9/13/2016, Beaver Dam Daily Citizen – Wisconsin Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said fixing roads and finding ways to pay for the work will be among the top legislative priorities.

He spoke Tuesday morning during the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce September Breakfast Network at Beaver Dam Country Club.

The Republican Party of Dodge County served as the event host, and Dorothy Ebert said, “I want to encourage all of you to vote in November.”

Fitzgerald said transportation is an issue that is jumping out in the Wisconsin Senate. He said one area of contention is the view some have that the Department of Transportation is not as frugal as it should be.

“Roads seem to be crumbling,” Fitzgerald said.

He said with the drop in gas prices, discussions have included increasing the gas tax or vehicle registration fees.

Other issues Fitzgerald discussed included education, income tax and the budget. He said the governor wants to freeze tuition and spoke about the amount of money the state spends on education.

 He said Wisconsin is in pretty good shape financially, with $280 million in the rainy day fund and a statutory balance of $65 million.

“I feel really good with where we are with the budget,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said an important issue in Wisconsin is the lack of young people volunteering to serve on local fire departments. He said a legislative committee will study the issue in hopes of coming up with solutions.

He spoke about the problem of sexual predator placement, especially in rural areas. Dodge County has been at the center of the debate after several attempts to place two men locally met resistance.

“Nobody wants a sexual predator in their neighborhood,” Fitzgerald said.

He addressed the upcoming election and some of the key differences between the parties regarding jobs, the economy and education. Fitzgerald said the U.S. Senate race has been interesting to watch.

Phil Fritsche of the chamber spoke about plans for future chamber events. For more information about upcoming Breakfast Network events, visit www.beaverdamchamber.com/breakfastnetwork.