Reive Pullen
Small business owner
Republican
Appleton
Elected Experience
None
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
Voters in the district have made it very clear to me. They want a government that works and isn't filled with partisanship. As a United States Marine, small business owner, and former 911 dispatcher, I've spent my life dedicated to solving problems and serving the public. I'm new to politics and have no interest in partaking in the theatrics and posturing that is modern-day politics. While other candidates are running with the sole focus of putting their political party in the majority, my focus is on returning civility to politics and being respectful to everyone, so that once I'm elected, it won't matter which party is in the majority for me to be effective in representing the Fox Valley.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
The school funding formula needs to be addressed, which will in turn help keep local property taxpayers from having to foot the bill every time the Appleton Area School District needs more money because we are getting less from the state in comparison to other districts. The funding formula was created in 1993, is overly complex, and has a lot of variables that need to be dialed in. Fixing this will be one of my top priorities upon being elected, and I will work to advocate for a simpler and more fair funding formula to ensure the Appleton Area School District is in a secure financial position for years to come.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
The government needs to be effective while representing its citizens, which is why I believe it is in the best interest of the people of Wisconsin for their elected representatives to have a voice by allowing bills to be heard in committee, regardless of what party the author is in or who holds the majority. By the same token, I believe we need to get away from gerrymandering and continuously redistricting our maps. I have talked to many constituents who believe their representative is actually a neighboring representative because of how frequently our maps have changed in Wisconsin.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
Right from my district, Appleton is home to one of the world's first-ever hydroelectric power plants, which was built in 1882 using a new generator system developed by Thomas Edison, and provided power to both homes and mills in the Fox Valley. That same drive to innovate is still a big part of what makes the Fox Valley special today.
NEW News Lab general election questions
Relevant Experience
I'm a Marine Corps veteran, a small business owner, an Eagle Scout, and I was born and raised here in the Fox Valley. Before owning my small business, I worked at the Appleton Police Department as a community service officer while attending Fox Valley Technical College, and later served as a 911 dispatcher for the Shawano County Sheriff's Office. Being a small business owner with law enforcement experience and military service brings a unique perspective to the Assembly, which is missing a Marine. I've also attended many AASD board meetings and served on the advisory financial planning committee.
Wisconsin has a large budget surplus. What should lawmakers prioritize: tax cuts, increased spending on public services, or something else?
I believe we need a multifaceted approach: Prioritize investments in key areas while also providing tax relief. Personally, I would have supported the budget surplus deal that failed back in May, which my opponent did not support. One area where I felt there was missing investment in the deal was general infrastructure investment to repair roads, but the deal would have brought special education reimbursement to 50%, provided significant tax relief and also provided rebates to single and joint filers. Once elected, I will work to support a bipartisan budget surplus deal.
What policies are most important to address Wisconsinites’ concerns about cost of living?
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past 20 years, it’s that as a society, we are constantly plagued by problems that we create through government, and too often, the response tends to be to make government bigger to solve the problem. I think the best thing government can do right now is to get out of people's way. Everywhere you look, people are bogged down by the high cost of living and a lack of access to housing, among other things. I believe the government's focus should be getting back to the basics.
Housing costs have risen in many Wisconsin communities. What role should state government play in creating more affordable housing?
The biggest driver of the lack of affordable housing currently is the market, which is controlled by supply and demand. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful and thriving community, and that's why plenty of other people want to call it home. The best thing for government to do is to incentivize building new construction through deregulation of the industry for nonessential regulations. The National Association of Home Builders recently determined the average cost of regulation when building a new home is $132,000. We should be working to make that number the cost of a home, not added fees.
What policies would best address Wisconsinites’ concerns about property taxes?
We need to be mindful to avoid taxing people out of their homes. One of my legislative priorities is to work to fix the school funding formula to ensure that general aid and special ed funding are consistent and keep up with inflation. If the state focused on funding a higher ratio of the overall cost, local property taxes would, in turn, decrease. In fixing the funding formula, we also need to take back the 400-year property tax hike. I respect Gov. Evers and understand the point he was making, but disagree with how he did it.
Funding of public education has been an issue and has been tied to property taxes for years. Schools often rely on local referendums for funding staffing, programs and maintenance. What specific changes would you support to the state’s school funding formula and how would you pay for them?
I would focus on redirecting current spending to cover more of the cost of education from the state, so that property taxpayers get some relief and the burden shifts away from people struggling to get by. Regardless of whether one feels schools get too much or too little funding, we can all agree that the way we fund schools isn't working. We need to make the formula more consistent and transparent by setting a standard base funding per pupil, instead of punishing efficient districts like Appleton. We also need to fix the special education reimbursement and inflationary spending increases.
Should the state direct more funding toward voucher and school-choice programs and what evidence supports your position?
I don't believe the state should provide more funding to voucher and school-choice programs in comparison to public school pupil spending. I want parents to have the choice to send their child wherever they are best able to be successful. I believe we should be funding every child's education evenly. I think academically, we need to elevate our standards and provide teachers with supports they need to adequately teach their students. Additionally, I feel there is a need for greater transparency from private schools taking public dollars, and I want to focus on creating greater outcomes for kids.
What steps can the Legislature take to alleviate court backlogs and address the need for more judges, prosecutors and public defenders?
The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial. The best way for the Legislature to address the backlog and shortages of judges, prosecutors and public defenders is to improve funding and the conditions of employment to incentivize out-of-state attorneys to work here. Currently, when an attorney moves to Wisconsin to work for the state, they start at the bottom of the pay scale. While there's been meaningful progress on this in the last state budget with the hiring of 42 new assistant district attorneys across the state, there's still more work to do.
How do you feel about the number of prisons in Wisconsin - should there be more? Less? Why?
I do not support decreasing the number of prisons we have in Wisconsin. Criminal justice is part of the core fabric of our country, state and community, and we need to hold people accountable when they break the law. With that said, we also need to work on finding ways to reduce recidivism by ensuring people leaving the prison system are prepared to be successful and not reoffend. My RISE Act works to do exactly that by helping reintegrate offenders into society, by preparing them with virtual jobs while in prison where they make money and offset taxpayer costs.
How significant an issue is climate change? What would you advocate for related to climate change if elected?
Climate change certainly is a concern for me, and we need to be focusing on renewable energy when feasible and cost-effective. I'm particularly concerned about data centers and the effects they will have on the environment if not kept in check. That's why I support a one-year moratorium on data centers until we can fully grasp the effect they will have. I will not legislate in an irresponsible manner about our environment, because I have my whole life ahead of me to live with the consequences, as will my future children.
Wisconsin’s bipartisan support for a PFAS law to hold polluters accountable and the state's lower maximum contaminant levels for drinking water put it out in front nationally on forever-chemical protections. Some say the best way to prevent PFAS contaminations is to outlaw their use, while others hope to reverse the regulations. How important is this issue? What still needs to be addressed? How should remediation costs be raised?
Forever chemicals are no joke, and I will work to address them. My goal is to locate cost-effective solutions and prevention, rather than adding additional regulations at this time. Given that we are leading the country in PFAS, I don't want to add additional regulations; however, I also don't want to remove protections currently in place. My family will grow up to live with the consequences if our environment is further contaminated, and I take that seriously.
What do you think of the implementation process for the new Medicaid work requirements so far in Wisconsin? What has worked? What could be improved?
I have knocked thousands of doors in the district, and while I have certainly heard from neighbors concerned with Medicaid and all of the unknowns that come with changes to the systems that people rely on, I have not heard from anyone that they have lost access to Medicaid due to these changes. Do people in those circumstances exist? Absolutely, and I would be happy to hear from anyone reading this who has, but it hasn't been something I've run into yet.
What do you think about funding the 988 crisis line long-term at the state level?
As a former 911 dispatcher, I've experienced some of my worst calls trying to help people in crisis who were considering ending their lives. I absolutely support permanently funding the 988 crisis line, and I will do so once in office. Mental health is one of the fastest-growing epidemics in this country, and we need to start working on ensuring we're getting resources to those who need them. We also need to focus on providing resources to youth, who are dealing with issues that weren't prevalent 25 years ago. Times have changed, and we must adapt.