Education
She graduated from Madison East High School and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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Melissa Sargent
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A Democrat, Sargent represents the 48th assembly district, which includes the City of Madison"s east and north sides, and Maple Bluff. Melissa has been appointed to serve on 6 legislative committees including: the Aging and Long Term Care Committee, Financial Institutions Committee, Small Business Development Committee, Energy and Utilities Committee, Mental Health Committee, and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Sargent describes herself as "born, raised, and educated in Madison".
In 2010, Sargent"s neighbors on the north side of Madison urged her to seek the 18th District seat on the Dane County board of supervisors upon the retirement of the incumbent.
"At that point, I owned my own business," she said. "I had three kids, and I just found out I was pregnant with my fourth.
And I was 40 years old and feeling like one more thing on my plate would cause me to topple over."
Then Sargent, says, she decided she needed to do the same. On January 23, 2014, Melissa proposed Bill LRB 3671, which would legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes in Wisconsin.
On March 27, 2011, when the State Capitol Police ordered her three older boys to take down their protest sign proclaiming "Solidarity Forever" which was being displayed outside of the "Designated Demonstration Area" they refused, and Sargent was issued a ticket (later dismissed).
After the State Assembly was drastically redistricted in 2011 by a Republican-controlled legislature, former 48th district incumbent Democrat Chris Taylor had chosen to run in the newly-revamped 76th district. Sargent was unopposed in the Democratic primary election. In the general election she polled 24,375 votes, to 4849 for Libertarian Terry R. Gray and 62 scattered votes.
