Stephen Nass

Nass was born in Whitewater, Wisconsin on October 7, 1952.[https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS10962 Nass, Stephen L. 1952], Wisconsin Historical Society. He graduated from Whitewater High School in 1978 and receiving a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in 1978. He received a M.S. Ed. in school business management from UW-Whitewater in 1990.

Nass was a member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and deployed in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. According to his legislative biography, he retired as a chief master sergeant, owns a rental property business, and formerly was a payroll benefits analyst.

Nass was a member of the Whitewater City Council from 1977 to 1981 and a member of the UW-Whitewater Board of Visitors from 1979 to 1989. He was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1990, from the 31st Assembly District, and was thereafter reelected.[https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/legislators/senate/1911 Senator Stephen L. Nass: Senate District 11], Wisconsin State Legislature. He remained a member of the Assembly until 2014, when he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from the 11th District. Nass is one of the Senate's most conservative members.Scott Bauer, [https://apnews.com/article/legislature-bills-wisconsin-coronavirus-pandemic-fda9a35ce176ef590358a1823a6abcc8 Wisconsin Assembly passes COVID-19 bill Senate GOP opposes], Associated Press (January 7, 2021).Todd Richmond, [https://apnews.com/article/417831b53345afca250f46e30f8fff5a GOP resurrects bill to make English official language], Associated Press (January 6, 2020).

Nass has become known for his adversarial relationship with the University of Wisconsin System,{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/ct/news/local/education/campus_connection/article_afbaed3e-f75e-11df-960f-001cc4c03286.html|title=Campus Connection: UW critic Nass secures key post|first=Todd |last=Finkelmeyer |newspaper=The Capital Times|date=November 24, 2010}}Cara Lombardo, [https://apnews.com/article/610943610a2a4a6c98a44c7d81880120 Student guilty of black church arsons wants pro-white group], Associated Press (January 27, 2017).{{Cite web|title=Republican-led committee votes to block UW campuses' COVID-19 requirements; UW-Madison immediately issues mask mandate|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/03/republicans-vote-block-uw-campuses-covid-19-requirements/5458951001/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en}} which he accuses of "liberal indoctrination."Todd Richmond, [https://apnews.com/article/4cd556b8c6cd3eb23bc71970adb607fd Regent leader selects Tommy Thompson as interim UW president], Associated Press (June 19, 2020). That position that assumed greater significance in 2007–08, when Nass was chair of the Assembly's Colleges and Universities Committee, which oversees the entire UW System, and 2010, when Nass regained control of the committee (after Republicans regained a majority of the state Senate). In 2007, Nass worked to cut funds for specific University of Wisconsin programs that he disagreed with philosophically, including the Havens Wright Center for Social Justice in UW–Madison's sociology department and the UW-Extension School For Workers, saying that they are "too far to the left."{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/news/local/legislator-takes-aim-at-uw-programs-among-other-things-he-wants-to-cut-money-to/article_bed0652e-035e-51b4-97da-aa8c0df1614b.html|title=Legislator Takes Aim at UW Programs|first=Ryan J.|last=Foley|agency=Associated Press|date=July 25, 2007|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal}} Paul Soglin, the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, responded by calling Nass "the outlaw chairman of an Assembly committee that is designed to destroy the University of Wisconsin System."{{cite web|url=https://www.waxingamerica.com/2007/07/steve-nass-an-e.html|title=Steve Nass: An Embarrassment To Wisconsin|author=Paul Soglin|date=July 26, 2007|work=Waxing America}} In 2017, Nass accused UW of waging a "war on men" with an initiative about masculinity, and criticized a course offered by UW on white privilege. By 2020, Nass was the vice chair of the universities committee.

In 2010, Nass said he would introduce legislation banning pavement markers designed to minimize conflicts between bicyclists and motorists.{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_7139503a-62e6-11df-93ae-001cc4c03286.html|title=Madison tries a European idea to improve bike safety|first=Patricia |last=Simms|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|date=May 18, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_233e0e24-6602-11df-a306-001cc4c002e0.html|title=State rep wants to stop city's use of Euro-style bike markers|first=Patricia|last=Simms|date=May 22, 2010|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal}} Nass accused "liberal extremists in Madison who hate cars and think everyone should bike to work" with "basically making it difficult to use an automobile." Nass's position drew a caustic response from Madison mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who noted that Madison is 70 miles from the district that Nass represents. "Not having been able to solve a single significant state problem (which they actually got elected to do) in their combined 37 years in office these guys now want to micromanage the city of Madison. There's a way they can do that, of course. They can give up their seats in the Legislature and run for the Madison City Council."{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/ct/news/local/madison_360/article_20f2ce1e-73ce-11df-8ff5-001cc4c03286.html|title=Firing back at Madison's critics a capital idea|first=Paul |last=Fanlund|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|date=June 9, 2010}}

Nass is a supporter of Donald Trump. In 2017, Wisconsin taxpayers paid $966 to send Nass to Trump's first speech to a joint session of Congress,Todd Richmond, [https://apnews.com/article/34a5aac28b61484c9ef9a21502cbf1ad Wisconsin taxpayers spent nearly $41K on senators’ travel], Associated Press (June 25, 2018). and in 2019, during the Trump's first impeachment, he accused Trump's enemies of "vile efforts to effectuate a political coup of the president."[https://apnews.com/article/b4758986b11e647c8f96278102e789e4 Editorial Roundup: Excerpts from recent Wisconsin editorials], Associated Press (December 16, 2019). Nass has sponsored legislation to declare English the official language of Wisconsin.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nass criticized public health measures put into place by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, and in April 2020, Nass accused the state Health Secretary, Andrea Palm, of promoting "excessive levels of fear."Scott Bauer, [https://apnews.com/article/6ab85f59162b6999bcd9a931f2b25e03 Republicans accuse Evers of stoking COVID-19 fears], Associated Press (April 10, 2020). In July 2020, after Evers issued an order requiring the wearing of face coverings in public indoor spaces to prevent the spread of the virus, Nass called the order "illegal and unnecessary" and urged the state legislature to convene an emergency session to repeal the order.Scott Bauer, [https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-wisconsin-health-lifestyle-virus-outbreak-df38c0f189b4981afcacee126c5c0eaf Wisconsin governor orders masks statewide amid virus surge], Associated Press (July 30, 2020). During the pandemic, Nass supported the termination of Evers' emergency declarations.Todd Richmond, [https://apnews.com/article/health-wisconsin-coronavirus-pandemic-4741efa0494718d460a13afd27034445Evers calls lack of 2nd vaccine doses 'slap in the face'], Associated Press (January 15, 2021). He also pushed to require state workers to return to physical offices, revoke funding for schools that did not hold in-person classes, restrict the power of state and local health agencies, and expand school choice programs. He introduced legislation to block the University of Wisconsin from instituting COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination protocols on its campuses across the state.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-29|title=Republican to block UW virus testing, vaccination rules|url=https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-d780c891f55b321baceb63409e5820c4|access-date=2021-07-29|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}

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Category:1952 births

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:People from La Grange, Wisconsin

Category:People from Whitewater, Wisconsin

Category:University of Wisconsin–Whitewater alumni

Category:Wisconsin city council members

Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature