10-30-15 thiesfeldt votes against plan to eliminate state treasurer

A Republican state representative from Oshkosh says the State Treasurer no longer serves a useful purpose in state government.  The Assembly voted this week in favor of a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the position.  Republicans who control the legislature have slowly eliminated the treasurer’s duties over the years.  Repbulican state representative Michael Schraa  says the treasurer only has one remaining small responsibility.  “When you have a state position that basically their only constitutional responsibility is to serve on the board of Commissioner of Public Lands, that responsibility requires literally two 15 minute phone calls a month, that is the only responsibility the state treasurer has,”  Schraa told AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.    Fond du Lac state representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt was one of only three Republicans to vote against eliminating the position.  “It wasn’t so much that I think its a bad idea, its just that I’m not sure,”  Thiesfeldt said.  “Its not something I’ve heard a lot from constituents, I’ve heard it from some, but I have some concerns of consolidation of power.  We’ve already essentially eliminated the Secretary of State position and now the State Treasurer’s position and one of the reasons they don’t have any duties is because we’ve removed the duties.”