Kathleen M. "Kathy" Bernier (born April 29, 1956) is a politician in Wisconsin who serves as a member of 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 ...

representing the 23rd district. She previously was the Chippewa County Clerk from 1998–2011, and served 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, ...

for the 68th district from 2011 to 2019. In March 2018, Bernier announced that she would run to represent the 23rd district in the

, an open seat due to the retirement of Terry Moulton. She was elected in the November election.

Early life and education

Bernier was born in Eau Claire to John and Marge (Ginder) Anderson and grew up in

Lake Hallie, Wisconsin Lake Hallie is a village in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. It was incorporated from part of the Town of Hallie on February 18, 2003. The 2010 census put the village's population at 6,448. History The lake, from which the village de ...

. Bernier graduated from

Chippewa Falls High School Chippewa Falls Senior High School is a public high school located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. To locals, the high school is referred to as "Chi-Hi". The school belongs to the Big Rivers Conference of the WIAA. The school mascot is the Cardinal. ...

in 1974 and was married in September 1977. While raising her children, she worked a variety of part-time and limited term jobs including certified nursing assistant, waitress, and census taker. As a single mother, Bernier applied to the

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 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 States, the ...

in 1993. She was accepted as a

non-traditional student A nontraditional student is a term originating in North America, that refers to a category of students at colleges and universities. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) notes that there are varying definitions of nontraditional s ...

and continued working part-time jobs to put herself through college. She graduated in May 1998 with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

. Bernier earned a certificate in public management essentials from the

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 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 States, th ...

. Shortly after graduating, Kathy was elected Chippewa County Clerk and served in that position until February 2011. Bernier was chair of the Chippewa County Republican Party. Bernier was a trustee for the Village of Lake Hallie, as the liaison to the Clerk/Treasurer’s office, and has been on the Lake Hallie police commission and parks and recreation board.

Wisconsin legislator

In 2010, Bernier defeated incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Kristen Dexter for the

68th district in the November 2 general election. Bernier was re-elected in 2012 and 2014. Bernier chaired the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and elections, vice-chaired the Committee on Family Law, and served on the Aging and Long-Term Care, Agriculture, Workforce Development, Tourism, and Mining and Rural Development committees. Bernier also served on the Speaker's Task Force on Alzheimer's and Dementia. She is on the National Assembly of State Legislatures and the board of the

National Foundation for Women Legislators National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation established by the National Order of Women Legislators (NOWL) in the USA. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the nort ...

. Bernier was elected to the

for the 23rd district in November 2018, defeating Democrat Chris Kapsner. The seat was open due to the retirement of Terry Moulton.

Legislation

During her time in the legislature, Bernier has authored Assembly Bill 16, a measure aimed at raising public awareness of human trafficking in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

; Senate Bill 527, a measure that increases local control for county treasurers regarding unclaimed property; Assembly Bill 112, which allows disabled individuals to seek special permission for hunting from medical practitioners; Assembly Bill 243, which adds regulations and clarity to the state Youth Hunt program; Senate Bill 160, which increases the standards of maintenance and service for nursing home facilities and oxygen equipment; Senate Bill 295, which institutes online voter registration in the state; Assembly Bill 146, which expands dental hygiene services in the state; and Assembly Bill 14, known as the State Workforce Development Bill or Wisconsin Fast Forward. Bernier voted in support of the Budget Repair Bill (Act 10) in 2011, which requires state employees to contribute 5.8% of their salaries to cover pension costs, contribute 12.6% towards their health care premiums, and weakens

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 ...

privileges for most public employee union members.

Reaction to Election Probe

On December 13, 2021, Bernier, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics, encouraged Michael Gableman to have the GOP-sponsored probe into the 2020 election results "wrap up sooner rather than later." She said the ongoing extended investigation and repetitious questioning of the 2020 election's results only creates unwarranted doubt in the democratic process and leads to threats against state and local election officials.

References

External links

Wisconsin State Senate – Senator Kathleen Bernier's official government profile

Vote Smart – Senator Kathy Bernier(WI)
profile {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernier, Kathy Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Women state legislators in Wisconsin 1956 births Living people Politicians from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Politicians from Eau Claire, Wisconsin