Another Retiring Wisconsin Legislator
Tuesday, February 25th, 2020 -- 7:43 AM
(WRN) -Longtime Republican legislator Luther Olsen has announced he won't be seeking another term in office.Longtime G O P legislator Luther Olsen has announced he won't be making another run for office and says it's time to let other people take charge in Madison. Olsen says his proudest work for the state was the state's graduated licensing law, which helped reduce teen driving crashes and deaths by 15 percent.
"The kids that already had their license didn't care, but the ones that were going to go through this and just getting ready to go through this, they were not happy with me. And I said 'well, when you get old enough to vote, vote me out of office. But at least you'll be alive to vote.'"
Olsen says there's already a fellow Republican stepping up for his seat.
"Representative Joan Ballweg has announced that she's going to run. Who else is going to run? I don't know. There's time for that to happen."
Olsen says he's already been seeing an outpouring of support from his district and across the state.
"I've been getting a lot of calls and text message and emails from folks saying 'You know, you were a statesman, you listened to people, you used your judgement, and we're really going to miss you.'"
Olsen says he viewed his time in office as a sacred duty to the people of his district.
"In this job you're a delegate and a trustee. As a delegate, when you have that role, you have to vote as your constituents want. And you better do that."
Olsen was first elected to the assembly in 1994, and moved to a senate seat in 2004.
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