How's everybody?
Happy New Year. Happy New Year.
Absolutely.
Well, thanks, everybody, for joining
us today.
And I hope everybody had a good
holiday season, a chance
to relax at
the best.
So, you know, as we look back
on 2024, we have
accomplished a lot together.
I signed nearly 190
bills into law last year.
The vast majority of those had
bipartisan support.
I signed Fair Maps for Wisconsin,
undoing a decade of
living under some of the most
gerrymandered legislative maps
in the U.S.
approved $73 million
in annual tax relief to reduce
child care costs
for working families.
It was projected that more than
110,000
taxpayers will see an average of
about $650
in tax cuts beginning this year
and 2025.
I enacted two pieces of statewide
legislation enabling
Wisconsin to receive over $78
million in federal investments
to bolster our TV infrastructure.
There are now three new fast
charging TV stations coming online
in Ashland, Menominee
and Chippewa Falls, with more to
come with the new Year.
And we also successfully kept
the Brewers in Wisconsin to 2050
with a new lease ensuring future
generation will be able to root for
the home team, which was
finalized and approved just before
the holidays and go brewers.
And we secured a multibillion
dollar investments from key industry
leaders like Microsoft, Eli
Lilly and Company Nestlé
Purina, Kikkoman
and more.
In my last State of the State
address, I declared 2024
the Year of the Worker to be
new. Our focus on addressing
our state's generational
workforce challenges.
Through these efforts, we continued
our trend of historically low
unemployment.
And nine counties reported the
lowest rates of unemployment
on record.
We achieved record high employment
and participation in the state's
register registered and youth
apprenticeship programs and
expanded apprenticeship
pathways, including the first
ever teacher apprenticeship
pilot program.
We worked with Senator Baldwin to
secure the state's designation
of the U.S.
regional tech hub,
which is set to bring more than
140,000 jobs and
$9 billion of economic
development to our state
over the next decade.
And we helped launch the U.S.
Climate Alliance Climate
Ready Workforce Initiative, which
is working to train 1
million new registered
apprenticeships across the nation
by 2023.
I'm incredibly proud of the work
we've done this last year,
built upon the efforts of over
the last five years.
We continued providing tax relief
to the middle class and working
families across our state,
including the Child and Dependent
Care credit I just mentioned a
minute ago.
That will go into effect this
year.
All told, through tax cuts, I've
signed into law throughout my time
in office, 86%
of Wisconsin taxpayers
have seen an income tax cut
of 15% or more,
with 2.4 million taxpayers
receiving relief.
And Wisconsin taxpayers will see
$1.5 billion in
annual tax relief, primarily
to the middle class targeted
to the middle class, thanks
in part due to these efforts
and tax cuts I signed into law
as governor.
A recent analysis by the Wisconsin
Policy Forum
showed Wisconsin's income tax
burden. And that means how much
of state and local taxes pay
Wisconsinites pay as a share
of their personal income
is the lowest on record.
That means we've worked hard and
successfully to make sure
Wisconsinites get to keep
more of their hard earned money
in their pockets.
We've also approved more than 8600
miles of roads and 2000 bridges,
and we have built more than 17,000
units of affordable housing
since I've taken office.
And our work to expand access
to affordable housing will continue
in 25 and 2025
as we implement one of the largest
state investments in affordable
housing in our history.
As we look forward to 2025,
there is, as always, more
work to do.
I look forward to delivering my
State of the State address on
Wednesday, January 22nd
at 7 p.m.,
where I'll talk about the work ahead
of us and to lay out our
state's top priorities for 2025.
While we had much success in 2020
for working to address our
states, challenges are recruiting,
training and retaining talented
workers.
Our efforts must continue
in 2025 to address the
workforce challenges that have
plagued plagued our state for
decades.
We can both help address our state's
workforce challenges and
give working families a little
breathing room in their household
budgets by making childcare
and housing more affordable
and accessible across our state.
And can childcare and housing more
affordable? And addressing our
state's looming childcare crisis,
which could have
really bad consequences
for our workforce and our state's
economy?
It's been a top priority for me
and my administration That will
continue to be that case
in the new year.
I also continue to be concerned
about the burgeoning crisis of
mental and behavioral health in
Wisconsin, something that we've been
talking about for years.
I will again propose robust
investments in my biannual budget
to expand access to mental
and behavioral health statewide,
including in our schools.
And I urge the legislature to join
me in supporting this
important work.
It also, obviously, and everybody
in this room is in
the same position,
weighs heavily on me, that
we're kicking off a new year just
weeks after a school shooting.
Here in Madison, an abundant
life Christian school that took
the lives of Ruby and Erin,
injured several and affected
countless others, including a
student who is still recovering from
those injuries.
Keeping our kids, our schools,
our streets and our communities safe
and addressing. Gun violence has
been a top priority for me and my
administration over the last
five years.
Despite continued legislative
resistance and inaction
in 2025, this should be a shared
priority that transcends
politics and partizanship
and one I'm hopeful to finally
receive bi annual support
and effort.
So I look forward to sharing more
details about my budget proposals
to address these pressing statewide
challenges.
And I deliver my 20 2527
BI annual budget
message will happen on Tuesday,
February 18th, 2025
at 7 p.m..
Be there.
It's going to be something.
I'm hopeful that as we ring
in a new year in Wisconsin
after fair maps, we will
see a legislature that's more
collaborative, more responsive,
and reflects the will of the people
of the state.
That work begins here today.
I spent the last month of life this
last year traveling across
our state, hosting my biannual
budget listening sessions, and
completing my fifth annual
72 County tour to hear
directly from Wisconsinites about
the issues that are important to
them.
So today I am announcing excuse
me, a provision I'll be including
in the biennial budget, to require
the legislature to give the people
of Wisconsin a pathway
to enshrine the will of the
people.
It's no secret that since I took
since I took office, Republican
legislators have repeatedly
ignored the will of the people.
Wisconsin, a majority
of whom support support
proposals like restoring role
and access to safe legal abortion,
legalizing and taxing
marijuana like we do alcohol,
finding our public schools
and implementing common sense gun
safety reform, among
many other issues.
Instead, Republican lawmakers have
repeatedly worked to put
constitutional amendments on the
ballot that Republicans drafted
Republicans pass all,
while Republicans refuse to give
that same power to the people
we serve.
That's wrong.
Republican lawmakers shouldn't be
able to ignore the will of the
people and then prevent the people
from having a voice when their
legislatures fail
to listen.
We have to change that.
Republican lawmakers are
going to continue to try and
legislate by constitutional
amendment.
Then they should give Wisconsinites
the same opportunity that
26 other states have.
It's that simple.
The legislature should give the
people that same power, too.
And that's what I'll be asking them
to do in my next budget.
So thanks for being here
today. And I'm happy
to take your questions, folks.
That would be a referendum like
the DirecTV signature deal
or the work of the vote?
Yeah. In order to do that,
it has to be a joint resolution.
And that and the requirement for
that joint resolution will be in
the budget. And that would give
people the ability, like
in 26 other states,
to have a
ballot initiative brought by
the people of Wisconsin.
Governor, you.
Said previously that you would
support cutting Wisconsin's
prison population in
half. But since the pandemic,
Wisconsin's prison population
is upwards.
What explains that times and why
hasn't the prison population
increased more of your leadership?
Well, we again, we
had a pandemic that made things
very much more difficult.
We will be addressing that issue
in the budget. There's no question
about that.
We need to have criminal
justice reform.
And that's one of the things we'll
be putting in the budget.
We're getting through this last four
years and, you know, a very
difficult time for our correctional
institutions and the people that are
in it.
And we believe we'll have some
answers for that in this next budget
and hopefully we'll get some support
for that.
We indicated
legislation to allow absentee
ballots before Election Day is
a priority.
Is that an effort by you to.
Go back to the session?
For sure.
We should have done it a long time
ago. Yes.
Over speaking to legislative leaders
in the last few weeks, there appears
to be a bipartisan push heading
into the new year to try to regulate
Delta eight and Delta nine.
Of course, this is from a loophole
in the 2018 farm bill.
Right. Many grocery stores, you can
buy the substance.
But it's concerning a lot of parents
as teens can get their hands on it.
Right.
We don't know what that bill will
look like. But in theory, regulating
the industry, possibly raising
the age to 21 to be able to purchase
these products.
Is that something you would
generally support?
Generally, I'll have to take a look
at it, but we needed to address
that. The issue of marijuana also.
It'd be nice to be able to do both
things at the same time, but I'm
open to that.
We have to make it clear to people
what's legal and what's not.
That I think that's important.
But in addition, the people in
Wisconsin, I don't know the exact
numbers, 60, 70%
in the that have
been polled by
by Marquette University to support
the legalization of marijuana.
It'd be great to be able to take
care of both those things
at the same time.
Have you heard any concerns about
these products being out there and
being easily accessible?
Yes.
Yes. Yes.
Yes.
What would you like to see?
Some type of.
Regulation? Yes, I would.
But but also, I'm saying, is
it be great to deal with this
issue, marijuana.
At the same time, we have to have
clarity on what's happening
with what you've brought up.
But we also are the will
of the people.
It's seems to indicate that
legalizing marijuana and
and treating it in a really,
really appropriate way
is something that we should be
supporting also.
After the Supreme Court ruling last
year. Republicans are pessimistic
on reauthorizing the bill's Nelson
program.
Is that concerning to you?
Know, it's pretty bold.
$1 billion over a ten year proposal.
Do you think that's something that
you can find common ground to get
done?
We should.
I mean, if you think about the
value of those
stewardship fund, it is so
important to
who we are as Wisconsin
and and also the ability
to make sure that
we have the land available
for people to recreate on.
And so, yes, we will we
will be dealing with that issue in
the budget. Absolutely.
A budget living
house.
I would veto that part of it.
Yes.
We can't we can't stop.
I mean, people expect that Wisconsin
or the state of Wisconsin
to support the No
Notes Nelson project.
And it's been
great for the state of Wisconsin.
It's important for our tourism
industry.
And and so
the idea of ending it is
not going to happen.
Dr. Judy, certain facts in the case
of.
Speaker Vos recently told us that
people come down to see products
like delivery to anyone under the
age of 21.
Would you sign something like that?
I mean, I need to see the whole
bill.
I need to see the whole bill.
Another proposal that Republicans
have talked about taken out earlier
this session did involve requiring
cooperation with Ice as it relates
to individuals who are resident in
the country illegally.
Curious, your thoughts on a bill
like that. If it were to reach your
desk or some of these other
conversations with.
Presidential administration.
Yeah, I think it's somewhat
premature to.
I mean, we can make some guesses as
to what what might happen with
a new administration in Washington,
D.C..
My my goal is to
work with that administration
when we can and
be in opposition and
try to change ideas
when when we can't when
we can't support it.
That may be one of them.
But I'd have to see that bill before
it's way too early for me to say
I'd support it or not.
The bottom line is, you know,
in Wisconsin, 70% of
all of our
on our farm,
our farms are dealing with 70%
of the people that may be
part of or
maybe part of a federal government's
idea to move
them elsewhere
out of our country.
Think about that.
How in the hell would we
continue to be the dairy state
when there's nobody there to milk
the cows and do the other important
work? So that and we've
made that clear.
But we the overall goal
with this administration will be
to work with them on the count and
and work with and to be
in opposition and change their
minds.
Well, when we cannot.
Recover, do you think this
difference means that people who
are here without documentation,
committed crimes or have a criminal
history, should they be deported if
they have that record?
It's. You know
what? What crime?
Speeding.
What about violent crime?
I think if they're serving time
already,
they shouldn't be treated any
differently. I mean, violent crime
is violent crime.
If you end up in a correctional
institution.
That serving that time is
equally important for someone that
is documented and someone
that is not.
Interference with murder.
Saying a letter to your office.
Need to address the issue around.
Something that you would be willing
to revisit.
I'm trying to remember the letter.
I remember getting it.
P First thing is simple
Joining Finance Committee has to
release the money that was passed.
It's part of law.
When it comes to approaching
education funding.
Are you waiting for the Supreme
Court decision on your veto?
Q Last question.
No.
We will be having a robust
budget for public education
as as we always have.
And so whatever's
happening in the courts, that's
that's not going to stop us from
making that proposal.
Speaker Vos has said that if the
court upholds your 400 year
veto, that's likely for education
funding, it's going to be for this
year, no increase.
What's your response to that?
That's a joke.
Ever. I mean, honest to God,
that is it is a
joke
calling.
And attacking our needs.
Do you believe that the city of
Green Bay and the state is prepared
to host the NFL draft this spring?
And how is the state?
Security efforts.
We're working already on that
issue.
So, yes, we're working with
Brown County and Green Bay.
We anticipate
it's going to be a good event, but
it's an event that we are.
You know, whether it's our
folks at the National Guard,
the folks that we have
on our our work,
you know, the people at
the state patrol, all those
people are working together.
It's it's like it's going to be like
the
RNC that happened in Milwaukee,
that those things have already begun
that work on that.
It's going to be a great opportunity
for the state of Wisconsin,
obviously, and Green Bay.
To run for $3 million a year
for people as a joke, because if
that's not a big increase per year
for revenue captures not only
for the mental health but for the.
It's pork.
No school. There's no schools would
be able to get by just on that small
amount of
of ability to spend money.
They'd have to spend, you know, tax
money back home.
They would they would likely have to
go to referendum even
more so.
So it's a joke.
And, you know, the issue
of mental health, you know, we
put, I think, $50 million
in the last budget.
And I know the speaker does
feel strongly about mental health
issues, but that doesn't
that doesn't necessarily
portray what happened in
the budget with the
amount of money that we got in the
budget, which is a fraction of that
$50 million.
So U.S. workers may forget for years
your budget.
On that piece.
There's going to be more.
There's going to be more money
period for schools.
Working on the audits, looking
into the Milwaukee public schools.
And if you don't have any updates,
we think apps overall and
orders are working fast enough to.
Find some answers.
Yeah, it seems like forever doesn't
have the but the
audits that we were
that we provided
will be done soon.
I don't know if it's going to be
done before the budget.
So hopefully some information
can help us in the budget.
But yeah, I'm frustrated.
I'm frustrated, especially I
think in working together
with the city
on the issue of police and in
the schools, that's part of state
law and they have to obey
the law. So somehow we have to come
to a conclusion on that.
Because you mentioned
the 70% of the workforce on the
dairy farms in Wisconsin, mostly
undocumented because there's no
you're obviously Google cell phone
where you have thoughts about
what could be done to protect
that workforce and the deer in the
streets.
Yeah, well, we have
to work with our friends in
Washington, D.C.
I mean, they're the ones that
control that issue.
And we will do everything in
our power to prevent that from
happening. I mean, it's
it's illogical for if
you're a Republican or Democrat to
say, well, we're going to mess with
America's Dairyland
because of somebodies
idea of what immigration
sort of look like.
We have people working there.
They're doing a great job.
Our farms and frankly, our
manufacturers also
need that work.
You need those workers.
So we'll be working with folks in
Washington, D.C.
to make sure that doesn't happen.
Governor, school
governors, school resource officers
obviously are under the purview
of local school boards, but.
Right. Do you have a preference as
to whether it be that strong rules
in Madison and the local schools?
Again.
I don't have that's a local
decision to make.
It's been successful.
Some people, some school districts
feel it hasn't been successful.
But the fact of the matter is the
marquee public schools, I
mean, as part
of a last budget
need to finalize that.
Now, whether individual
school districts make that decision.
I know some people, some school
districts feel strongly about
having allowing it to happen
and some some folks
are It's just it's
a local issue.
Bottom line.
What is your number one priority
in the budget to get across the
finish line?
Well,
number number one is
multifaceted.
We we have to have a
it we have to make sure that people
in the state of Wisconsin have the
ability to
thrive economically.
And part of that is
affordable housing.
Part of that is tax relief.
Part of that is to making sure that
our public schools are strong.
And so to say, if there's one
thing that
we absolutely have
to have, I'd
say it's a multifaceted, an answer.
It's the same it's the same question
that I address
around just our own schools and
selves. Yes, we need to fund
our public schools.
But children are in schools
maybe 6 or 7 hours a day.
How about affordable housing that
impacts those kids?
How about transportation That
that affects those kids.
How about health care?
That affects those children?
So in order
for us to
thrive as a state economically,
and that has to be an overall
goal, there's more than one
thing that has to happen.
And what I just talked about
is just around kids.
Who are closing prisons such
as Will Potter, Green Bay.
And if so, should those prisons
be replaced? And would you support
any funding in the next budget?
Well, I think you'll have an answer
for that in the next budget.
Governor, we're a little less than
two years out from this will be the.
Would run on in 2026.
Is that when your appearance
together?
No, because I haven't
decided if I'm running out in 2026.
Battle that
battle.
I'll be making that decision
sometime post post-budget.
UW system.
$800 million.
And what is the future of the
system? If I can continue the way
they are?
They seem to be limping from
cycle to cycle cycle.
Buildings are getting.
Older right.
Down to you.
How is the system sustainable?
Where do you get any kind of new.
So we have 800 million
for sure. And that's what's going to
be in my budget.
Yeah, you're right. You hit all the
highlights.
We can't continue to starve
our system.
Whether it's higher education
or UW system or the technical
college system or our K through 12
system.
That's part of economic development.
So, yes, we will.
I made a commitment to to put
$800 million in the budget
and it will be there.
For you guys.
Decision about money after Budget
2024 election.
Democrats have said that new Joe
Biden could pass the torch.
Use that phrase or that way as
there's nothing do if you're Joe
Biden.
Or do I have a torch.
You think is tied to the duration of
the premiership?
And if you run that decision,
of course.
Look, I'll think about all those
things, but it ain't going to be
right today.
Well, Governor, given that you have
new maps, we're coming into a new
biennium without new Democratic
lawmakers still weighing
your future, would you say that you
have a political New Year's
resolution when it comes to
reaching across the aisle?
Yeah, because I see I see
it already. I re
I anticipate that.
Well, we'll things be
perfect and
everybody is going to get together
and Robin Vos and others aren't
going to be complaining about me.
Of course that's all going to
happen. But I've already seen
with and I've talked to every
Democratic legislator
and I'll be, you know,
any Republicans I want to meet with
me that will make that happen.
But I've already seen a
opportunity for some
of the new people on the Democratic
side reaching out and talking
to individuals on the Republican
side about issues
that just didn't happened in the
past. So do I think that
there's opportunity there's
certainly opportunities for
us to get along better
and to accomplish things for the
people of Wisconsin.
And that's what fair maps are all
about. As you know, there
were when
I ran for this office, I said
we have to have fair maps, not
gerrymandered Democrat maps.
And that's exactly what we have.
And the reason I believe we've
so strongly about that is
that the
will of the people is the law of the
land. And we're a purple state.
And the
maps reflect that.
And I think as a result of that, we
will see more collaboration
and cooperation.
So I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker Austin said he wants to see
tax cuts passed before the budget,
a majority of the state surplus.
Do you think there's a compromise to
reach there to pass the tax cut for
budget?
It's unlikely, but you never know.
We'll take a look at it.
Where do you propose to spend
driver's licenses?
And I'm sorry.
Will you propose restoring driver's
licenses for undocumented
immigrants?
I think we've done that every time,
so we'll do it again.
I bring up API for
altering the test scores before an
exam.
The changing that test scores
standards. Do you think that was the
right move? There's been many
people critical of that decision
because it's very difficult
to even compare to previous years.
Yeah.
I hate to even talk about things
that aren't my purview
anymore and the Department of Public
Instruction, but I just think
there should have been some.
Information and
dialog happening with all sorts
of people before that decision were
made.
Because of that change,
as you just said, it's hard to
compare year to year.
If one year you're doing something
completely different and so
do I. Do I think it could have been
handled better?
Yes, absolutely.
You have to have they have to have
in a decision like this,
I'm not even sure how many school
people knew about it.
And so I think
in retrospect, if I would
be have criticisms about
the process.
Was it a surprise to you?
Hell, yes.
Was it a mistake?
Not not telling me at the
last minute that you
had a problem.
I'm just saying the mistake was
that there wasn't enough
conversation with
the stakeholders with
parents ahead of time.
Can you understand? I was there.
Who do you want to see elected as
the messenger?
I'm not taking any position
on that.
It's.
There's at least three people.
Two of people are running, and I
think there's likely a third.
So for us.
Yes.
Do you think that there was
going to be a way to get that money
released from joint finance or do
you think that there should be room
for negotiation on getting that
money?
I do it.
I'll do anything to get it done.
I mean, the idea that
we pass if we
the legislature passes a law,
I signed something into law.
And I mean, this isn't the only time
this has happened.
And whatever I signed
into law doesn't really happen
because joint finance decides
to hang on to that money.
That's wrong. That's why we're in
court.
But
whatever we can do to get it out, if
that means tying it to something
else and we move on.
But it's just wrongheaded to think
that that is appropriate
and and legal.
I just think it's not.
That's why we're in court.
But if there's something we can do
in the meantime,
let's have it.
To us. Question This governor drew
a line item veto.
Some of the proposals that we have
started
to watch, and Republicans argue
that those that your lack
of your line item veto
for the reason why you're holding
those funds.
Are you willing to visit that issue?
What we did was the right thing.
We, the people, the
representatives of
Clare area, people
in the health care world,
you know, Clare asked us
to do this and we did it.
We did. You know, the what
came out of that came out of the
last budget or,
you know, the last budget on this
was not what the people in Clare,
at least the ones that talked to us
and that included health care folks,
they wanted a broader use
of that money.
So no,
I mean we're well past the ideas
that somehow I'm going to undo
that veto.
We need to get that money out.
Joint Finance Committee does
not have the legal authority to
to do what they did.
And so we're looking forward to
a resolution in court.
Do you have plans to do more
communication with leaders
of the legislature and Democratic
legislators? Do you have sort of
plans?
Well, we'll work with that.
We'll work with them any time that
they're available.
And, you know, we
worked a lot on the budget last
time, especially when we talked
about shared revenue.
And we hope to be able
to do that in the future.
Thanks, you guys.
Thanks, everybody.
Have a good day.
Have a good year.
Thanks.
I'll be right back.
Any other questions that I can
answer for folks? Just for
background, I know I distributed
that press release.
And how to get through.