick, where he and his wife Sue live on a farm. Smith said his internet speeds are so bad he can hardly stream anything, and websites take a long time to load.

“This is the new public utility,” Smith said, “and everyone has to have it.”

March 2, 2020 | Policymaking by the people, for the people

As a state senator, I believe we need to offer resources to make it easier for town officials to do their job — I’ve heard this from my constituents too. I believe there are improvements to the current livestock siting process that can be made, only with the input of local government leaders and community members.

More importantly, I understand with any change to current law, we must consult constituents and the professionals in the community who truly understand the impact of the proposed policy. Now think about what you can share with your elected official. Be sure to speak out and share your thoughts — we need to hear from you.

November 11, 2019 | Believe in America’s Dairyland

My colleague Representative Don Vruwink, D-Milton, and I recently introduced SB 453/AB 495 to create a small farm diversity grant program aimed at helping small farms try new agricultural ventures. We also teamed up to introduce SB 455/AB 500 which will help families save money when passing their farm onto their extended family.

There’s no shortage of good ideas, but we can do more. There’s too much at stake to tell dairy farmers to “get big or go out.” The dairy crisis doesn’t stop at the farmer’s doorstep. As policymakers and consumers, we must invest in our small family farms and encourage innovation to preserve our farming heritage in Wisconsin.

September 4, 2019 | Legislators, task force discuss water quality at UW-Stout

The task force of 13 Assembly members and four state senators were joined by local legislators Sen. Patty Schachtner, D-Somerset, Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, Rep. Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire, and Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva, who are not members of the committee.

The task force was created to gather information and make policy recommendations to improve the quality of water in Wisconsin, according to the task force’s website.

The mission of the task force is to identify the best practices for testing and data collection, determining the sources and causes of contaminants impacting water quality and consulting with stakeholders to assess current practices to manage runoff. The task force also aims to investigate solutions to protect a healthy and stable supply of water and to study best practices for designing wells and septic systems to safeguard a healthy water supply.

March 26, 2019 | Local lawmakers react to Gov. Evers' commitment to closing dark store loophole

Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith said in a statement that change needs to be made after a lack of action in the Legislature last session.

“Now is the time to close this loophole,” Smith said. “The dark store loophole could’ve easily been closed last session, but Republican senators and representatives kicked the can down the road. We’ve seen another year of big box stores reaping the benefits of this loophole while homeowners and small businesses pick up more than their share of the tax burden.”

Still, it is unclear the provision would be able to successfully pass through the Republican-controlled legislature this session.

July 12, 2019 | Dem lawmakers reach out to local bus riders

During what they called bus tour office hours, state Sen. Jeff Smith of the town of Brunswick and Rep. Jodi Emerson of Eau Claire chatted with Eau Claire Transit passengers about issues ranging from drug treatment and criminal justice reform to health care and the minimum wage.

While some passengers preferred keeping to themselves, many folks relished the opportunity to share their views with the lawmakers, who wore legislative pins or shirts so they would by easily identifiable to other bus riders.

“This is amazing,” said Brooke Whiterabbit, 29, who recently moved to Eau Claire from Barron County. “I never would have gone to anything like this if it were anywhere else. I never would have reached out to a legislator on my own.”