About Rep. Billings

 

 

Representative Jill Billings was elected to the State Legislature in November of 2011, and is now serving in her sixth consecutive term. Rep. Billings represents the 95th Assembly District which encompasses the city of La Crosse, French Island, and parts of the Town of Shelby. 

Before being elected to the State Assembly, Jill served on the La Crosse County Board for eight years. On the La Crosse County Board, Jill served as Vice Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, along with the Economic Development and Family Policy Boards. Jill was also a member of the development team that designed La Crosse County’s OWI Treatment Court program, which served as a model for treatment courts statewide.

Jill currently resides in the city of La Crosse and maintains many connections to the community. In addition to serving on the La Crosse County Board, Jill worked at the Friendship Program for ten years teaching English as a Second Language and citizenship courses to Hmong adults. Jill has also served on many local boards and agencies including the Community Foundation Granting Advisory Board, the YMCA Pioneering Healthy Communities, and Couleecap.

In the Wisconsin State Legislature, Jill has demonstrated a strong passion for child welfare, advocating for environmental issues, maintaining local control, and fighting for hardworking middle-class families across the state. Jill currently serves as ranking Democratic member on the Assembly Committee on Substance Abuse and Prevention and the Assembly Committee on Children and Families. She also serves as a co-chair of the bipartisan Wisconsin Legislative Children's Caucus, as well as Chair of the State Building Commission’s Higher Education Subcommittee, the Joint Legislative Council, the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (CANPB), the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and the Historical Society of Wisconsin Board of Curators.

Since her election to the Legislature, Jill has received a number of awards from state and national groups including: (WPHA/WALHDAB)’s “2019-2020 Friend of Public Health”, the Scenic Wisconsin Champion designation (2019), the WEDA Champion of Economic Development Award (2017-18 & 2019-20), the YWCA Outstanding Women Award (2015), the Wisconsin Counties Association’s Outstanding Legislator Award (2015 & 2019-20), the Dave Duax Award for Bipartisanship (2016 & 2017), the League of Conservation Voters’ “Conservation Champion” Champion (2018), the National Foundation for Women Legislators Woman of Excellence Award (2017), Wisconsin Conservation Voters Champion (2011-18), Wisconsin Conservation Voters Honor Role (2017-18), UW-La Crosse Student Senate Higher Education Advocate of the Year (2013 & 2016), Independent Living Resources “Relentless Badger” (2015), and more. In addition, she has been selected and participated in legislative leadership trainings by the Council for State Governments including the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD), the Henry Toll Fellowship Program, the NCSL Early Learning Fellows Program, and the NCSL Three Branch Institute.

Jill holds a Bachelor of Arts from Augsburg College, where she graduated from in 1989.