Bobby R. Lindsey
Criminal justice instructor; educator
Republican
Green Bay
Elected Experience
None
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
I've spent my adult life serving others, first as a United States Marine, and later as a law enforcement professional. Wisconsin needs leaders who understand public safety, fiscal responsibility, and the values that make our communities strong. I believe government should live within its means, support law enforcement, protect taxpayers, defend parental rights, and ensure that opportunities to attain a prosperous life are available to future generations. I will work to provide relief from rising costs for families, empowering parents and putting kids first when it comes to meeting needs for a quality education, and I'll advocate for keeping our communities safe by supporting measures and policies that provide public safety professionals the resources they need to protect our communities.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
Addressing rising costs. I see the impact rising costs have on family budgets. Groceries, energy prices, housing, childcare, and property taxes are stretching families thin. The middle-class is the backbone of Wisconsin's economy and I will work to provide relief for families, retirees, and those with kids in childcare to ensure families and individuals keep more of their hard-earned money and stop efforts to raise taxes.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
Ongoing political gridlock contributes to bureaucratic stagnation, less government efficiency and accountability, and budget-crippling rising costs and taxation on Wisconsin's middle-class. Wisconsin citizens can be served best by elected representatives who understand and prioritize the critical need to exercise fiscal responsibility to curb rising costs and the increasing tax burden on middle-class families and retirees. Government operating differently begins with electing representatives who are committed to collaboratively identifying and taking action on common ground issues from across the political landscape within Wisconsin government; issues that impact all Wisconsin residents.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
It is a legendary Wisconsin tradition for parents to add their children to the Green Bay Packers season ticket waiting list immediately at birth. As a result, there are more people on the waiting list for Green Bay Packers season tickets (approximately 155,000) than there are residents of the City of Green Bay (approximately 107,000)!
NEW News Lab general election questions
Relevant Experience
I am a husband, father, retired law enforcement professional and a United States Marine Corps veteran. I have the life experience, educational background and professional human services experience needed to understand the priorities of our communities and enhance efforts to deliver meaningful change.
Wisconsin has a large budget surplus. What should lawmakers prioritize: tax cuts, increased spending on public services, or something else?
The budget surplus is an excess collection of Wisconsin taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. While it is important that state government continues to invest in critical infrastructure, public schools and public safety, it is equally important that we return this money to the pockets of Wisconsin taxpayers.
What policies are most important to address Wisconsinites’ concerns about cost of living?
It is critically important that Wisconsin lawmakers work to ease the pain of national inflation and rising costs. This includes working to lower property taxes, reduce income taxes and ensure that Wisconsinites are not being taken advantage of by big insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers. In the Assembly, I will support legislation that tackles each of these priorities.
Housing costs have risen in many Wisconsin communities. What role should state government play in creating more affordable housing?
We must focus on making it easier and less expensive to build more homes without restricting local control. I believe too much regulation and red tape can drive up the cost of construction and make it harder for families to afford a home. We should work to reduce those barriers, increase the supply of housing and support programs that help working families and first-time homebuyers. The answer is not simply more government spending. We need to build more homes, lower the cost of construction and make Wisconsin a place where working families can afford to live.
What policies would best address Wisconsinites’ concerns about property taxes?
Property taxes continue to rise year after year. A major cause of this increase is an increased burden on local taxpayers when voters approve a referendum for our schools. In Madison, I believe that we can utilize a portion of the state budget surplus to provide additional funding to our schools. I also believe that the 400-year increase in funding for schools should be repealed and instead we should restructure the existing state funding formula for our public schools to ensure that we are providing the proper resources to each school district in Wisconsin.
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 believe we need to take a serious look at how Wisconsin funds our public schools. I would support restructuring the current funding formula to make sure we are providing the proper resources to each school district based on their needs. I also support using a portion of the state budget surplus to provide additional funding for our schools and to help reduce the burden on local property taxpayers. Our schools need the resources to provide a quality education, but we also need to make sure we are responsible with taxpayer dollars and not continually asking local taxpayers to pay more.
Should the state direct more funding toward voucher and school-choice programs and what evidence supports your position?
I believe parents should be able to choose the school that is right for their child. I support school choice, but I also believe our public schools need to be a priority. Most Wisconsin students attend public schools, and we need to make sure those schools have the funding and resources they need to succeed in our communities. I would support school choice programs while also increasing our support for public school systems. We must make sure every child in Wisconsin can receive a quality education, regardless of where they go to school.
What steps can the Legislature take to alleviate court backlogs and address the need for more judges, prosecutors and public defenders?
The Legislature began to address this issue during the most recent budget (process) by providing additional funding to the Wisconsin Court System. I would support further study on this issue and would support legislation that would provide additional resources for Wisconsin courts, specifically for additional prosecutors and public defenders, especially in areas like Brown County where we have struggled with court backlogs for years now. Additional resources are needed to ensure our court system is accessible to everyone while preserving constitutional rights and public safety.
How do you feel about the number of prisons in Wisconsin - should there be more? Less? Why?
Our focus needs to be on ensuring that Wisconsin correctional institutions are safe for both inmates and prison staff. In Green Bay, our prison is outdated and overpopulated. I believe that we must work with the next governor to create a plan for its closure and the relocation of existing inmates. I would support legislation that provides funding for its closure and for relocating the existing prison population.
How significant an issue is climate change? What would you advocate for related to climate change if elected?
I don't think that the issue of climate change is a political issue. I think Democrats and Republicans alike want clean air and water, and I believe that at the state level we can provide meaningful support programs to achieve these goals without placing overburdensome regulation on Wisconsin manufacturers, farmers and other businesses.
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?
PFAS is an important issue because every Wisconsin family deserves clean, safe drinking water. We need to take contamination seriously, but we also need to make sure we are basing our policy decisions on facts. I also believe taxpayers should not be stuck paying for pollution they did not cause. Companies responsible for PFAS contamination should be held accountable and pay for cleanup when they can be identified. The state also should make sure communities have the resources they need to address contamination when widespread contamination is found.
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?
The federal Medicaid work requirements for adults who can work takes effect this January. I believe that public assistance should help people get back on their feet, not become a permanent replacement for a paycheck. At the same time, we need to make sure people who cannot work are protected. The requirements should be easy to understand, and no one should lose their health care simply because they had trouble with paperwork or navigating the system.
What do you think about funding the 988 crisis line long-term at the state level?
I support continuing to fund 988. As a former police officer, I have seen firsthand what happens when someone is in a mental health or substance abuse crisis and does not know where to turn. Having a number people can call and get connected with help is important. I also think we need to make sure 988 works hand in hand with local police, EMS and health care providers. If we are going to fund it long term, we should make sure it is working and that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly.