%>>
A
FLURRY
TO
THE FINISH
FOR
%THE
LEGISLATURE.
%
THIS
WEEK
THE
STATE
ASSEMBLY
%WRAPPED WHAT'S
E
XPECTED TO
BE
%ITS
FINAL DAY
FOR THE
YEAR.
%THE SENATE COMES
IN
FOR
ONE
%
FINAL
DAY
IN
MARCH.
%BOTH
HOUSES
PASSED
AND SENT TO
%THE
GOVERNOR'S
DESK A
$250
%MILLION
INCOME
TAX
CUT.
%THAT'S
THE
MAJORITY'S
USE OF
THE
%NEWLY-PROJECTED
$62
0
MILLION
%BUDGET
SURPLUS.
%GOVERNOR
EVERSMENTS
T
O
GOVERNOR
EVERS
WANTS
TO
LOWER
%
PROPERTY
TAXES
AND
SPEND
MOR
E
ON
%SCHOOLS.%>>
IT'S HARD
TO
BELIEVE
IN
2020%THERE
ARE
20
INDIVIDUALS
WHO
%MAKE
$30
MILLION
AND
OVER
EACH
%AND
THEY'LL
GET
$50.4
MILLION
IN
%TAX BREAKS.
%AND
YET
TODAY
YOU
ALL,
YOU
ALL
%SAID
THAT
YOU
WEREN'T
GOING
TO
%SEND
MORE
MONEY
TO
YOUR
P
UBLIC
%SCHOOLS.
%YOU
REJECTED
OUR
GOVERNOR'S
%PROPOSAL.%>>
MORE
THAN
ANYTHING
ELSE,
%UNFORTUNATELY, EDUCATION
HAS
%BECOME
100%
POLITICAL.
%
100% POLITICAL.
%NO MATTER
WHAT
WE
DO
ON
THIS
%
SIDE OF THE
AISLE, IS IT
EVER
%GOING TO BE
ENOUGH?
%>> IN
TONIGHT'S CAPITOL
INSIGHT
%
WE CHECK
IN
WITH
LAUREL
WHITE
ON
%THIS
AND
OTHER
ACTION.
%LAUREL,
T
HANKS A
LOT.%>>
ABSOLUTELY GLVMENT SO
THE
%EXPECTATION
I
S
THAT GOVERNOR
%EVERS
WILL
VETO
THIS
TAX
CUT?
%>>
SO
THAT'S
KIND OF
THE
MILLION
%DOLLAR QUESTION RIGHT
NOW.
%WE
REALLY DON'T KNOW.%WE KNOW
THE
GOVERNOR HAS
BEEN
%CRITICAL OF THE
PROPOSAL
SINCE%IT
WAS
FIRST ROLLED
OUT.
%HE
OBVIOUSLY
HAD A
REALLY
%DIFFERENT IDEA
FOR
HOW
HE
WANTED
%TO
SPEND THAT
MONEY.
%BUT
HE
HASN'T
SAID
OUTRIGHT
%WHETHER
HE'LL
VETO
IT
O
R
NOT.
%>> BUT
IT
HAS
LANDED
HIS
DES
K
%AT THIS
POINT?
%>> IT
IS
O
N
HIS
DESK
AND
HE
%COULD ACT ON
I
T
ANYTIME.%>>
WHAT
DO
REPUBLICAN
LEADERS
%SAY
ABOUT
I
F
OR
WHEN THEY
WOULD
%TAKE UP
ADDITIONAL
SCHOOL AID
AS
%THE GOVERNOR
HAD
CALLED
FOR?
%>> SO
REPUBLICANS ARE
SAYING
%THAT
KIND OF
THE
APPROPRIATE
%TIME
TO
TAKE
OUT
MORE
SCHOOL
AID%
WOULD BE
DURING
THE
NEXT
STATE
%BUDGET
PROCESS,
WHICH OF
COURSE
%STARTS NEXT
YEAR.
%THEY POINT OUT
THAT
THEY
MADE A
%BIG
INVESTMENT
IN
EDUCATION
I
N
%THE
CURRENT
STATE
BUDGET,
S
O
%THEY
KIND
OF POINT TO
THAT
AS A
%WIN AND
SAY
,
HEY, WE
CAN
TAL
K
%ABOUT EDUCATION MORE IN THE
%FUTURE.%>>
THAT'S
KIND
OF A LONG
TIME
TO
%WAIT,
I
WOULD
IMAGINE,
FOR
%GOVERNOR EVERS.
%BUT HOW
BIG
OF A
TAX
CUT
DID
%
JUST
PASS?
%>>
SO
THE
INCOME TAX
CUT
THAT
%PASSED
IS
ABOUT
$247
MILLION.
%IT'S GOING
T
O
SAVE,
ON
AVERAGE,
%$106
PER
INCOME
TAX
FILER
I
N
%WISCONSIN.%>>
NOW,
THRRL
THERE
ARE
OTHER
TAX
CUTS
%THAT
CAME
BY
WAY
OF A
FARM
AID
%PACKAGE
THAT
INCORPORATED SOME
%OF
WHAT
EVERS
ASKED
FOR; IS THAT
%RIGHT?%>> THAT'S RIGHT.
%SO THAT WAS PART
OF A
PACKAGE
O
F
%BILLS AIMED AT
SUPPORTING
THE
%DAIRY
INDUSTRY IN
WISCONSIN.
%THOSE TAX
PROPOSALS HAD
T
O
DO
%WITH FARMERS
DEDUCTING
THEIR
%HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS
FROM
%THEIR
INCOME
TAX
BILLS
AND A
%LITTLE BIT
OF A
TWEAK
T
O
%PROPERTY
TAXES
RELATED
T
O
%AGRICULTURAL
BUILDINGINGS
O
N
%THEIR
PROPERTY,
SO A
COUPLE
%ELEMENTS
TO A
PACKAGE O
F
BILLS
%ABOUT DAIRY
IN
WISCONSIN.%>> I
UNDERSTAND
THAT
WON'T
GET A
%SENATE VOTE
UNTIL
NEXT
MONTH?
%>> THAT'S RIGHT.
%SO BOTH
THE
SENATE
AND
ASSEMBLY
%WERE
IN
THIS
WEEK,
BUT
THE
%SENATE
ISN'T
EXPECTED
TO
COME
%BACK
AND
VOT
E
ON
ANY
MORE
BILLS
%ANY
SOMETIME
I
N
MARCH.%>>
WHAT HAVE YOU
BEE
N
HEARING
%ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THE
SENATE%WOULD BE
EXPECTED TO
ACTUALLY
%PASS
THA
T
PARTICULAR
BILL?
%OR
PACKAGE OF
BILLS.%>>
SO
WE
DON'T
KNOW
FOR
SURE.
%WE
KNOW
OBVIOUSLY
THAT
THE
%SENATE
HAS A HISTORY
ON
OF
%SOMETIMES
DEPARTING FROM
WHAT
%THE
ASSEMBLY HAS
DONE.
%OBVIOUSLY THE
ASSEMBLY
IS
DONE
%FOR THE
YEAR
NOW
SO
ANY
CHANGES
%THAT
THE
SENATE
MAKE
WOULD
%COMPROMISE THE FUTURE
O
F
THOSE
%BILLS, NOT
GET
THEM
IN
THE
%GOVERNOR'S DESK.
%SO
IT'S A LITTLE
BIT
UNCERTAIN
%RIGHT NOW.
%THEY
DID
PASS,
THOUGH,
I
THINK
%IT'S
IMPORTANT T
O
NOTE,
WITH
%BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE
%ASSEMBLY.%>>
EXACTLY.
%NOW,
HERE'S AN
ITEM
I
UNDERSTAND
%NOT
MOVING
FORWARD.
%THE SEXUAL ASSAULT
KIT
BACKLOG
%BILLS
WHICH
GOT
AMENDED
TO
%INCLUDE WHAT
DEMOCRATS
WERE
%CALLING
"POISON
PILLS,"
WHY
%ISN'T THAT
KIND
OF
RAPE
BACKLOG
%BILL
BIPARTISAN?
%>> THERE
WAS A
BIPARTISAN
BILL
%THAT
PASSED
THE
SENATE.
%THE PROBLEM
THERE
IS
THE
%ASSEMBLY
AMENDED
THE
BILL
TO
%INCLUDE
THOSE
SO-CALLED POISON
%PILLS TO
DEMOCRATS.
%ONE
OF
THOSE
PROVISIONS
WOULD
%REQUIRE
INDIVIDUALS
ACCUSED
OF
%SEXUAL ASSAULT WHO WERE
IN
THE
%COUNTRY
ILLEGALLY
TO
BE
REPORTED
%TO
FEDERAL IMMIGRATION
%OFFICIALS.
%ANOTHER
HAS
TO
DO
WITH
PRIVATE
%VOUCHERS AND
ELIGIBILITY
OF%SEXUAL
ASSAULT
VICTIMS.
%THEY
WOULD
B
E
ELIGIBLE FOR
THE
%STATE PROGRAM REGARDLESS
O
F
%PREVIOUS
ELIGIBILITY.
%SO
THAT'S
WHAT'S
COME OF
THE
%ASSEMBLY
AND
IT'S
VERY
DIFFERENT
%
FROM
WHAT'S
COME OUT OF
THE
%SENATE.%>>
SO
HOW
I
S
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
%KAUL
TAKING THIS
DEVELOPMENT?
%>> SO
KAUL
IS
VERY
FRUSTRATED.
%HE
HAD
PUSHED
REALLY
HARD
FOR
%THAT BIPARTISAN
BILL
THAT
PASSED
%THE SENATE
EARLIER
THIS
YEAR.
%HE
WAS
VER
Y
FRUSTRATED
WITH
THE
%CHANGES THAT
THE
ASSEMBLY MADE
%AND
SAID
THAT
THIS
PROPOSAL
IS
%REALLY
ESSENTIAL
T
O
ENSURING
%THAT WE
DON'T
HAVE A
BACKLOG
OF%SEXUAL ASSAULT
KITS
LIK
E
WE'VE
%HAD
IN WISCONSIN
I
N
THE
PAST.
%>> NOW
ON,
,
THE
ASSEMBLY
SNUCK
IN AN
%AMENDED
VERSION
OF
A
BILL
T
O
%AFFECT
PFAS.
%WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT
WHERE
%THAT IS
HEADED?
%
>> THAT
WAS A
REALLY LATE
%ADDITION.
%
THE ASSEMBLY
PASSED
THAT
BILL%AFTER MIDNIGHT THIS
MORNING.
%
IT CAME OUT
OF A
LONG
CAUCU
S
%THAT
REPUBLICANS HELD
IN
THE
WEE
%HOURS OF THE MORNING.
%WE
DON'T
KNOW
WHERE
THE
SENAT
E
%STANDS
ON
THAT
BECAUSE
IT'S
SUCH%A NEW
PROPOSAL.
%IT'S
CERTAINLY
IN
QUESTION
%WHETHER THE
SENATE WILL
TAKE
%THAT
U
P
I
N
MARCH
AND
WHETHER IT
%WILL BE HEADED
TO
THE
GOVERNOR'S
%DESK OR
NOT
.%>>
AND THAT WAS
ANOTHER
ONE
THAT
%AT
LEAST
IN
ITS
ORIGINAL
FORM
%WAS
BIPARTISAN IN
NATURE.%>>
MM-HMM.
%THAT'S
RIGHT.
%THERE HAVE
BEEN A
NUMBER
OF
%
BIPARTISAN
WATER
QUALITY
BILLS
%THAT HAVE
PASSED
THE
ASSEMBLY
%RECENTLY, SO THIS IS
SOMETHING
%THAT
LAWMAKERS HAVE
BEEN WORKING
%ON,
THINGS
LIKE
PFAS,
WELL
%CONTAMINATION.%SO IT
WILL
B
E
REALLY I
NTERESTING%TO
SEE IF
THE
SENATE COMES
%TOGETHER
IN A
SIMILAR
WAY
.%>> ALL RIGHT.
%WELL,
WISCONSIN PUBLIC
RADIO'S
%LAUREL
WHITE,
WE
REALLY
%APPRECIATE YOU
JOINING US
FROM