Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said she never imagined herself serving in elected office. But after being named state director for the Women in Government Foundation, now is not the time to slow down.

“I always pictured myself studying at University of Wisconsin like my parents and grandparents, and settling down here and becoming a mother,” Sargent said. “But I realized I needed to go out of my comfort zone and do something for my community.”

Sargent is currently serving her second term as the representative of the 48th Assembly District in Madison. She said she aims to reform health care and education and ensure Wisconsinites’ prosperity through the legislation she implements.

Early days

Sargent initially served on the Dane County Board as supervisor for two terms before being elected to the state Assembly. She said the idea of running for state office came to her during the protests conducted after Gov. Scott Walker’s election to office in 2011. She realized then the people who worked in the Capitol were not listening to the state citizens.

Sargent said her first successful piece of legislation, the Social Media Privacy law, works for the state’s residents by maintaining people’s privacy. The law prohibits educational institutions, employers and landlords from asking about login details of prospective and current students’ social media accounts.

Another bill she proposed in 2013 reduces police officers’ ability to track a person’s cellphone without a warrant or subpoena.

Though several of her bills have failed to pass, Sargent said they allow her room to improve.

“I am not going to be apologetic about what I hear from my constituents and I am going to continue to fight for issues, such as health care for all, even though Wisconsin has not accepted it,” she said.

Debt-free education bill

Currently, Sargent said many people either don’t receive sufficient financial aid to obtain a higher education, or are deeply in debt for doing so.

To combat this issue, Sargent has proposed a bill aiming to provide Wisconsin residents an opportunity to obtain a higher education and live the “American dream” without worrying about debt.

The bill provides grants to Wisconsin resident students that cover their tuition, housing and textbooks for up to 60 credits, as long as the student obtains a GPA of at least 3.0. 

The bill, however, does require students to be gainfully employed in Wisconsin within three months of graduating and work in the state for three years.

“We raised people to believe that if you’re willing to work hard, play by the rules and invest in your community, Wisconsin will invest in you,” Sargent said. “Ultimately, we are going to create people who love our state.”

The student can leave the contract, but at a cost. In this case, the grant will become a loan with an interest rate of 5 percent, Sargent said.

Empowering women

As state director for Women In Government Foundation, Sargent aims to empower women in government service and encourage young women to be good examples and make a difference, she said.

The Women In Government Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of women state representatives that enables women legislators across the country to combat complex policy issues, she said.

Women’s voices are very underrepresented in the government, Sargent said. More than 6,000 people have been elected to the state Legislature in Wisconsin’s history, she said, but less than 150 of those individuals have been women.

“Women do not run for office because they feel overwhelmed playing so many roles such as a mother, a wife and a policy maker,” she said. “But it is a feat that can be achieved, and there are women out there who are trailblazers. They need to be made role models.”