41 Facts About Kathleen Vinehout

Kathleen Vinehout was born on June 16,1958 and is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 31st district since 2007.

Kathleen Vinehout was an unsuccessful primary candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the 2012 recall election against Scott Walker as well as the 2018 election.

Kathleen Vinehout's father was a laborer and her mother a registered nurse, and both served in the United States Air Force.

Kathleen Vinehout earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Southern Illinois University in 1980, a Master of Public Health from St Louis University in 1982, and a PhD in Health Services Research from St Louis University in 1987.

Kathleen Vinehout received an associate degree in agriculture from the Lincoln Land Community College in 1992.

Kathleen Vinehout directed both the graduate and undergraduate programs in health administration at the University of Illinois at Springfield, serving for ten years.

Kathleen Vinehout was a member of the faculty and teaching in the Health Services Administration and Women's Studies Programs.

Kathleen Vinehout was president of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, for several years and represented the district at statewide meetings.

Kathleen Vinehout assisted the Wisconsin Farmers Union in agriculture and dairy policy and worked part-time in 2005 as an advocate at the state capitol for the Farmers Union.

Kathleen Vinehout served on the Buffalo County Agricultural Fair Association Board and the Buffalo County Farm Bureau Board.

Kathleen Vinehout was formerly a member of the Wisconsin Holstein Association and she and her family have shown cattle at district shows.

Kathleen Vinehout was elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2006, defeating Republican Incumbent Ron Brown.

Kathleen Vinehout served in a leadership position as Vice-chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and as a member of the Economic Development; Children, Families and Work Force Development; Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Job Creation Senate Committees.

Kathleen Vinehout was the chair of the Democratic Party of Buffalo County and served on the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission and the Alma Chamber of Commerce.

On November 2,2010, Kathleen Vinehout was reelected to the Wisconsin Senate beating Ed Thompson.

Kathleen Vinehout returned to the State of Wisconsin on March 12,2011.

Kathleen Vinehout was a candidate in the Democratic Primary during the 2012 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Recall Election.

Kathleen Vinehout garnered four percent of the vote, coming in third.

In January 2014, Senator Kathleen Vinehout announced she would not run for Governor of Wisconsin because of injuries she received in a car accident in Racine County, Wisconsin, in December 2013.

In June 2017 Kathleen Vinehout officially registered a committee for the 2018 Wisconsin governor election.

Kathleen Vinehout describes fixing health care as a passion of hers.

Kathleen Vinehout believes Wisconsin should accept the federal Medicaid expansion that current Governor Walker rejected.

Kathleen Vinehout favors creating a Wisconsin-based market-place for health care, which would keep coverage and prices in the state relatively stable even if funding from the federal government were to lag.

Kathleen Vinehout was a member of the Wisconsin 14 who left the state to protest Governor Walker's contentious Act 10 bill that eliminated collective bargaining for teachers.

Kathleen Vinehout believes that Walker's actions disrespected school teachers and had a profoundly negative effect on Wisconsin's schools.

Kathleen Vinehout favors having DNR run by an independent Secretary appointed by the Natural Resources Board rather than a Secretary appointed by the Governor.

Kathleen Vinehout has called for restoring funding of the Department of Natural Resources, rehiring scientists, seriously addressing the threat of climate change, and stronger environmental protections, especially of sand mines and CAFOs.

Kathleen Vinehout has criticized the slow rate of growth under Gov.

Kathleen Vinehout believes state must create an environment in which the private sector thrives.

Kathleen Vinehout wants to fix the management problems that are present in Wisconsin's Veterans homes.

Kathleen Vinehout wants to restore funding to veterans' programs including for homeless veterans and the Assistance to Needy Veterans program that was cut by Governor Walker.

Kathleen Vinehout believes it is necessary to restore the advisory organizations that have been disbanded, especially the Board of Veterans Affairs committees that deal with program review, legislation, long term care, and financing.

Kathleen Vinehout insists on a $15 an hour minimum wage, changing Truth in Sentencing standards, offering treatment alternatives to prison, providing mental health services, improving inner city public schools, and expanding home ownership.

Kathleen Vinehout believes that President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing holds the steps toward building trust between our citizens and law enforcement.

Kathleen Vinehout claimed that such language violated the Wisconsin constitution, which states that no "control of, or interference with, the rights of conscience be permitted " and authored an amendment to the bill that allowed pharmacists to conscientiously object as long as they ensured that the patient would be able to receive the abortion drugs.

Kathleen Vinehout considers herself pro-choice and believes that contraception should always be accessible and that abortions should be safe, legal, and rare.

In 2010 and 2014, Kathleen Vinehout received an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.

Kathleen Vinehout supports increased background checks, banning bump stocks, and a continuation of the ban on fully automatic weapons.

Kathleen Vinehout owns a farm with her husband, Doug, a former member of the Illinois House of Representatives and current member of the Board of Education in Alma.

Kathleen Vinehout's family operates a 223-acre organic farm near Alma, Wisconsin.

Doug and Kathleen Vinehout have one son, Nathan, a graduate of Macalester College.