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Jon Erpenbach
Erpenbach in 2009
Chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2023
Governor	Tony Evers
Preceded by	Christopher Blythe
Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate
In office January 6, 2003 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Mary Panzer
Succeeded by	Judy Robson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 27th district
In office January 4, 1999 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Joe Wineke
Succeeded by	Dianne Hesselbein
Personal details
Born	(1961-01-28) January 28, 1961 (age 64) Middleton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence	West Point, Wisconsin
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh

Jon B. Erpenbach (born January 28, 1961) is an American politician currently serving as chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission in the administration of Governor Tony Evers. He previously served as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 27th District from 1999 to 2023.

Early life, education and career

Erpenbach was born in Middleton, Wisconsin and graduated from Middleton High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1979 to 1981. He worked as a radio personality on two Madison area radio stations and also worked for a Milwaukee station. He subsequently worked in both the State Assembly and Senate in media relations and as communications director.

Wisconsin Senate

Erpenbach was elected to represent the 27th Senate District in November 1998 and was re-elected in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. He retired from the Senate in 2023. He served as the Democratic Minority Leader from 2003 to 2005. He authored Wisconsin's No Call List legislation that was passed and signed into law in 2001. The legislation was a forerunner of the federal government's Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003.

Bills and policy positions

The achievement that Senator Erpenbach is most well known for is his extremely successful and popular Do Not Call legislation, passed and signed into law in 2001. The bill had bipartisan support in both the Senate and Assembly. The consumer protections in the bill include: allowing consumers to add their land or cellular telephones to the Do Not Call list, creating a prohibition for unsolicited faxes, and Increasing the penalties for violations from the current maximum of $100 to amounts between $1,000 and $10,000. The bill was a forerunner of the federal government's Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003.

Erpenbach is well known for his Healthy Wisconsin bill.

Erpenbach authored the Traveling Sales Crew Regulation bill, also known as Malinda's Law, which would give traveling sales crew members similar employment rights that part-time workers in Wisconsin are currently guaranteed by state law. The bill would also require all crews to register with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection before going door to door in state communities. By registering members of the crew, alerts for members with outstanding warrants in other states can be identified and criminals detained. The bill passed last session in the State Senate but was stopped in the Assembly. It is expected that the bill will become law this legislative session.

2011 Wisconsin protests

During the protests in Wisconsin, Erpenbach fled to Illinois along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators to attempt to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's Budget Repair legislation, ultimately unsuccessfully.

Wisconsin Parole Commission

Erpenbach did not seek reelection to the Senate in 2022 and on January 13, 2023 was appointed chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission by Governor Tony Evers, a fellow Democrat.

References

1. ^ Erpenbach's State Senate biography
2. official WI Senate website Archived 2009-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ official WI Senate website
4. Gast, Phil (February 18, 2011). "Wisconsin legislators aren't the first to walk out, leave town". CNN. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
5. "Evers picks ex-Democratic lawmaker to lead parole commission". Spectrum News. Associated Press. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.

External links

• Profile at the Wisconsin Senate
• Campaign website
• Profile at Vote Smart
• 27th Senate District, Senator Erpenbach in the Wisconsin Blue Book (2005–2006)
• Senator Jon Erpenbach (archive) at the Wisconsin State Legislature
  • constituency site (archive)

• 1961 births
• Employees of the Wisconsin Legislature
• Living people
• People from Middleton, Wisconsin
• Politicians from Dane County, Wisconsin
• University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumni
• Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators
• 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature