<p>Community groups sued the Republican Legislature in federal court for redrawing legislative districts on the South Side of Milwaukee that would have illegally diluted the power of the Latino vote. The groups won, so the revised Assembly District 8, currently represented by JoCasta Zamparripa, remains largely as it has for the past decade. (Not sure if you live in Assembly District 8? Check out your voter registration status <a href=\"https://vpa.wi.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.) <br /><br />Zamarripa faces Laura Manriquez in the Aug. 14 Democratic primary.<br /><br />There is no Republican in this race so whoever wins this primary will win in November. <br /><br />Manriquez has not responded to the Shepherd's candidate questionnaire, but Zamarripa has. You can find her answers below. (If or when Manriquez does submit her answers, I'll post them here as well.)<br /> <br /><strong>JOCASTA ZAMARRIPA<br />Website:</strong> <a href=\"http://www.votejocasta.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.votejocasta.com</a><br /><br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Tell me a bit about your background to introduce yourself to Shepherd readers. <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am a graduate of St. Joan Antida High School and hold a BFA from UW-Milwaukee, 2005. Prior to my candidacy for the 8th Assembly District, I worked as a community outreach coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. In addition, I have been active in the 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women, served as board secretary for 9 to 5 Milwaukee, and was a board member for Equality Wisconsin (formerly Center Advocates). <br /> <br />In November of 2010, I became the first Latina to be elected to the Wisconsin Legislature. As a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, I am proud to serve on the following Assembly committees: Committee on Election and Campaign Reform, Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs and Committee on Public Health and Public Safety.<br /> <br />In addition to these legislative duties, I also serve on the Governor's Council on Migrant Labor and am a member of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Where are you currently employed? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> I am a full-time Legislator representing the 8th Assembly district on Milwaukee's south side. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Why are you running for office? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>I am seeking my second term in office to continue to be the voice of the 8th Assembly District. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What are the top three issues that you want to address? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>1) To continue to be a voice for immigrant families everywhere, speaking out against anti-immigrant legislation at the local, state, and federal level while continuing to push for tough, fair, comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level. In particular, I strive to see the day when we pass into law, the DREAM Act, giving young people, brought here through no fault of their own, the chance to contribute to the state, to the country, that they call home. Giving them a pathway to citizenship, to education, to success, to prosperityto the American dream. <br /> <br /> 2) To fight to repeal the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in Wisconsin. President Obama has publicly stated his support of marriage equality. Tolerance and acceptance of our LGBT communities is growing by leaps and boundson both sides of the aisle. I wept the night my great state voted to support this constitutional ban back in November 2006. I look forward to the day that we will repeal it. <br /> <br />3) To always stand up for Milwaukee. Almost from the moment I stepped onto the Assembly floor in our state capitol on Jan. 3, 2011, I felt an anti-Milwaukee sentiment from legislators from around the state. This disdain for the largest municipality in Wisconsin was magnified and exploited by Gov. Walker in his recall campaign strategy (and I have since told him so). As a life-long Milwaukeean and Wisconsinite, I am offended by this contempt for the economic engine of this state, but it has also made my resolve even stronger. I will always work hard, fight tirelessly, and collaborate sincerely so that the people of my great State know, appreciate, and respect the value of my beloved City of Milwaukee. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How would you deal with these issues? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>I will continue to approach my legislative duties as I did during my freshman term by working with my legislative colleagues to educate them on the issues that are important to me and my district; using my voice and vote in committees and on the Assembly floor to advocate to ensure that my district is being represented and issues important to them are being heard. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd:</strong> What are your views on Act 10? Have the changes helped or hurt state and local governments? Would you vote to restore collective bargaining rights in the next session? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>There was no reason for the GOP and Gov. Walker to push for Act 10. The fact that they said it was because “the state was broke” is disingenuous because the GOP turned around and pushed through tax breaks that will reduce revenues by $83 million and raise taxes on working people by $43 million (by cutting homestead credit and the earned income tax credit programs.) <br /><br />The changes in Act 10 have been harmful to state and local governments. <br /><br />Yes, I would vote to restore collective bargaining. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>How will you spur job growth in the state and, specifically, in your district? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> I will continue to push for more investment in public education, our University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical Colleges because I believe that the way to prosperity is an educated and trained workforce. <br /> <br />There is no question in my mind that had the state not turned down high-speed rail funding, spurned investment in alternatives energy such as wind and solar, we would have seen and increase in jobs in Milwaukee already. In addition, I believe that tax incentive and credits should be more targeted to areas experiencing high unemployment. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Will you require voucher schools to have the same performance and accountability standards as public schools? Do you support expanding voucher schools by allowing more students to attend or expanding it to other parts of the state? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> I have pushed for and voted for policies to ensure that voucher schools meet similar performance and accountability standards as those of our public schools and committed to continuing to push for those needed changes. At a time when we have seen devastating cuts to public education, there is no way I could support an expansion of the voucher program. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What changes would you like to make to the state's tax policies? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>I would like to see the cuts to the Earn Income Tax Credit and Homestead Credit programs restored. In addition, I believe that we must close the “Las Vegas” loophole that allows corporations to avoid paying taxes in Wisconsin. I would also support a more progressive tax system to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share. <br /> <br />Finally, I would support hiring additional staff at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to collect the estimated $1.2 billion of unpaid taxes. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What is the takeaway message from the past year's recalls? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa: </strong>I believe that the loophole in our campaign finance system that allowed Gov. Walker to collect unlimited campaign contributions played a huge role in the outcome of this election. There is no question that the amount of money spent by the Walker campaign helped tremendously in his ability to fend off the recall challenge. <br /> <br />That being said, I am still impressed that recall supporters were able to collect nearly one million signatures to trigger the recall. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>What sets you apart from your opponent? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> My integrity, my progressive values, and my commitment to equality for all set me apart from my opponent. In addition, I have proven track record of supporting progressive policies and initiatives. <br /> <br /><strong>Shepherd: </strong>Who has endorsed you? <br /> <br /><strong>Zamarripa:</strong> So far in my race, I have been endorsed by the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Clean Wisconsin, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. </p> <p>Photo credit: Jeff Dean<br /> </p>
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