Herb Kohl Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in the Senate in 2012

On May 13, Sen. Herb Kohl announced he will not seek reelection to the United States Senate in 2012.

Kohl has served as a Senate member representing Wisconsin since 1988.

Since the announcement, there has been a lot of speculation as to who the Democrats will nominate to run for the empty seat. Names being thrown around the web have included former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, Rep. Ron Kind, Rep. Tammy Baldwin and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, to name a few.

The Republicans have yet to announce their nominee for the open Senate seat as well, although it is widely believed that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will opt to run for the seat.

Speaking on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Ryan said that Kohl's announcement "was a bit of a surprise to all of us. So, my family and voters are just started digesting this. I plan on making an announcement very quickly."

Many elected officials were quick to congratulate Kohl on his retirement and thank him for his congressional service.

Fellow Democrat, Kind, stated in a press release that "Sen. Kohl has stood up for what is fair and right in politics. He was a good friend that I enjoyed working with and he will be greatly missed.”

Sen. Ron Johnson tweeted "I personally want to thank Herb Kohl for his service to the nation and our great state of Wisconsin. I wish him well in his future endeavors."

Even President Obama weighed in, commenting in a press release that "during his 23 years in the United States Senate, Herb’s invaluable perspective as the long-time head of a family-owned business made him an unwavering voice for working families, small business owners, and seniors."

Obama also stated that "Michelle and I extend our thanks to Senator Kohl for his years of service to our nation and offer our best wishes for the future to him and his family."

----

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-District 10)

• AB 23, an act co-sponsored by Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, passed in the Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday, May 10. The bill seeks to remove a Department of Natural Resources regulation that communities continuously disinfect their water supplies. Harsdorf has stated that this legislation is necessary as the DNR "mandate could cost taxpayers millions of dollars for upgrades to their communities' water supply systems." The legislation now awaits scheduling in the Senate.
• SB 26, an act authored by Harsdorf, passed the Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday, May 10. The legislation seeks to remove a barrier that limits the Wisconsin Department of Transpiration's ability to construct a new river crossing to replace the Stillwater Lift Bridge over the St. Croix River. The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Transportation, and it must pass through the committee before being brought to a vote. 
• SB 28, an act authored by Harsdorf, passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education, on May 4. The act aims to change the composition of the UW Board of Regents; requiring the appointment of at least one citizen member who resides in each of Wisconsin's congressional districts to the board. The bill now awaits scheduling in the Wisconsin Senate. 
• SB 54, act introduced by Harsdorf, passed the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations on Thursday, May 12. The bill seeks to ban the sale of synthetic stimulants and synthetic marijuana in the state of Wisconsin. This act now awaits scheduling in the Wisconsin Senate.
• Harsdorf has two Joint Finance Committee meetings scheduled for the week, the first is on Wednesday, May 18, at 11 a.m., the second is on Thursday, May 19 at 11 a.m.

Rep. Dean Knudson (R-District 30)

• On May 10, AB 126 was introduced to the Wisconsin Assembly. Co-sponsored by Rep. Dean Knudson, the legislation seeks to create a licensing system under which an individual is permitted to carry a concealed weapon. Individuals would be able to apply for said permit through the Department of Justice. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections. 
• Knudson has a Committee on Education meeting scheduled for Monday, May 16, at 10 a.m.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

• On May 11, Sen. Ron Johnson announced he had joined an amicus brief arguing against the constitutionality of the individual mandate of health care reform. In a press release, Johnson stated that, "I believe that the passing of Obamacare is the single greatest assault on our freedom in my lifetime. It will do great harm to our health care system. It will lead to rationed care, lower the quality of care, increase medical costs and severely limit medical innovation." The amicus brief is being filed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and is joined by 43 other members of the Senate.
• Tweet of the week: "Few Massachusetts doctors accepting new enrollees. Obamacare will likely produce a similar effect. http://on.wsj.com/jJb66H."
• Johnson has two meetings scheduled for the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. The first is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, at 10 a.m. and the second is scheduled for Thursday, May 19, at 10 a.m.

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)

• Sen. Herb Kohl was awarded the American Geriatrics Society's "Distinguished Public Service Award" on May 12, in recognition of his outstanding efforts to improve the livelihood and welfare of older adults and seniors through out his Senate career.
• Kohl released a press statement commenting on the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. Kohl commented in the statement that because the proposal would further limit American's choice of cell phone providers from four to three, that "the burden will squarely be on AT&T and T-Mobile to convince us why this merger is desirable, how it will benefit consumers, and to put aside our concerns that it may very well harm competition."
• Kohl has a meeting scheduled for the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on Tuesday, May 17, at 10 a.m. 
• Kohl has a meeting scheduled for the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, May 18, at 10 a.m.
• Kohl has a meeting scheduled for the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on Thursday, May 19, at 10 a.m.
• Kohl has a meeting scheduled for the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, May 19, at 10 a.m.

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)

• On May 11, Rep. Ron Kind released a press statement commenting on the Republican proposal to end this year’s federal guaranteed extended unemployment benefits. Kind stated that "this week, not only are Republicans terminating a lifeline for the most vulnerable – the unemployed – but at the same time they will not consider eliminating wasteful special interest giveaways to Big Oil."
• On May 12, Kind voted against H.R. 1231. The bill intends to reverse President Obama's moratorium on offshore drilling. The legislation passed through the House of Representatives with a 243 to 179 vote; nine members abstained from voting. The bill now awaits a vote in the Senate.
• On May 13, Kind voted in favor of H.R. 754. The legislation authorizes appropriations for the fiscal year 2011 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States government. The act now awaits a vote in the Senate. 
• In his weekly YouTube address, Kind discusses the death of Osama bin Laden and the future role of the U.S. in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Tweet of the week: "Today, GOP Ways&Means voted 2 end unemployment ins for 71k WI workers @ a time when there are 4 unemployed Americans 4 every available job."
• Kind has no committee meetings scheduled for the week.