State Senator Lena Taylor

Senator Lena Taylor, a Milwaukee native, earned a B.A. in English from UW-Milwaukee and a J.D. from SIU-Carbondale. After attaining a law degree, she practiced as a Public Defender for the people of Milwaukee and eventually opened Taylor and Associates Law Office, a general practice firm on the north side. In late 2013, Lena joined the personal injury law firm Pitman Kyle Sicula and Dentice as a partner at its downtown Milwaukee office.

As of her reelection in 2012, Senator Taylor serves on five different Senate Committees: the Committee on Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism, the Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, the Committee on Elections and Urban Affairs, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties, and the Special Committee on Symposia Series on State Income Tax Reform Information. In 2014, she was re-appointed to the Joint Finance Committee, which she had worked on in 2004 and at one time served as the Co-Chair. 

Lena’s career and interests have consistently intersected with humanitarian concerns. Lena is a loyal champion for women, searching to absolve discrimination in the work place, defend women’s reproductive rights, and fight for those who’ve been attacked through the unfortunate and widespread cases of violence against women throughout this country. Lena’s strong position on women’s health and reproductive rights constantly make news; never backing down to the dissimilar male voices surrounding her, Lena holds that we can’t fail women through “disrespecting their choice, and their right to pick what’s best for them.”

Through both pushing legislative reform and providing resources to educate women and girls on healthy relationships, Lena has been a force of change in her district. Lena maintains close relationships with various state and national women’s organizations, like Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Women’s Center, The National Organization for Women, and the National Association of Women Business Owners Wisconsin. Lena’s civil service record is not exclusive to women’s issues, and includes work with the NAACP, Urban League, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Unity Caucus, and the Milwaukee Community Justice Council.     

Lena has also interviewed extensively with national media on the walk-out of Senate Democrats to uphold collective bargaining rights for public employees.