Treig Pronschinske (R) is on the ballot for Assembly District 29 against Terry Schoonover (D).

Treig Pronschinske (R)

Rep. Treig Pronschinske, who has served as the District 92 representative since 2016 (under the old legislative maps), did not respond to the Journal’s questionnaire.

Information from his Wisconsin State Legislature page:

Age: 46

Prior elected office(s): Mayor of Mondovi, 2014-18; Assembly since 2016.

Community/civic activities: Former president of Mondovi Youth Baseball Association, Mondovi Ambulance Commission (2014-18), former member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, former Junior Achievement volunteer, current Mondovi Fire Department volunteer firefighter, current member of Gilmanton Community Club.

Family: Married with one child.

Education: 1996 graduate of Memorial High School, degree in construction management from Chippewa Valley Technical College

Occupation: Small business owner, general construction contractor

Terry Schoonover (D)

Age: 66

Prior elected office(s): None.

Community/civic activities: I was an American Red Cross Board Member for three years, deployed in 2017 for three weeks to Florida in response to Hurricane Irma, have been a lifelong blood donor, an election poll worker in my town of Belvidere, and this past year a Voter Education Facilitator.

Family: I was born in Marshfield, Wis. and grew up in nearby Loyal. I’m the oldest of nine siblings. My wife Renee and I have three children and three grandchildren.

How long have you lived in Wisconsin? 32 years.

What do you see as the main issues in Assembly District 29? School funding and road maintenance. I have been to many county, city, village, town board and school board meetings in the last seven months. A common concern and frustration is the lack of support from the state. I find it baffling that our current legislature continues to provide less than half-measures, while sitting on a $3.4 billion surplus. They need to attend more local meetings to understand the scope of the problems.

State government expects to close its books in mid-2025 with an available surplus of $3.4 billion. Should that surplus be spent and, if so, how? The focus should be on the state paying its fair share to our public schools. Too much of the current funding is dependent on passing local referendums which increases property taxes in our rural districts. Basic road maintenance funding to local government needs to increase. Identifying contaminated watersheds and wells and remediating them so the water is safe to drink rounds out my top three priorities.

To control property taxes, there are limits on what local governments and schools can spend. Those limits are causing more local governments to hold referendums asking to raise property taxes. Should spending limits on local governments and schools be loosened? Would you change the school funding formula and how? Absolutely, and yes, the funding formula needs overhauling. Rural schools are affected disproportionally using the current formula. Also, requiring local school districts to pass funding referendums to meet basic operating needs does not work because we’re asking people on fixed incomes to increase their real estate taxes. This formula has failed our kids, teachers, and communities.

Many families are struggling to find child care in the region and child care centers are struggling to stay open. What's your solution? One of the best investments we can make as a society is to adequately support quality childcare. For numerous reasons, there is a critical shortage of childcare centers across our country, state, and AD29. This summer I talked with a mom in Durand who is on eight waiting lists for childcare. We need to increase funding for childcare. In 2024, the Wisconsin Child and Dependent Care Expenses Credit was increased for families. To increase the supply of providers, they need to earn a living wage, one that reflects the value of the work they do. Why is Wisconsin’s minimum wage still $7.25/hour? We can streamline onerous rules and regulations that go beyond common sense, often driving providers out of the market. We should incentivize new providers by providing low interest loans or tax credits that help them convert and renovate home and center-based childcare settings. It takes money. Wisconsin now has an estimated Rainy Day Fund of $2B, on top of the $3.4B operating surplus. We need to maintain the Rainy Day Fund, but why is the legislature sitting on $3.4B that could go a long way in addressing these problems? It’s our money.

Evers and Democratic Atty. Gen. Josh Kaul have called for a “red flag” law allowing judges to order those found to be dangerous to themselves or others to surrender their guns. Could you support a “red flag” law? Yes I would. It seems a reasonable thing to do to protect individuals struggling with mental health issues, as well as protecting their immediate family and the general public. Red Flag laws are not a complete solution to our gun violence problem, but they are certainly a step in the right direction. Ignoring the problem is not an option.

Where do you stand on the issue of abortion? Please be specific as to when or if you think it should be allowed in all or certain circumstances and why. No issue brings greater divisiveness in our society than reproductive rights. I believe there are well-intentioned people on both sides of the issue. Abortions hit a decade-plus high in the first full year after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Why? I believe it’s because, as a society, we refuse to fully fund child care tax credits, adequately subsidize daycare centers, or support a living minimum wage. There are lots of folks who are pro-life … but only until birth. This is a choice that should be decided by women and their families, doctors, and spiritual advisors; but, certainly should not be a decision made more difficult by the government. To deny women this right to choice regarding their personal freedom treats them as second-class citizens. Ironically, the same people who claim government overreach regarding vaccine mandates, “my body, my choice,” don’t extend that thinking to women’s reproductive freedom. I feel that being pro-choice doesn’t mean I’m a fan of abortion. It means that I’m not going to tell other people what to do when they are in a situation I may never understand myself.

Why are you running for office and what can you bring to the table? Three years ago I made my first foray into Wisconsin politics with the Fair Maps statewide initiative, an attempt to replace Wisconsin’s gerrymandered legislative maps (the worst in the country) with a fairer version. I ended up testifying in a Senate Committee hearing in Madison. In March of this year, those fairer maps became law. It’s easy to be discouraged with the political climate we find ourselves in, but if concerned citizens get and continue to stay involved, we can make a difference.

How will you work with members of the opposite party to come up with solutions for all your constituents, not just those in your party? The most common concern I’ve heard from voters in every corner of AD 29 is the gridlock and partisanship in Madison. Our current state legislature has been one of the least productive in the US. We need to permanently end gerrymandered legislative maps by creating an Independent Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission. Iowa is a great example. I retired in 2017 after a 20-year career at Mayo Clinic as an Emergency Management Coordinator, where I collaborated with some strong-willed individuals in local and state law enforcement, area fire departments, EMS, public health, health care professionals, and elected officials on emergency preparedness planning. We didn’t always agree. Sometimes we agreed to disagree, but we got things done because we respected each other. I will take that same attitude and ethic to the Assembly.

Is there anything you would like to add? It's important that voters stay informed about their candidates for office. WisconsinEye, our state's non-profit, public affairs cable network delivers nonpartisan, unedited, state government news. My WisEye candidate interview of October 16 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMnUGpvbH9g) best describes the priorities I would focus on. I’m hoping my opponent provides an interview as well so voters can hear about his legislative record of the last eight years.