Michael Huebsch Explained

Michael Huebsch
Caption:Huebsch in 2011
Order:15th
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration
Governor:Scott Walker
Term Start:January 3, 2011
Term End:March 1, 2015
Predecessor:Dan Schooff
Successor:Scott Neitzel
Order1:76th
Office1:Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Term Start1:January 1, 2007
Term End1:January 5, 2009
Predecessor1:John Gard
Successor1:Michael J. Sheridan
State2:Wisconsin
State Assembly2:Wisconsin
District2:94th
Term Start2:January 2, 1995
Term End2:January 3, 2011
Predecessor2:Virgil Roberts
Successor2:Steve Doyle
Party:Republican
Birth Date:19 July 1964
Birth Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Spouse:Valarie
Children:2
Alma Mater:Oral Roberts University
Profession:Politician

Michael D. "Mike" Huebsch (born July 19, 1964) is an American Republican politician from La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He was the 76th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving a total of 16 years in the Assembly (1995 - 2011). He later served as the 15th secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration in the cabinet of Governor Scott Walker.

Biography

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Huebsch graduated from Onalaska High School and attended Oral Roberts University. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1995 through 2011. From 2007 to 2009, he served as Speaker of the Assembly. Huebsch, his wife, and family live in West Salem, Wisconsin.[1]

While in the State Assembly, he and fellow Republican representative and future governor Scott Walker were involved in the Jamyi Witch hiring controversy in 2001–02, in which they attempted to terminate the employment of state employee Jamyi Witch because of her beliefs as a Wiccan.[2] [3] Huebsch said that "Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to accept this hocus-pocus," proposing to delete the state appropriation which funded Witch's position.[4] Huebsch and Walker were ultimately unsuccessful in terminating Witch's employment.

Huebsch resigned from the Assembly after Walker, having been elected governor in 2010, appointed Huebsch as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration on December 30, 2010.[5] [6]

In early 2015, Huebsch was appointed to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.[7] He served until his resignation in February 2020.[8]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1794&search_term=huebsch "Huebsch, Michael D."
  2. http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2002/02/aub.html "Wiccan prison chaplain sparks controversy in Wisconsin," Americans United Bulletin, February 2002
  3. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Wiccan+Rev.+Witch+raises+some+brows+at+Wisconsin+prison.-a080778195 Toosi, Nahal. "Wiccan Rev. Witch raises some brows at Wisconsin prison." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reprinted December 9, 2001 in Seattle Times
  4. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-07-mn-20925-story.html Simon, Stephanie. The two were called out for their blatant hypocrisy of promoting so-called religious freedom, but seeming to limit such freedoms to religions that their big government could sanction. "Wiccan Chaplain Brews Storm: Religion: Some taxpayers want the Rev. Jamyi Witch removed from her state job counseling prisoners." Los Angeles Times January 7, 2002
  5. http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=13762505{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  6. http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=13782077{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  7. Web site: Walker shuffles cabinet, moves Huebsch out at Administration.
  8. Web site: PSC- About Us - Organization - Commissioners . 2009-10-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091008125659/http://psc.wi.gov/aboutus/organization/commissioners.htm . 2009-10-08 .