Dozens of new faces to be sworn in Tuesday at Wisconsin State Capitol

January 2, 2023 5:30 PM

Will Kenneally,

Posted: January 2, 2023 5:30 PM

Updated: January 2, 2023 6:15 PM

by Will Kenneally

MADISON, Wis. — Tuesday marks a new day for lawmakers and other top leaders in the state of Wisconsin.

It’s Inauguration Day, with Gov. Tony Evers among those sworn in, along with new Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Attorney General Josh Kaul and hundreds of others. Among those being sworn in are 24 new members of the Assembly, with nearly a quarter of that chamber turning over with new faces. In the Senate, seven others will take their oath of office.

Among the brand-new members of the Assembly will be Melissa Ratcliff of Cottage Grove, a longtime member of the Dane County board. Ratcliff says she expects to work across the aisle with Republicans on issues like shared revenue between the state and local municipalities and rural broadband.

She says there is a lot of preparation for new legislators leading up to Inauguration Day.

“At the beginning of December, we had a couple days of freshman orientation, just kind of an in-depth, kind of a primer of what to expect in the legislature,” Ratcliff told News 3 Now. “I’ve had a lot of outreach from my Democratic colleagues about what to expect and always being available if I have questions, too.”

Ratcliff will be one of eight new Democrats sworn into the State Assembly on Tuesday, along with 16 Republicans. In addition to Ratcliff, the new members are:

Joey Goeben (R-Hobart)
Peter Schmidt (R-Bonduel)
Darrin Madison (D-Milwaukee)
Tom Michalski (R-Elm Grove)
Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee)
Amy Binsfeld (R-Town of Mosel)
Ellen Schutt (R-Clinton)
Scott Johnson (R-Jefferson)
Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon)
Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit)
Jerry O’Connor (R-Fond du Lac)
Lori Palmeri (D-Oshkosh)
Nate Gustafson (R-Fox Crossing)
Ty Bodden (R-Stockbridge)
Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie)
Karen Hurd (R-Fall Creek)
Angie Sapik (R-Lake Nebagamon)
Chanz Green (R-Grand View)
Alex Joers (D-Middleton)
Mike Bare (D-Verona)
Nik Rettinger (R-Mukwonago)
Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield)

New State Senators being sworn in on Tuesday include:

Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield)
Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit)
Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Fox Crossing)
Jesse James (R-Altoona)
Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron)
Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton)
Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee)

Legislative inauguration ceremonies are scheduled to be held concurrently at 2 p.m. Tuesday, while the inauguration for Gov. Evers, Lt. Gov. Rodriguez, Attorney General Kaul, Secretary of State Doug La Follette State Treasurer-elect John Lieber will begin at 11 a.m. You can watch that ceremony streaming live on Channel 3000+ streaming apps and Channel3000.com.