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milwaukee county supervisor Sequanna Taylor He is running for the Wisconsin State Assembly.
The four-term supervisor is running for the 11th Congressional District. That seat is currently held by a member of Congress. dora drakeis running to replace the state senator. lena taylor.
In addition to his experience on the county board, Taylor also served one term on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors (2019-2023). She told Urban Milwaukee that how her decisions in Madison would impact the issues she's been working on at the local level inspired her to run for high office. .
County commission supervisors frequently encounter roadblocks from state law. The most high-profile example was the county's desperate search for new forms of revenue, which ultimately led to Wisconsin Act 12 and her countywide additional 0.4% sales tax.
Taylor said an example of a policy that requires national action is an alert system for presumed missing adults and victims of domestic violence. Taylor, a domestic violence survivor, authored a county commission resolution in 2020 calling for the state to implement a Purple Alert system. The state has not yet created such a system, and Taylor believes it will save lives.
Taylor has several interests in working at the state level, including youth empowerment and education, improving health and human needs, mental health, housing, economic development, and the criminal justice system, especially criminal record expungement, pardons, and reform. raised a problem. Re-entry services. In preparation for legislation on these issues, Taylor said, “We are beginning to research and consider what kind of laws will be enacted on these issues.”
The partisan primary for the 11th Congressional District will be held in August, and the general election will be held in November. If Taylor is elected, he would take office in January 2025. Mr. Taylor was recently re-elected to another two-year term on the County Commission. He said he does not intend to hold both positions and would like the county to hold an election for the vacant seat in April in a nonpartisan election next spring rather than a special election.
“I hope it doesn’t cost taxpayers any extra money,” she said.
After nearly a decade on the county commission, Taylor believes he heads to the state Legislature with a solid understanding of government and the legislative process. “And while it doesn't always happen as quickly as we would like, that doesn't mean you don't keep pounding.”
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Working in local government has made her more respectful of different opinions, she said. She wants to keep an open mind and be able to collaborate and learn from colleagues from different backgrounds and communities far from Milwaukee.
But most importantly, Taylor said he wants District 11 voters to feel like they're traveling with him to Madison. If elected, Taylor will work to remain visible and approachable to voters and maintain an active presence in the community, he said.
“I want to take that passion of continuing to fight and advocate for you all to the state level, where I know it directly impacts what happens to us locally.” she said.