Hero Plumbing owner, Waukesha police chief among Wisconsin guests at State of the Union address

Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read
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President Joe Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union speech at 8 p.m. Thursday. And several guests from Wisconsin will be there to watch the annual address in-person.

It's a tradition for lawmakers to invite guests who reflect issues that are important to them. The White House also invites guests to sit with the first lady, and the Speaker of the House can invite additional guests, too.

Wisconsin's Democratic members of Congress have announced who they've invited; Republican members haven't announced if they've invited anyone.

Here's a look at the Wisconsin guests who will be at the State of the Union Thursday night:

Rashawn Spivey, owner of Hero Plumbing, introduces President Joe Biden at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 20, 2023, in Milwaukee.
Rashawn Spivey, owner of Hero Plumbing, introduces President Joe Biden at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 20, 2023, in Milwaukee.

Hero Plumbing owner Rashawn Spivey

Rashawn Spivey, the owner of Hero Plumbing in Milwaukee, will sit in the first lady's viewing box. Spivey was also part of the president's visit to Milwaukee in December, riding with Biden in the motorcade and introducing him onstage at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce.

While in Milwaukee, Biden visited Spivey's business, where Spivey showed how he replaces lead pipes. His invitation reflects the administration's goal to "replace every lead pipe in America in the next decade," the White House said in a release.

The White House says Spivey and his team have replaced more than 825 toxic lead pipes, primarily at local day care centers. Milwaukee has replaced 6,400 lead service lines since 2017, out of about 70,000 lines.

More: New rule would require Wisconsin to replace all lead pipes by 2037

Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police chief
Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police chief

Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson

Waukesha Police Chief Daniel Thompson was invited by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin to attend the address. According to a release, Baldwin and Thompson will be "highlighting their work to combat the opioid and fentanyl epidemic."

"In the battle against the opioid epidemic, it requires leaders and stakeholders to unite and declare 'enough is enough.' I take pride and am humbly honored to represent the brave and dedicated members of Wisconsin law enforcement, who tirelessly confront this crisis daily,” Thompson said.

Baldwin and Thompson wrote an op-ed together that published Wednesday in the Journal Sentinel and said they'll be "representing all of those who lost their lives to this epidemic, representing their loved ones, and representing those helping fight this crisis."

In a joint call with reporters, Thompson said of attending the address: "In all my years, I got to do some really neat things, but this is way up there."

Last year, Baldwin invited David Hovde, a Type 2 diabetic and Medicare recipient from Appleton, to the address. Hovde, who died in May 2023, was a cousin of Eric Hovde, who's now Baldwin's main Republican challenger as she runs for a third term.

Tanya Atkinson, president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, speaks at a rally in response to the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to overturn the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S. on June 24, 2022, at Humboldt Park in Milwaukee
Tanya Atkinson, president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, speaks at a rally in response to the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to overturn the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S. on June 24, 2022, at Humboldt Park in Milwaukee

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin President Tanya Atkinson

Tanya Atkinson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, was invited by Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, whose district includes the Milwaukee area.

"As reproductive health care and women’s right to control their own bodies continues to be under threat in Wisconsin and nationwide, Tanya’s presence will serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions," Moore said in a release.

Planned Parenthood clinics have resumed abortion services in Wisconsin, though the state Supreme Court could take up a lower court's ruling that made abortions legal again in Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has asked the court to "recognize a constitutional right to bodily autonomy, including abortion."

More: Affiliated Medical Services abortion clinic on Milwaukee's east side to reopen in March

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler speaks before President Joe Biden during Laborfest at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler speaks before President Joe Biden during Laborfest at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022.

Rep. Mark Pocan invites AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler

While not a Wisconsin guest, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announced he's inviting Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO. In a statement, Shuler called Pocan "a champion for working people."

“With Liz at the AFL-CIO and President Biden in the White House, workers have their strongest champions in years. In three years, President Biden has prioritized American workers, bringing them to the table when moving legislation forward and strengthening workers’ rights," Pocan said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who are the Wisconsin guests at the State of the Union speech tonight?

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