Moses, Johnson face off in 29th

Oct. 17—EAU CLAIRE — In his freshman term in the state Assembly, Rep. Clint Moses can claim something that few could in politically divided times — a bipartisan win.

"I am one of the very few representatives that got bipartisan support and got a bill passed by Gov. Evers," he said.

Moses, a Republican from the Dunn County town of Menomonie, managed to get a new law in place that tracks sales of catalytic converters — car parts that have been the target of a wave of thefts across the state.

Moses is running for a second two-year term leading the 29th state Assembly District in the Nov. 8 election, but is being challenged by a Democrat who lives in a town just outside of New Richmond.

Danielle Johnson canvassed for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton during their presidential runs, but really credits the rise of Donald Trump as leader of the Republican Party for galvanizing her political activism.

"Like many people the presidential election of 2016 was a wake-up call for many Democrats," Johnson said.

That led her to become co-chairperson of the St. Croix County Democratic Party from 2018 to 2020 and now challenge Moses for the 29th.

Johnson's campaign website does note one caveat — she currently doesn't live in that district.

The new legislative maps approved earlier this year gave New Richmond and the town she lives in to a neighboring state Assembly district. But Johnson said she would move into the 29th, if elected.

The 29th District includes most of Dunn County and parts of St. Croix and Polk counties. Much of the district is rural, but it does include the city of Menomonie.

The incumbent sees expanding infrastructure — namely broadband internet — to rural areas, as well as keeping taxes affordable and reducing government spending as ways to help businesses in the district.

"We can't slap small, medium and large businesses with a disproportionate share of the tax burden and expect them to stay in our communities," Moses said.

Johnson, who owns a veterinary practice with a dozen employees, contends that addressing costs faced by working parents deserve the state government's attention.

"As a small business owner, I see how our access to child care has really impacted employees in our area," she said.

Johnson hopes the state government can help grow capacity and help cover child care costs.

Both candidates were disappointed to hear that Mayo Clinic is ending its birthing services in Menomonie and at another hospital that serves people in the district due to a shortage of OB-GYN doctors.

Moses not only views that as a loss of an important service for residents, but also something that businesses and workers consider when deciding where to locate. That potential ripple effect to the local economy is piece of what he refers to as "small towns disappearing."

"Keeping things as close to home and local is huge," Moses said.

Johnson also bemoaned the loss of Mayo Clinic birthing services in the district, but noted that Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin still delivers babies.

Within the frame of an overall reduction in reproductive health services, the Democratic challenger alluded to the U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively ended abortions in Wisconsin.

"It just seems like a very special irony that women are losing their reproductive freedom while at the same time access to birthing centers is becoming less and less," she said.

The High Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade resulted in an 1849 Wisconsin law that criminalized abortions in the state going back into effect, which Johnson argues is antiquated.

"I think we need to start from square one as far as do we need a law whatsoever," she said. "What's happening inside a woman's uterus is not necessarily something that has to be legislated."

When asked for his stance on abortion, Moses said he doesn't want it to be used as birth control, but does see the need for exceptions in cases where the baby isn't viable or the mother was a victim of incest or rape.

"If we propose an absolute ban on every abortion across the state, people are going to get them either in-state illegally or go across borders to Minnesota to get them," he said.

Based on his experience in the state Legislature, Moses said it will be up to state Republican Party leaders to order a discussion of a replacement to the state's old abortion law through a caucus.

"We've got to have those discussions," he said.