Nicole Robinson

Eau Claire-area residents Robin Kreibich and Jeff Smith, vying for the 93rd Assembly district seat, both tout higher education and inter-party cooperation as vital to the future of Wisconsin.

Incumbent Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, has served 12 years in the Legislature, 10 as chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee. He has been named Legislator of the Year three times and Most Productive Legislator twice, he said. Before he was elected, Kreibich worked as a TV newscaster in Eau Claire.

Democratic opponent Smith has served four years as Brunswick town chair. He has volunteered extensively in land-use planning and in schools, he said.

Smith is the founder and chair of the Parent Advisory Council for the Eau Claire School District. He has been appointed by the governor to his task force on education and has served as a Parent Teacher Association president and a member of the state PTA board, he said.

Smith also owns a small business his father started, Bob Smith Window Cleaning.

Kreibich said one of his priorities for the next term will be to make higher education more affordable for Wisconsin residents by reinstituting a tuition cap for public colleges and universities. He said he will work to make sure higher education is funded through tax dollars, not through auxiliary funds.

“Funding the UW System is important, because it has a connection to economic development in the state,” Kreibich said.

He said he will also support expanding a post-graduation loan forgiveness program for students in certain high-demand majors. He also suggested an income tax credit for Wisconsin graduates who remain in Wisconsin post-graduation.

“My opponent, frankly, has been talking K-12 and has been silent on post-secondary education issues,” Kreibich said.

A second priority, he said, will be to maintain the Wisconsin-Minnesota tuition reciprocity program, which he said Minnesota has threatened to end.

“I think it would be shortsighted for Minnesota to pull the plug on that,” Kreibich said.

He also said he will reintroduce a bill to add a second student to the UW System Board of Regents.

“Students deserve more representation in the wake of higher tuition costs,” he said.

Smith also named education as one of his top priorities. He said he will focus on making public higher education more accessible to all Wisconsin residents.

“It frustrates me that a cap is set on the number of students admitted,” Smith said.

He added that the average student’s family income is about $60,000 at UW-Eau Claire and about $90,000 at UW-Madison. He said he will work to increase the number of lower and middle-income students in the universities.

A second priority, Smith said, will be to increase access to health care.

“I know that’s something every politician says, but we’re all tired of the rhetoric and no action,” he said. “We need to do something drastically and soon to resolve that problem.”

Smith proposed letting small businesses pool together to buy insurance like larger companies do. He also emphasized the need to investigate why insurance costs are so high and how to reduce them.

Smith said a third priority will be to reduce the level of partisanship in Madison.

“Elected officials are supposed to be public servants, but that isn’t happening,” he said. “They’re party servants.”

Smith said Kreibich has voted along party lines 99 percent of the time.

Both candidates said they will oppose a piece of legislation called the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to limit local government’s budget increase to inflation and population growth allowances. Exceptions would require a referendum.

Kreibich said he would oppose changing the constitution for that purpose because it removes flexibility for local governments.

“I trust myself and my colleagues to make sound decisions,” he said. “This would put government on autopilot.”

Smith emphatically agreed.

“That is something I would never support,” he said. “It is ethically wrong. The principle is wrong.”

He said his experience as town chair has allowed him to see first-hand why budget decisions are best made locally.

Smith cited a recent purchase of equipment for the fire department that has proven to “save money, property and lives.” If the TABOR amendment were in effect, he said, it would not have allowed citizens, who vote yearly on a town budget, the flexibility to make the purchase.

Senior Ben Hack, treasurer for the College Republicans, said he has campaigned for Kreibich and supports his re-election.

“Rob Kreibich understands the issues very well,” he said. “He’s very in touch with what students want and need. He understands what needs to be done in Madison.”

Senior Lisa Huftel, College Democrats secretary, said she was “really, really impressed” with Smith when he spoke at the organization’s meeting before the primary election.

“The reason I really think he’s the right man for the job is that he’s established himself as a progressive Democrat,” she said. “I know he’s going to be working towards change and for the betterment of all people.”

Kreibich said he wants to be re-elected to make a difference.

“There are legislators who run for office to be something,” he said. “I have always run for office to do something.”

He emphasized the need for Democrats and Republicans to work together.

“We have to send people to Madison who are able to work with people of both parties,” Kreibich said.

Smith also said he would not take party lines for granted.

“I am somebody who questions everything,” he said. “You don’t just take your party’s word for it. You need to go out and discover.”