Senator Darling
A Record of Results for Children

Recognized as a determined advocate for children, Senator Darling has worked continuously to improve child care for families and providers, and to promote adoption and foster parenting, especially for at-risk children.  She is a longstanding member of the Bureau of Milwaukee County Child Welfare, charged with improving permanency for Milwaukee’s children.  She has also actively supported the Birth-to-3 program which serves young children with developmental disabilities.

As Wisconsin’s leader in protecting children against sex offenders, Senator Darling has authored landmark laws to keep children and families safe in their neighborhoods, including:

•    Wisconsin’s Sexual Predator Law, which allows civil commitment of sexually violent persons (1993 Act 479)
•    Sexual Offender Registry and Community Notification Laws (1995 Act 440)
•    “Jessica’s Law,” which creates a mandatory minimum term of confinement for serious sex offenses (2005 Act 430)
•    GPS tracking for dangerous sex offenders out on probation, parole or supervised release (2005 Act 431)
•    The Internet Predator Law, which increases penalties for the use of a computer to facilitate child sex crimes and the possession of child pornography (2005 Act 433)

Most recently, Senator Darling has authored a proposal that will allow school districts to keep convicted felons out of schools.

As a former public school teacher, Senator Darling understands that exceptional educational opportunities are paramount to every child’s future.  Senator Darling believes in choice in education, and that every child should have access to affordable, safe, and effective education, whether it is through a public, private, charter, or virtual school.  An advocate for choice in education, Senator Darling was instrumental in the creation of Wisconsin’s Open Enrollment program (statewide public school choice), has been a leader in establishing and strengthening charter and choice schools, and voted to provide for the continued operations of innovative virtual schools.

Senator Alberta Darling
A Record of Results for Education

A former public school teacher, Senator Darling is well known for her work in support of quality education.  As a member of the Education Committee, she believes Wisconsin must provide children with a superior learning environment, a strong curriculum, and increased opportunities.

As Vice-Chair of the Council on Model Academic Standards, Darling served with a bipartisan coalition that wrote the curriculum guidelines that Wisconsin schools use today.  She has supported efforts to implement a “pay for performance” system that rewards top educators, and is the author of legislation (2011 SB 34/AB 44) to eliminate the residency requirement on Milwaukee Public Schools teachers.

As a former public school teacher, Senator Darling understands that exceptional educational opportunities are paramount to every child’s future.  Senator Darling believes that every child should have access to affordable, safe, and effective education, whether it is through a public, choice, charter, or virtual school.  An advocate for choice in education, Senator Darling was instrumental in the creation of Wisconsin’s Open Enrollment program (statewide public school choice), has been a leader in establishing and strengthening charter and choice schools, and voted to provide for the continued operations of innovative virtual schools.

All children need a safe environment to learn, and Senator Darling leads the charge for safer schools in Wisconsin.  As former Chair of the Special Committee on School Discipline and Safety, nearly all of Senator Darling’s recommendations are now law.  She has also introduced a proposal to allow school districts to deny employment to convicted felons, and was the lead Senate author of a law that allows law enforcement to share information on juvenile sex offenders with school districts officials.

Senator Darling’s commitment to education extends beyond the K-12 years.  She authored the law to create Wisconsin’s EdVest Program to help families save for the costs of higher education.  She served as Chair of the State’s College Savings Program board from 1999-2010.

Senator Darling
A Record of Results for the Environment

Wisconsin residents cherish the natural beauty of the state they call home.  Senator Darling recognizes the importance of protecting our natural resources, and ensuring clean air and water.

Understanding that a clean environment and job growth go hand-in-hand, Senator Darling voted to strengthen the “Brownfields” program, which cleans up environmental contamination and spur economic development.  She also voted to strengthen protection of wetlands, and as an advocate for Wisconsin’s sporting heritage, voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to affirm sportsmen’s right to hunt and fish.

Senator Darling supported the reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to protect vulnerable environmental treasures and expand recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.

In an effort to protect our water resources for generations to come, Senator Darling voted in favor of the Great Lakes Water Compact, a multi-state agreement designed to protect the Great Lakes from being drained by other states in water diversions outside of the Great Lakes Basin.

As a result of her strong environmental record, Senator Darling was recognized for her pro-conservation votes by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.

Senator Darling
A Record of Results for Good Government

Senator Darling believes that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around.  As such, she works to provide the residents of the 8th Senate District with exceptional constituent services, and supports efforts to increase the public’s trust in the democratic process and their elected leaders.

To ensure the integrity of every person’s vote and protect the democratic process from fraud, Senator Darling has continually co-authored and voted to enact Voter ID legislation.

Senator Darling served on the Special Committee on Program Integrity, which was formed to ensure that government assistance programs did not waste taxpayer dollars.  As an ardent protector of taxpayer dollars, Senator Darling was instrumental in the creation of legislation restructuring the Wisconsin Shares Program.  In a crusade against fraud, waste, and abuse in government, Senator Darling has voted in favor of audits of government assistance programs such as Medical Assistance and FoodShares.

Senator Darling
A Record of Results on Health Care

Wisconsin needs health care reform that gives people more control of their coverage, their dollars, and their medical decisions.  The focus of Senator Darling’s health care agenda is to reduce the cost of medical care, increase access to affordable coverage, and improve the quality of health care services.

Recognizing the need for affordable health care, Senator Darling fought to create the 2006 Senate Select Committee on Health Care Reform, of which she was named co-chair.  Her work led to the development of “Smart Medicine”, a series of reforms designed to achieve ambitious goals, including:

•    Access to affordable, quality health care services for everyone in Wisconsin
•    A reduction in the cost of health care
•    Attainable health insurance coverage for the 7% of uninsured whose costs are currently shifted to taxpayers and the private market
•    Greater focus on evidence-based, value-added solutions
•    Greater activity in the area of prevention, wellness, and disease management
•    Strong investment in Pay for Performance to improve the quality of care
•    Utilization of incentives to encourage results

Several components of the “Smart Medicine” plan have since become law.  Senator Darling has also co-authored legislation to enact and enhance price transparency among health care providers, so consumers have the information necessary to purchase high-quality, affordable health care.  As the lead author of 2011 Act 1, which exempts Health Savings Accounts from state taxes, Senator Darling has helped working families regain control over their health care dollars.

Senator Darling
A Record of Results on Job Creation

Wisconsin needs an economic climate that will assist local businesses in expanding their operations and creating more high-paying jobs, and attract out-of-state companies to relocate in Wisconsin.  Senator Darling has a strong record on supporting legislation designed to promote job creation and economic development, and was instrumental in bringing the BayShore Town Center to Glendale, providing local residents with hundreds of good-paying jobs.

Senator Darling coauthored and voted for several laws aimed at accomplishing these goals, including:

•    The “Job Creation Act” to streamline state regulatory functions in order to enhance job growth and economic development.  The bill provides greater efficiency in issuing permits while maintaining environmental protection, making Wisconsin more competitive with other states.
•    Greater incentives for venture capital in new business ventures to give small start-up companies a better chance to succeed and provide high paying jobs for Wisconsinites.
•    Legislation to make Wisconsin’s corporate tax climate more competitive with neighboring states, by utilizing a single-factor apportionment formula with corporate and utility income.
•    All of Governor Walker’s Special Session on Job Creation bills, including legislation streamlining Wisconsin’s litigation laws, providing tax breaks to companies that bring jobs to Wisconsin, providing tax breaks to companies that expand in Wisconsin, and the restructuring of the Department of Commerce into the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which focuses entirely on promoting Wisconsin’s economy.

A strong economy depends on a skill workforce, and Senator Darling is at the forefront of efforts to help increase the skill level and earning potential for Wisconsin workers.  She is the author of the “Education Tax Credit” bill to provide a 50% tax credit of tuition costs paid by businesses for an employee to attend a Wisconsin college, university, or technical school.  Also, as part of her “Stay in Wisconsin” plan, Senator Darling proposed to make all student loan interest 100% tax deductible to limit the “brain drain” by retaining the best and brightest college graduates to work and raise a family in Wisconsin.

Senator Alberta Darling
A Record of Results for Protecting Your Pocketbook

Senator Darling understands that in order to promote a strong Wisconsin economy, we must reduce the tax burden on families and businesses and keep government spending within the taxpayers’ ability to pay.

Senator Darling has a consistent record of cutting taxes, and has authored spending cap legislation on state government.  When Senator Darling first served as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance from 2003-05, the Senator succeeded in passing a state budget that cut spending on state government operations and sliced the structural deficit by half.  As the current Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, Senator Darling has helped to construct a budget that greatly reduces the structural deficit with out raising taxes.

Senator Darling has voted for successful efforts to eliminate the tax on social security income, and to make health insurance premiums payments tax deductible.  She also supported income tax cuts, a property tax freeze, and the elimination of state taxes on retirement income.  Believing tax increases to be an obstacle to economic growth, Senator Darling voted against proposed tax increases on gasoline, healthcare services, and home sales.  Senator Darling fought valiantly against Jim Doyle’s 2009 budget, which increased taxes by $2.1 billion.

Senator Darling has led the charge against fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs, working to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not misused.

Senator Alberta Darling
A Record of Results for Public Safety

Senator Darling understands that building strong communities requires ensuring that our neighborhoods are safe.  She is particularly dedicated to the safety of children, acting as Wisconsin’s leader in passing tough, effective laws to protect children from sexual predators.

As Wisconsin’s leader in protecting children against sex offenders, Senator Darling has authored landmark laws to keep children and families safe in their neighborhoods, including:

•    Wisconsin’s Sexual Predator Law, which allows civil commitment of sexually violent persons (1993 Act 479)
•    Sexual Offender Registry and Community Notification Laws (1995 Act 440)
•    “Jessica’s Law,” which creates a mandatory minimum term of confinement for serious sex offenses (2005 Act 430)
•    GPS tracking for dangerous sex offenders out on probation, parole or supervised release (2005 Act 431)
•    The Internet Predator Law, which increases penalties for the use of a computer to facilitate child sex crimes and the possession of child pornography (2005 Act 433)

Senator Darling’s strong advocacy for the safety of children enabled her to serve as the chair of a Study Committee on Review of Crimes Against Children.  Working with law enforcement and victim advocates, the committee developed 2007 Wisconsin Act 80, hailed by one prosecutor as “one of the most important child protection reforms of the last 10 years.”

In an effort to bring justice to crime victims and enhance community safety, Senator Darling voted in favor of Wisconsin’s “Truth in Sentencing” law to bring certainty to criminal sentencing.  She is also authoring legislation to allow school districts to refuse employment to convicted felons, and has voted to provide funding that helped eliminate the case backlog at Wisconsin’s crime labs.

Senator Alberta Darling
A Record of Results for Seniors

Whether assisting the frail elderly with their health care needs, or fighting to relieve their tax burden, Senator Darling has been a strong advocate for Wisconsin’s senior citizens.

Senator Darling has fought to keep seniors’ tax burdens from outpacing their income.  She worked to eliminate the state income tax on social security benefits, and supported a tax exemption for retirement income, including pensions and individual retirement accounts.  She has consistently voted for proposals to freeze property taxes so that seniors can continue to afford to live in their homes.

Meeting the health care needs of Wisconsin seniors has always been a priority of Senator Darling.  Senator Darling voted for the creation of the SeniorCare prescription drug assistance program, and has publicly come out in support of keeping SeniorCare fully funded.

In 2008, Senator Darling unveiled her “Stay in Wisconsin” plan, a series of initiatives designed to make it easier for seniors to remain in our state.  The “retirement package” portion of Stay in Wisconsin would make various tax changes for seniors to make Wisconsin a more attractive place to retire, including:

•    Eliminating the tax on retirement income
•    Reducing the capital gains tax
•    Including retirement income for the married couple tax credit
•    Increasing the personal tax exemption for senior filers
•    Increasing the property tax credit for seniors
•    Increasing income tax exemption limits for senior filers
•    Permanently eliminating the estate tax