Source: Wisconsin Public Television
Jan 23, 2024, 8:40 PM CST
MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers used the State of the State address to highlight economic success and to promote some of his initiatives Tuesday night.
The speech, which lasted just over 40 minutes, was delivered to members of the legislature, state Supreme Court, members of the armed services, and members of Evers’ cabinet.
Evers began by talking about the economic success of the state government and the budget that was signed into law last year.
“We began this biennium in the best fiscal position in our state’s history,” Evers said.
The first highlight of Evers’ address was on housing, where Evers said over a half billion dollars has been invested to address shortages across the state.
Evers also called out the need for infrastructure improvements, such as highway and bridge repairs, and said that since 2019, over 7,400 miles of roadways and 1,780 bridges have been worked on.
A $1 billion federal investment in the Blatnik Bridge connecting Superior to Minnesota was also the subject of part of the State of the State, an effort that is drawing President Joe Biden to visit Wisconsin on Thursday. Evers congratulated Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her effort in securing the funding and called the bridge “a critical economic driver for our state.”
Conservation efforts were also part of the address, where Evers spoke about a $2 million investment into preserving and restoring wild rice in the state. Evers also said he’s approving a forest conservation project for the Pelican River Forest, which he called the largest effort in state history.
Other areas that Evers touted included the Brewers stadium deal, funding for first responder services, and success in employing veterans across the state.
A few key areas that Evers talked about as areas for work to be done include funding PFAS remediation efforts, the expansion of mental health services, reproductive health, and fair legislative maps.
Evers spent the most time discussing workforce challenges, which he criticized Republicans for ignoring during the current legislative session.
“From my vantage point, three things are key to addressing our state’s workforce challenges: first, we must find a long-term solution to our state’s looming child care crisis; second, we must expand paid family leave; and third, we must invest in public education at every level, from early childhood to our technical colleges and universities,” Evers said. “There is no excuse for not being willing to work together on what everyone agrees is the most pressing issue facing our state.”
Evers will tour parts of Wisconsin Wednesday to highlight a few of his initiatives, including his efforts to promote reproductive health care.
State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said in a release that she supported Evers’ message and called for increased funding for child care and public education. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin said in a release following the speech that the state is “in good hands” with Evers as governor.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin rebutted Evers’ claims of a strong economy in the state by highlighting the loss of manufacturing jobs and hiring struggles by employers, as well as the loss of hundreds of dairy farms, in a fundraising email sent out following the speech.
Republican leadership in the legislature spent their time after the speech promoting a series of bills that are intended to cut taxes, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said after the State of the State that his caucus would be discussing legislative maps that were submitted by Gov. Evers.
