Jeremy Thiesfeldt (born November 22, 1966) is an American educator and politician from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

for 12 years, representing

Wisconsin's 52nd Assembly district The 52nd Assembly District of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in eastern Wisconsin, the district comprises part of southern Outagamie County, Wisconsin, Outagamie County, including most of the city of App ...

from 2011 through 2022. He also previously served on the Fond du Lac city council.

Early life, education, and career before politics

Born in

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

on November 22, 1966, Thiesfeldt graduated with a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

elementary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or firs ...

from

Martin Luther College Martin Luther College (MLC) is a private college in New Ulm, Minnesota, operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Martin Luther College was established in 1995, when Northwestern College (NWC) of Watertown, Wisconsin, combined ...

in 1989. Thiesfeldt is a former teacher,Todd Richmond
Assembly panel considers mandatory cursive bill
Associated Press (November 6, 2019). having previously taught at

Winnebago Lutheran Academy Winnebago Lutheran Academy, also known as WLA, is a private Lutheran high school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). History WLA is the second oldest WELS high school, after Wisconsin ...

.Sarah Razner
Fond du Lac, Dodge County results: Thiesfeldt, Schraa, Born re-elected; referendums pass
''Fond du Lac Reporter'' (November 6, 2018). As of 2018 he was interim principal at Redeemer Lutheran School in Fond du Lac.Sharon Roznik
Wisconsin legislator, school principal deletes tweet about guns, apologizes
''Fond du Lac Reporter'' (February 16, 2018).

Political career

Thiesfeldt was a member of the Fond du Lac city council from 2005 to 2010, and was first elected to the

in 2010 as a Republican. Thiesfeldt is the assemblyman for the 52nd Assembly District,Sarah Razner
Fond du Lac detective, Knowles fire chief receive First Responder of the Year awards
''Fond du Lac Reporter'' (October 11, 2019). which encompasses Fond du Lac city, Fond du Lac town,

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

, Oakfield, and Taycheedah, and Oakfield, as well as part of

Calumet Calumet may refer to: Places United States *Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana **Calumet River **Calumet Trail, Indiana ** Calumet (East Chicago) * Calumet, Colorado *Calumet, Iowa * Calumet, Michigan *Calumet, Minnesota * Calumet ...

. He was reelected in 2012 with 60.65% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Paul G. Czisny; was reelected in 2014 without opposition; was reelected in 2016 with 63.76% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Czisny, and was reelected in 2018 with 61.63% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Kevin Booth. On December 9, 2021, he announced that he would not seek re-election.

Education

Thiesfeldt chairs the Assembly Education Committee,Sharon Roznik
Will cursive become a lost art form? Not if these Wisconsin lawmakers can help it
''Fond du Lac Reporter'' (October 14, 2019). and a member of the

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, headquartered in Madison, is the state education and public library management agency in the state of Wisconsin.

Standards Review Council, In 2012, Thiesfeldt sponsored legislation, passed by the Republican-controlled Assembly, that would allow schools to teach

abstinence-only sex education Abstinence-only sex education is a form of sex education that teaches not having sex outside of marriage. It often excludes other types of sexual and reproductive health education, such as birth control and safe sex. Comprehensive sex education, ...

, as opposed to

comprehensive sex education Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a sex education instruction method based on-curriculum that aims to give students the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values to make appropriate and healthy choices in their sexual lives. The intention i ...

. Thiesfeldt opposed

Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the concl ...

.Chris Rickert
Political opposites find common ground on testing, Common Core
''Wisconsin State Journal'' (May 12, 2015). and in 2015 sponsored legislation allowing parents to opt-out from state

standardized testing A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predete ...

for their children. In 2019, Thiesfeldt introduced a bill in the state Assembly that would compel Wisconsin

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

s and

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

s to teach cursive handwriting, at an estimated annual cost of $1.7 million to $5.95 million in student materials and some additional sum for teacher training. In 2018, the day after 17 students and staff members were fatally shot at a high school in Florida, Thiesfeldt posted a tweet linking to an article on the on conservative website

PJ Media PJ Media, originally known as Pajamas Media, is an American right-wing subscription-based commentary website. It was founded in 2004, with its majority owner being software entrepreneur, billionaire and angel investor Aubrey Chernick, founder o ...

that romanticized a past era when "high school kids rode the bus with rifles and shot their guns at high school rifle ranges." After a backlash, Thiesfeldt deleted the post, issued an apology for what he called an "poorly timed and insensitive" tweet, and said that he did not believe "that children should be able to bring guns to school."

Public health

In the Assembly, Thiesfeldt opposed legislation to repeal a provision allowing parents to send their children to school without

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

s on grounds of " personal conviction"; Thiesfeldt asserted that the legislation would infringe on parental rights. In August 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin The global COVID-19 pandemic struck the U.S. state of Wisconsin in early February 2020. Although Wisconsin has to date experienced 144 deaths per 100,000 residents, significantly fewer than the US national average of 196 deaths, COVID-19 was one ...

, Thiesfeldt signed onto a letter from 49 Republican members of the Assembly urging schools to re-open for in-person instruction.

Social issues

Thiesfeldt opposes the

legalization of marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...

,Sharon Roznik
52nd Assembly race pits incumbent Jeremy Thiesfeldt against newcomer Kevin Booth
''Fond du Lac Reporter'' (October 20, 2018). and in 2013, he and a fellow Fond du Lac Republican lawmaker,

state Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Rick Gudex, introduced a bill that would authorize county and municipal governments to prosecute marijuana possession cases that are dropped by prosecutors.Steven Elbow
GOP lawmakers don't want pot scofflaws to go unpunished
''The Capital Times'' (June 5, 2013). Thiesfeldt and Gudex introduced the legislation after some Wisconsin district attorneys' offices adopted a policy of not pursuing criminal prosecutions for simple possession of small amounts of marijuana. Thiesfeldt states that he supports the "legitimate, regulated medical use of marijuana" and also voted for

CBD oil Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. , clinical research on CBD incl ...

, which he believes "has therapeutic use." Thiesfeldt opposes legal recognition of

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

; after the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that there was a constitutional right to same-sex unions, Thiesfeldt opposed the decision, saying that it was wrongly decided and that "marriage is a state matter." In 2013, Thiesfeldt proposed legislation to repeal Wisconsin laws on the manufacture, use, and sale of

pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...

Economic issues

In 2011, Thiesfeldt proposed legislation to make Wisconsin

state income tax In addition to federal income tax collected by the United States, most individual U.S. states collect a state income tax. Some local governments also impose an income tax, often based on state income tax calculations. Forty-two states and many ...

payers ineligible for the state's Homestead Credit if they or any household family member received any federal housing subsidy (such as a Section 8 voucher).Mike Ivey
Biz Beat: GOP wants to end Homestead credit for low-income renters
''The Capital Times'' (October 31, 2011). Thiesfeldt supports

2011 Wisconsin Act 10 The 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, is legislation proposed by Republican Governor Scott Walker and passed by the Wisconsin Legislature to address a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit. The legislation prima ...

, which weakened public employee unions. He supported controversial state

tax incentive A tax incentive is an aspect of a government's taxation policy designed to incentivize or encourage a particular economic activity by reducing tax payments. Tax incentives can have both positive and negative impacts on an economy. Among the posit ...

s for Foxconn's Wisconsin plant.

Personal life

Thiesfeldt lives in Fond du Lac. He has been married since 1990 and has four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thiesfeldt, Jeremy 1966 births Living people 21st-century American politicians Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin city council members Martin Luther College alumni