Lois Hall of Mineral Point asks Democratic Assembly candidate Ben Gruber a question at a town hall in Mineral Point Monday.
Funding for public schools and shared revenues for municipalities are top issues for Ben Gruber, Democratic candidate for the 51st Assembly district, he said at a town hall in Mineral Point Monday.
“The state is not meeting its obligation to fund communities and public schools,” Gruber said.
He said public schools are being defunded while money goes to private voucher schools.
He said he decided to run for office because when the Arena elementary school closed, his daughter faced a 97-minute bus ride to kindergarten. The village police department closed.
“Watching that community decline due to lack of funding” convinced him to make his first run for public office, he said.
“When we vote people into office, we need to hold those people accountable” and stay informed about how they vote on bills, Gruber said. “We need to put people in power who are going to use their power to help communities.”
He said he hopes for renewed bipartisanship. People can start small and “just do better” by focusing on neighbors and communities, he said. “Maybe don’t talk politics. Talk about impact without having a blowup political conversation at a family dinner.”
Gruber is running against incumbent Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, in the Nov. 3 election.
