Luther S. Olsen (born February 26, 1951) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician and former member of the
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republica ...
. A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, he served 16 years in the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
(2005–2021) and ten years in 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, ...
(1994–2005).
Olsen was one of several Wisconsin state senators to survive the
2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections.
[Barbour, Clay and Mary Spicuzza]
Republicans hold off Dems in recalls, win enough seats to keep majority in Senate
Wisconsin State Journal
The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...
, August 10, 2011.
Early life, education, and early political career
Olsen was born on February 26, 1951 in
Berlin, Wisconsin
Berlin is a city in Green Lake and Waushara counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,571 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,435 were in Green Lake County, and only 89 were in Waushara County. The city is located mostly within t ...
. In 1969, he graduated from
Berlin High School. In 1973, he earned 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 ...
from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
. In 1976, he was elected to the Berlin School District Board, and was named President of the School Board in 1986. He left the board in 1997.
Wisconsin Legislature
Elections
;Before 2011
In Luther's political career prior to 2011, he had never faced a Democratic party opponent. In 1994, he was elected to 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, ...
. He won re-election in 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2004, he was elected the
Wisconsin Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
and re-election 2008.
His current Senate district is much more conservative than the state as a whole. In the
2008 presidential election, Democrat
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
narrowly won with 52%, while he won statewide with 57%. In the
2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
The 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. The primary elections on September 14 determined which candidates advanced to the general election.
Incumbent ...
, Republican
Scott Walker won with 57%, while he won statewide with 53%. In the 2011 Wisconsin judicial election, Republican
David Prosser won the district with 55%, while winning statewide with just 50%.
;2011 recall election
Olsen was the target of an active recall effort as part of the
2011 Wisconsin protests
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*''E ...
. On March 2, 2011, the "Committee to Recall Olsen" officially registered with the
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) was a regulatory agency for the State of Wisconsin which administered and enforced Wisconsin law pertaining to campaign finance, elections, ethics and lobbying. The agency was re-organized, ov ...
. On April 18, 2011, organizers filed petitions containing roughly 24,000 signatures to recall Olsen. If more than 14,733 of those signatures are found valid, a recall election will ensue. On April 21, 2011, State Representative
Fred Clark
Frederick Leonard Clark (March 19, 1914 – December 5, 1968) was an American film and television character actor.
Early years
Born in Lincoln, California, Clark was the son of Fred Clark Sr. He attended Stanford University with plans to become ...
(D - Baraboo) announced his candidacy against Olsen in a possible recall election. In late May 2011, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified petitions against Olsen, overruling his challenges. The recall election was held on August 9, 2011. Olsen emphasized his pro-education record during his 17-year political career. He defended the $1 billion cut to public education in the 2011 budget as necessary "cuts that needed to be done." Olsen defeated State Rep. Fred Clark with 52% of the vote.
Tenure
During the
2011 Wisconsin protests
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*''E ...
regarding
Governor Walker's budget repair bill, Olsen described the bill as "pretty radical" and mentioned that he had reservations regarding voting for
collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...
repeal. Olsen ultimately voted for the bill.
In 2011, One Wisconsin Now filed an ethics complaint against Olsen with the Government Accountability Board. The complaint alleged that Olsen inserted language into a bill in order to financially help his wife. Olsen's wife,
Joan Wade, responded to the complaint by calling it 'ridiculous.'
Committee assignments
Olsen was chairman of the Education Committee. He was also a member of the Finance, Insurance and Housing, and Finance committees.
References
External links
Senator Luther S. Olsenat the
Wisconsin State Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
constituency site*
14th Senate District, Senator Olsenin the
Wisconsin Blue Book
The ''Wisconsin Blue Book'' is a biennial publication of the Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau. The ''Blue Book'' is an almanac containing information on the government, economics, demographics, geography and history of the state of Wisc ...
(2005–2006)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Luther S.
Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
School board members in Wisconsin
1951 births
Living people
People from Berlin, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Businesspeople from Wisconsin
21st-century American politicians