When it comes to Lynne Parrott, it is all about perspective, and bringing perspective to the 49th State Assembly position which she is running for.
An admitted newcomer to the area, and a self-professed ‘city girl,’ Parrott, a mental health paraprofessional in public schools, said that she made herself go out every day and talk to five new people to get an understanding about them and the community of Platteville she calls home.
For her, the past couple of years gave her a new perspective.
“COVID magnified a lot of issues we have, like mental health issues,” Lynne stated. “A lot of people have not bounced back.”
Lynne said that in political discussion, there is the talk about infrastructure - about roads and bridges. After the past couple of years, she wanted to give a different perspective on what infrastructure should mean.
“We should focus on people being the infrastructure,” she said.
She noted that at this moment, people are fractured. They do not trust anyone, certainly not their institutions, and that means they are actually receding instead of participating.
She also spotlighted the issues children are dealing with the pandemic and the divide. “The way these young people digest things, or handle conflict resolution is different now. When I was growing up, and raising my children, there was a different level of respect out there than now.”
She also wanted to make sure mental health was dealt with. “We need to put the funding in schools for mental health we cannot still keep putting a bandage on it.”
Again, she noted that there are items like referendums for the physical buildings and grounds at schools, but in the mental grounds the children “are suffering from anxiety, even though they cannot even spell it.”
She stated that she is a fighter, but not one who is an adversary. “When I was elected to the (Platteville City) council, I started to get people together and we talk to see what can be done. I would be as transparent as we can be.”
Which is why she is not going to take shots at the person she wants to replace. “I’m not going to say anything about Travis, what he has done or not done. He is a family man, and been doing the job for 12 years. I just feel it is time for a different perspective.”
If (re)elected, what would be one of the first bills you would look to write or cosponsor?
Right now, I feel what is stake is more than the overturning of Roe v. Wade - it is about things people already fought for. We fought for liberty, and there was not an expiration date on them.
The state is seeing a record surplus of funds. At the same time, the formula put into place that local tax levy caps in the mid-90s has created very tight budgets for school districts, municipalities, and counties. What would you do about both of these items?
Gov. Evers has a plan in place for school districts, which I trust. I would love to see municipalities and counties receive more shared resources.
What ideas/plans do you have specifically related to economic development would you push for in the next term?
This is an area where COVID gave me a perspective on things we needed to focus on.
One of the things I saw was the community coming together, and supporting our small businesses. We also saw businesses started because of funding that was there, recognizing the need in the community and supporting a new business to open.
I would want to make sure the states have the same resources in helping business beyond just COVID.
The stimulus, some people had some issues with it, but when the government attempts to help build business, it stays within the state, within the community, and helps it grow.
• In the United States Supreme Court Dobbs decision, the court decided to put legislatures in charge of deciding the parameters for abortion in their respective states, and an 1849 law went into effect that is allows only for a mother’s health exception to an abortion ban. What limits or exceptions would you push for it (re)elected? What is your stance on different forms of birth control methods, like IUDs, ‘Plan B’ emergency contraception, or even the traditional birth control pill?
There was no need to fix a system that was not broken - I would love to see things back the way they were. It is only fair.
Local municipalities and counties have been greatly impacted by individuals who have been arrested that are suffering from mental health crisis, both from few choices of where they can take them, as well as high costs. What would you look at doing to improve what local law enforcement have to deal with on this issue?
What I would love to do is look at if we have we have adequate training and facilities around here. In larger cities, there are facilities connected to hospitals where people in crisis can be brought. What we are facing that out here, we need to have more places here so they don’t need to be shipped across the state.
Of course, the issue comes down to the money and the people available. This is why I would look at things like legalizing marijuana as an idea. We are an agricultural community, and they can grow it. We can tax it, and give us another source of funds to cover things like this, as well as fund economic development and other programs.
What is one area that doesn’t normally get attention, that you wish to focus on in the next term?
One thing that is close to my heart is dealing with homelessness. Even here, we have homelessness, but its hidden. People are staying with their families or friends, moving around, but it is there.
We have limited places. We have programs like Family Advocates for women and children, but nothing for men.
Childcare is a very big issue in rural Wisconsin, as there are often not enough places for families to go for care, and that is impacting businesses, who either cannot recruit employees, or have to work around an employees’ schedule for their children. Do you have any ideas on how to help communities in this area?
Given southwest Wisconsin’s rich agricultural history, is there anything specific you would be working on that would impact farmers or food processing?
I wish I could twitch my nose and make it happen, fix the issue.
It is not so simple. I would want to look into incentives that could be available for businesses, either to allow them to help support their employees with daycare expenses, or helping he larger employers would be able to open up a center at the work.
Cummins in Mineral Point, for example. If there was a way to create a place where people can take in children, even for the later shifts, it would help them as a business and their employees.
Given southwest Wisconsin’s rich agricultural history, is there anything specific you would be working on that would impact farmers or food processing?
This answer can only can from them, the farmers. The answer has to come from a farmer, and I want to know.
I am city girl, and I do not know the verbiage, the lingo. I don’t know if they need X-Y-Z, and I need to find out. I need to speak their language when it comes to agriculture.
A couple weeks ago, I was being interviewed and this issue came up and I said I would need to find out, find out what they need. I know that we have to make sure we have clean water, but after that, I would need to find out from them what is needed.
Someone called me a neophyte, and they were right. Just know that I will fight for you.
