ATTORNEY GENERAL J.B. VAN HOLLEN'S INAUGURAL REMARKS PRESENTED TODAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL

J.B. Van Hollen
January 3, 2007
Inaugural Speech, State Capitol Building
Madison, Wisconsin
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Governor Doyle; former governors; Supreme Court Justices; Wisconsin tribal and state Legislative leaders; and members of the public, good afternoon and thank you all.

I also specifically wish to thank Peg Lautenschlager for her many years of public service.

To my wife Lynne and children Byron and Maddy, thank you most of all for your love and support.

I am honored to stand before all of you today as Attorney General of the great state of Wisconsin and I am humbled by the immense trust our citizens have placed in me. I am a firm believer that God does not give us challenges we cannot handle.

My commitment to public service, the sacrifices and rewards it brings, I owe to my parents. My mother's faith in God which inspires me every day to endeavor to do what's right; and my father, who 40 years ago first walked these halls as a state legislator. A time, he recalls fondly, when Democrats and Republicans held fast to their principles yet still worked together without animosity.

My election was clearly an example of bipartisan support based upon my extensive experience in law enforcement. My vision for this office embodies those values- to apply the law without prejudice or political influence. To do what is right, just and fair.

My friends, the safety of our families should not become victim to politics as usual. Our first question as elected officials should be what is the right course of action - not if an idea was the product of a Republican or Democrat.

In my first 100 days in office I will lay out my initial plans to fight crime in Wisconsin. And I respectfully call upon the Governor and the Legislature to join me in solving the many challenges that lie before us.

• Together, we MUST restore the public's faith in government and elections.
• The ever-growing backlogs at the crime labs MUST be reduced once and for all.
• Unprecedented violence in our state's largest city MUST not be permitted to rob the freedom of families to feel safe on the streets of their own neighborhoods.
• We MUST redouble our efforts to fight the most dangerous drug law enforcement has encountered that continues to lay waste to the environment, infect our schools and strip our young people of a bright future.
• And we MUST be more vigilant in tracking down the predators who continue to use the Internet and advances in technology to prey on our children and seniors.

As I stand here today, I feel as if every member of law enforcement is standing by my side, shoulder to shoulder, ready to make Wisconsin one of the safest states in the nation. They are my partners in law enforcement, and I am ready to be their voice in Madison.

Make no mistake, the people of Wisconsin will benefit if we are committed to working together. Safer streets and neighborhoods make for more vibrant communities, stronger families, a higher quality of life and a better Wisconsin.

That is the Wisconsin we desire. It is the Wisconsin that inspired me to public office. And the Wisconsin I will fight for as your Attorney General.

Thank you and God bless.