Tony Earl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Earl
41st Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987
Lieutenant	James Flynn
Preceded by	Lee Dreyfus
Succeeded by	Tommy Thompson
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 85th district
In office January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Edward F. McClain
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 2nd Marathon County district
In office 1969–1973
Preceded by	David Obey
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Anthony Scully Earl (1936-04-12) April 12, 1936 (age 88) Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jane Nemke

Anthony Scully Earl (born April 12, 1936) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic party and served as the 41st governor of Wisconsin from 1983 until 1987. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1958 and earned a J.D. from the University of Chicago. After four years in the Navy, including two years as a legal officer, Earl made his way to Wisconsin in 1965.

Governor of Wisconsin

In 1982, Earl ran for governor when Lee S. Dreyfus unexpectedly declined to run for re-election, and soon the Wisconsin Democratic Party's hopes of reclaiming the governor's mansion became very real. As head of the state DNR, Earl was well-received as a staunch defender of the environment and a problem-solver. Earl used that reputation to defeat former Acting Governor Martin J. Schreiber (1977–79) in the Democratic primary for governor. Earl went on to defeat the Republican candidate, Terry Jodok Kohler, in a landslide victory.

However, Earl's tenure as governor was a challenge from the start. By the time he took office, Wisconsin was marred by a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion and a 12% unemployment rate. Earl signed legislation making the 5% sales tax permanent and also added a 10% surtax on state income tax which was later reduced. Once the state was fiscally sound, Earl passed initiatives improving the environment, education, and equal opportunity. Earl appointed Doris Hanson, the State's first and only female to hold the office of secretary of the Department of Administration and Howard Fuller, the first African-American appointed to a cabinet position heading the Department of Employee Relations. Due to disagreements over healthcare reform, prison staffing, wage freezes and other matters, Earl's relations with state labor soured and made his tenure as governor all the more complicated.

After restoring the state following one of the worst economic predicaments in state history, Governor Earl was ousted after one term. State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson, a Republican, staunchly opposed Earl's policies and was elected in 1986 to the first of four consecutive terms. Earl Bricker wrote an essay, "goodbye to Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl" bemoaning that Tommy Thompson had defeated Earl in the 1986 election, and that is "pro-family" stance may have given him wider demographic appeal than Tony Earl's defense of gay and lesbian rights.

Post-gubernatorial career

Earl served on the governing board of Common Cause in Wisconsin from 1995 until 2005. a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby affiliated with national Common Cause. In 1990, Earl was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board and served until 1996. CC/WI promotes campaign finance reform, ethics and lobby reform, open meetings laws, voting rights, non-parisan redistricting and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of accountable government. Earl is also served on the board of the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation for many years until 2013.

In July 2004, Earl was recognized at the 12th Annual Outreach Awards for his acknowledgment of the needs of the gay and lesbian community during his term in office; he received the organization's Political Courage Award. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Transmission Company which assumed ownership, operation, planning, maintenance and monitoring of all the electrical transmission assets formerly owned by a number of Wisconsin utility companies, cooperatives and municipal utilities. He was formerly a partner in one of the largest law firms (more than 400 lawyers) in Wisconsin, Quarles and Brady. The Pestigo River State Forest in Marinette and Oconto counties has been renamed Governor Earl Peshtigo State Forest according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. September 25, 2019, as reported in the Appleton Post-Crescent on September 26, 2019.

Electoral history

• 1988 election for U.S. Senate (Democratic Primary)
  • Herb Kohl (D), 47%
  • Tony Earl (D), 38%
• 1986 election for governor
  • Tommy Thompson (R), 53%
  • Tony Earl (D) (inc.), 46%
• 1982 election for governor
  • Tony Earl (D), 57%
  • Terry Jodok Kohler (R), 42%