Frank Lasee
Frank G. Lasee | |
---|---|
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 1st district | |
In office January 3, 2011 – December 29, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Alan Lasee |
Succeeded by | Caleb Frostman |
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 2nd district | |
In office January 3, 1995 – January 5, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Dale Bolle |
Succeeded by | Ted Zigmunt |
Personal details | |
Born | Oceanside, California, U.S. | December 11, 1961
Political party | Republican |
Spouses |
|
Children | 3 with Kirsten Schneider 3 stepdaughters 1 child out of marriage |
Residences | |
Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Green Bay |
Occupation | Salesman, politician |
Frank G. Lasee (born December 11, 1961) is an American businessman and Republican politician from Brown County, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate for seven years, representing Wisconsin's 1st Senate district from 2011 to 2018. He also served 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, from 1995 to 2009, and ran unsuccessfully for United States House of Representatives in 2016.
After losing the 2016 election, he worked two years as administrator of the Division of Worker's Compensation in the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, in the last two years of the administration of Governor Scott Walker. He subsequently was hired as president of the Heartland Institute, but was fired a year later in the midst of financial difficulties at that organization.
Early life and career
[edit]Born in Oceanside, California, to a Marine Corps officer stationed at Camp Pendleton on December 11, 1961, and subsequently raised in Green Bay and De Pere, Lasee graduated in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay with a major in history.[1][2][3] He is married and the father of six daughters.[4]
Prior to his election to the State Assembly in 1994, Lasee was the Ledgeview Town Board Chair from 1993 to 1997, and was a telemarketing supervisor for an insurance company.[3][5]
Political career
[edit]State Assembly
[edit]Lasee was a member of the State Assembly who dissented on many issues, including state budgets.[6] He was called an advocate of taxpayers, limited spending and an opponent of tax increases.[7][8] He was elected seven times.[9]
Some of his most notable proposals included the Taxpayer Protection Act and a Taxpayers Bill of Rights.[10][11]
A 2006 proposal was the "Taxpayer Protection Act". The TPA proposed to tie governments revenue to inflation, population, personal income growth etc.[10]
Lasee lost his bid for an eighth term representing the 2nd Assembly District to Democrat Ted Zigmunt on November 4, 2008.[12] Lasee blamed his defeat on the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state's largest teachers' union, claiming they spent $250,000 on campaign ads.[13]
State Senate
[edit]Frank's older cousin, Alan Lasee, announced his retirement from the Wisconsin Legislature on January 11, 2010. Frank Lasee competed with Democrat Monk Elmer for his cousin's old seat in the 2010 campaign, ultimately prevailing by twenty percentage points.[14]
In June 2014, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board alleging that Lasee was living outside of his district. The Party contended that while Lasee listed a town of Ledgeview address on his candidacy papers, he was actually living with his wife and children in Racine, which is outside of the 1st Senate District. The Government Accountability Board ultimately ruled to allow Lasee to stay on the ballot and leave the issue up to the voters.[15][16][17]
Frank Lasee was challenged by Democrat Dean DeBroux in the general election, and prevailed by over twenty percentage points.[18]
In the Senate a notable bill proposed by Lasee included the Consumer’s Choice in Auto Insurance Act, which lowered the cost of insurance by eliminating the stacking clause.[19]
Committee assignments
[edit]Senate Standing Committees
[edit]- Committee on Financial Institutions and Rural Issues
- Committee on Insurance and Housing (Chair)
- Committee on State and Federal Relations and Information Technology
- Committee on Transportation and Elections
Joint Committees
[edit]- Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions (Co-Chair)
- Joint Legislative Council
- Governor's Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse[20]
Congressional campaigns
[edit]2012 U.S. Senate election
[edit]In September 2011, he announced he would run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Democratic U.S. Senator Herb Kohl.[21][22] On January 29, 2012, he announced his withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race.[23]
2016 U.S. House of Representatives election
[edit]On February 14, 2016, Lasee announced he would run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Reid Ribble.[24] He lost to eventual general election winner Mike Gallagher in the primary.[25][26]
Post-legislative career
[edit]On December 29, 2017, Lasee resigned from the Senate to become administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Worker's Compensation Division.[27]
In 2019, Lasee became president of The Heartland Institute, an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank. He was removed in March 2020, with the organization facing financial issues.[28][29]
Personal life and family
[edit]Frank Lasee is a first cousin of Alan Lasee, who served 34 years in the Wisconsin Senate, also representing Wisconsin's 1st Senate district.
Frank Lasee's first wife was Kirsten F. Schneider. They had three daughters together before divorcing in 2001.[30] He subsequently married Amy Joy Larsen (née Savaglio), of Racine, and became stepfather to her three daughters as well. Frank Lasee is also the father of another daughter with a former girlfriend, Kari Manteufel. This child was the subject of a decade-long child support and paternity battle beginning in 2005.[31]
Electoral history
[edit]Wisconsin Senate (2010, 2014)
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank Lasee | 43,415 | 60.04 | |
Democratic | Monk Elmer | 28,800 | 39.83 | |
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank Lasee | 47,438 | 61.59 | |
Democratic | Dean DeBroux | 29,555 | 38.37 | |
Republican hold |
Wisconsin Assembly (2002–2008)
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank Lasee (incumbent) | 10,920 | 62.53 | |
Democratic | Dan Katers | 6,524 | 37.36 | |
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank Lasee (incumbent) | 21,848 | 99.36 | |
Independent | Write-in | 141 | 0.64 | |
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Frank Lasee (incumbent) | 15,347 | 89.30 | |
Independent | Write-in | 1,839 | 10.70 | |
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ted Zigmunt | 16,008 | 52.12 | |||
Republican | Frank Lasee (incumbent) | 14,687 | 47.82 | |||
Democratic gain from Republican |
U.S. House (2016)
[edit]Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Primary[35] | Sep. 9 | Mike Gallagher | Republican | 40,322 | 74.46% | Frank Lasee | Rep. | 10,705 | 19.77% | 54,152 | 29,617 |
Terry McNulty | Rep. | 3,109 | 5.74% | |||||||||
General[36] | Nov. 8 | Mike Gallagher | Republican | 227,892 | 62.65% | Tom Nelson | Dem. | 135,682 | 37.30% | 363,780 | 92,210 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Alumni: UW-Green Bay alums doing a capitol job," Inside, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay feature and news magazine, November 2005.
- ^ "Frank Lasee Biography" at Wisconsin State Legislature web site
- ^ a b [1] at Wisconsin Historical Society
- ^ "District Information - Wisconsin State Legislature". Legis.wisconsin.gov. 1961-12-11. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ Assembly members, part 1 in 2003-2004 Legislative Directory at Madison.com
- ^ "Frank Lasee to vote not" Herald Times Reporter, October 22, 2007.
- ^ Lasee proposes another version of TPA Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine by Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network, April 26, 2006
- ^ "'Hold the line' on budget, lawmakers told" Herald Times Reporter, October 18, 2007
- ^ Rep. Frank Lasee talks about his political choices by Warren Bluhm, Green Bay Press Gazette, October 14, 2007.
- ^ a b Taxpayer Protection Act Archived 2007-11-29 at the Wayback Machine presentation, April 11, 2006 with Frank Lasee and Jim Perry
- ^ Wisconsin Needs a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights by Frank Lasee, Budget & Tax News, The Heartland Institute, February 1, 2004
- ^ a b "2008 General Election - State Assembly - County-by-County Canvass". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "Lasee denounces teachers union after loss". Green Bay Press-Gazette. November 5, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ a b "2010 General Election - State Senate - County-by-County Canvass" (PDF). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Journal Sentinel Staff (June 6, 2014). "Democrats contend Frank Lasee doesn't live in his district". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ Associated Press (June 7, 2014). "Democrats say GOP senator lives outside district". Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ Beckett, Andrew (June 10, 2014). "GAB rules on ballot challenges". Wisconsin Radio Network. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Statewide Summary Election Results for All Offices 11-14-2014" (PDF). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
- ^ "Wisconsin's new auto insurance law eases coverage levels - NewsoftheNorth.Net, Northwoods News". Archived from the original on 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ "District Information - Wisconsin State Legislature". Legis.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ "Lasee says he's 'quite likely' to run for Senate". Fox11online.com. 2011-09-01. Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ Walker, Don. "Frank Lasee plans to run for U.S. Senate". JSOnline. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ "Lasee ends US Senate campaign". Wrn.com. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ "State Sen. Frank Lasee will run for Congress". wbay.com. February 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "Mike Gallagher Wins GOP Primary In Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District". Wisconsin Public Radio. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
- ^ "Mike Gallagher wins 8th Congressional District". Press Gazette Media. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
- ^ "GOP lawmakers Frank Lasee and Keith Ripp resign to take jobs in Gov. Scott Walker's administration". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Associated Press. December 29, 2017. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
- ^ Kaufman, Alexander C. (March 7, 2020). "Pro-Trump Climate Denial Group Lays Off Staff Amid Financial Woes, Ex-Employees Say". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Waldman, Scott (March 17, 2020). "Prominent U.S. Climate Denial Group Fires President Amid Financial Crisis". Science. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- ^ "Brown County Case Number 2001FA001048 Frank G Lasee vs Kirsten F Lasee". Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Bice, Daniel (May 13, 2016). "Where is home for congressional hopeful Frank Lasee?". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ "2002 General Election - State Assembly - County-by-County Canvass". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "2004 General Election - State Assembly - County-by-County Canvass". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "2006 General Election - State Assembly - County-by-County Canvass". Wisconsin State Elections Board. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2016 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. September 30, 2016. p. 6. Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Profile, committees and bills at the Wisconsin State Legislature
- Frank Lasee official campaign site
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Living people
- 1961 births
- People from Oceanside, California
- People from De Pere, Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin–Green Bay alumni
- Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators
- Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- 21st-century American legislators
- Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin
- People from Brown County, Wisconsin
- 21st-century Wisconsin politicians