Candidates for 88th Assembly District Beauchamp-Pope, Macco address abortion, climate, inflation
The race for the 88th District Assembly seat has Republican incumbent John Macco, 64, of Ledgeview, seeking a fifth term. His challenger is University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior Hannah Beauchamp-Pope, 21, a Democrat.
Beauchamp-Pope is scheduled to graduate in May as a triple major in democracy and justice studies, psychology, and sociology and anthropology. She has experience as a board member with the political organization Leaders Igniting Transformation, and was co-organizer of Green Bay's largest rally for social justice.
Macco chairs the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means, and is vice-chairman on the Assembly Committee on Audit. Macco founded a regional financial-planning business and a regional retail business, both of which are owned by family members.
The election is Nov. 8, with early absentee voting underway.
More: A guide to voter rights in Wisconsin. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
More: How to register to vote and get an absentee ballot in Wisconsin
The Green Bay Press-Gazette asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire. Some responses were lightly edited for word count, clarity and brevity.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov.
Hannah Beauchamp-Pope
Age: 21
Address: Green Bay
Current occupation: Legal intern at the law firm of Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry
Highest education level completed: Student at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay triple majoring in democracy & justice studies, psychology, and sociology & anthropology, minor in criminal justice. Graduating in May 2023.
Experience relevant to this job: Community organizing: board member of political organization Leaders Igniting Transformation, board member of Baird Creek Parkway Neighborhood Association, co-organizing the largest rally for racial justice in Green Bay; working in Washington, DC: 2022 The Fund for American Studies Alumni, Leadership and the American Presidency program track; Presidential Leadership Award - TFAS & Ronald Reagan Institute; commitment to community involvement demonstrated in HerStory Exhibit at the Neville Public Museum.
Campaign website: hannahforassembly88.com and Facebook page: facebook.com/HannahforAssembly88
John Macco
Age: 64
Address: Ledgeview
Occupation: Representative of 88th Assembly District
Highest education level: Some college
Relevant experience: Ways and Means Committee chair, family businesses in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Florida, 500 employees; retired.
Campaign website: JohnMacco.com and Facebook page: facebook.com/johnjmacco
What is the most pressing issue facing Wisconsin?
Beauchamp-Pope: The most pressing issue facing Wisconsin is that of freedom and democracy. By restricting voting access and attempting to undermine free and fair elections, the world has witnessed an unconstitutional overreach of power at all levels of our government. When a representative government no longer represents the people, a litany of irresponsible bills are proposed and passed that threaten the future of our great state. If elected in November, it will be my duty to advocate for every Wisconsinite's right to live and build healthy communities.
Macco: Crime, policing, jobs, inflation. (Editor's note: See Macco's responses on crime and policing in the final question). Within Tony Evers' very first week of office he had all the "Open For Business" signs removed, and replaced with his name, and then had all those old signs repurposed into Detour signs. I'm not even exaggerating. He shut down the state and determined that much of the workforce was non-essential. Then he incentivized folks to stay at home. All of that needs to be reversed, we need a tax and regulation code that looks like it was developed on purpose. We need business-friendly policies to support our job creators, retain our existing employers and attract new industry.
Would you vote to repeal Wisconsin’s ban on abortions, or to add exemptions to the law (such as for rape and incest victims)?
Beauchamp-Pope: Our representatives must vote to overturn the 1849 Wisconsin ban on abortion. Scientific advancements of medicine have evolved, so should our laws. The law states that the act of providing or receiving an abortion be charged as a felony crime unless the mother’s life is at stake. Unfortunately, this generalization puts the lives of all child-bearing people at stake. We must pass legislation that will protect patients and medical professions that provide reproductive health care. This is my position because the purpose of government is to protect our rights from being infringed upon, not to determine what our rights are. (Editor's note: Wisconsin law makes it a felony to perform an abortion but exempts the mother from a criminal charge.)
Macco: No. Wisconsin's current law allows for D&C (dilation and curettage) and other medically necessary pregnancy procedures including (to save) the life of the mother.
Would you support policy initiatives to address the impact of climate change in Wisconsin? If so, what would be your priorities?
Beauchamp-Pope: I will use my position to support the innovative policies needed to confront the impact of climate change in Wisconsin and the communities most impacted by environmental degradation. Wisconsin must lead by example through the investment of new technologies and green infrastructure. Tax incentives are intended to help businesses, residents, and municipalities across the state make a zero carbon commitment. Furthermore, sustainable solutions must include the voices of tribal governments. The issues regarding Line 3 pipeline and the Back40 mine, both of which would threaten the Great Lakes region, have proven that more support and more collaboration is needed.
Macco: Abundant and consistent power is critical. Nearly all of our wind comes from Iowa, nearly all of our hydro comes from Canada. Wisconsin's topography and weather are simply not conducive to any significant wind or hydro facilities. Solar voltaic cells consume obscene amounts of farmland, and are best suited for specific facility use, not for grid capacity. Wind, hydro and solar are not dependable, only delivering power 25% of the time. That leaves coal, natural gas and nuclear. I'm proud we eliminated the moratorium on building nuclear power plants. Now Wisconsin must include nuclear power within our renewable portfolio standards.
How should state government help Wisconsin residents combat the effects of inflation?
Beauchamp-Pope: The state government can help Wisconsinites combat the effects of inflation by passing legislation that puts caps on out-of-pocket payments for prescription drugs and holding insurance companies accountable for price-gouging Wisconsinites beyond the rate of inflation. As your representative, I will advocate to limit corporate stock buybacks that do not create new jobs or invest in American workers but instead increase the wealth of CEOs and corporate shareholders. A strong labor force builds strong economies.
Macco: The Biden administration's poor fiscal policy and willful printing of trillions of dollars and profound misuse of COVID relief money is the reason we are in the fix we are today. That needs to stop. As states, the first thing we should do is to stop taking money from workers. Tax reform will keep $2.5 billion in hardworking families' pockets to help make ends meet. Stop taxing personal property, reduce income taxes permanently, give towns, cities and counties a better funding source and reduce pressure on property taxes.
What should Wisconsin do to protect the democratic process and ensure the integrity of its elections?
Beauchamp-Pope: Wisconsin representatives continue to threaten election integrity. Our Legislature must do more to support our municipal clerks who have been staunch defenders of our democracy, increase the minimum wage for poll workers, expand early voting options and accessible polling locations. Our representative government is what makes us American, so it is only right that Election Day be established as a recognized holiday so all eligible voters may uphold their civic duty and participate in the democratic process. We have wasted taxpayer money questioning the integrity of a long-standing system that could instead be transformed to reach more voters — not fewer.
Macco: We know what happened and what needs to be done. As co-vice chair of the Joint Audit Committee, we authorized the non-political Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct a 9-month-long, thorough, forensic audit. Those findings provided the basis for 18 specific pieces of legislation to repair election statutes. Gov. Evers vetoed every one of them. We need to review and reintroduce those bills.
Are the public schools in your district properly funded?
Beauchamp-Pope: Public schools must be equitably funded across all districts. While the Green Bay Public School District is making budget cuts, the state has a surplus in a “rainy day fund” that can be allocated back into our communities to ensure students and educators of their success. As we are rebuilding from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to address the issues it exposed regarding lack of resources, especially in special education and mental health support. Additionally, acquiring and retaining quality educators and strengthening unions must be a top priority to fight the shortage of teachers and substitutes in Wisconsin.
Macco: No. K-12 funding has gone up 33% consistently over the last 10 years under Republican leadership, fully 50% higher than the inflation rate, yet the funding formulas unfairly disadvantage well-run districts and districts with shrinking enrollment.
What should state government do about gun violence and crime in Wisconsin?
Beauchamp-Pope: Wisconsin gun laws are outdated and do not stand in pace with the advancements in weaponry and 3D printer technology. I believe that public safety includes background checks, state-issued licenses, and the implementation of red flag precautions that enforce responsible gun ownership by law-abiding citizens.
Despite being a state of mass incarceration, crime persists. Therefore, Wisconsin must revisit our approach to criminal justice reform, especially for nonviolent offenders. Through communities-based solutions and safe systems of citizen reentry, we can lower recidivism rates and ensure healthy families and a stronger workforce for generations to come.
Macco: First, respect our police force. Second, let the courts do their job by stopping wholesale pardoning of severe felons. We will increase funding for counties and municipalities for hiring more officers and training. I will reintroduce my police parity bill giving local police departments the ability to hire from the same group of applicants that the state police can.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: John Macco, Hannah Beauchamp-Pope on abortion, climate and inflation
