>> A FLURRY TO THE FINISH FOR
THE LEGISLATURE.
THIS WEEK THE STATE ASSEMBLY
WRAPPED WHAT'S EXPECTED 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 $620 MILLION
BUDGET SURPLUS.
GOVERNOR EVERSMENTS TOGOVERNOR EVERS WANTS TO LOWER
PROPERTY TAXES AND SPEND MORE 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 PUBLIC
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, THANKS A LOT.
>> ABSOLUTELY GLVMENT SO THE
EXPECTATION IS 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 OR NOT.
>> BUT IT HAS LANDED HIS DESK
AT THIS POINT?
>> IT IS ON HIS DESK AND HE
COULD ACT ON IT ANYTIME.
>> WHAT DO REPUBLICAN LEADERS
SAY ABOUT IF 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 IN
THE CURRENT STATE BUDGET, SO
THEY KIND OF POINT TO THAT AS A
WIN AND SAY, HEY, WE CAN TALK
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 TO SAVE, ON AVERAGE,
$106 PER INCOME TAX FILER IN
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 OF
BILLS AIMED AT SUPPORTING THE
DAIRY INDUSTRY IN WISCONSIN.
THOSE TAX PROPOSALS HAD TO DO
WITH FARMERS DEDUCTING THEIR
HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS FROM
THEIR INCOME TAX BILLS AND A
LITTLE BIT OF A TWEAK TO
PROPERTY TAXES RELATED TO
AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGINGS ON
THEIR PROPERTY, SO A COUPLE
ELEMENTS TO A PACKAGE OF 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 VOTE ON ANY MORE BILLS
ANY SOMETIME IN MARCH.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE SENATE
WOULD BE EXPECTED TO ACTUALLY
PASS THAT 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 OF 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 TO 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 BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
STATE PROGRAM REGARDLESS OF
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 IS 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 VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE
CHANGES THAT THE ASSEMBLY MADE
AND SAID THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS
REALLY ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING
THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BACKLOG OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS LIKE WE'VE
HAD IN WISCONSIN IN THE PAST.
>> NOW ON,, THE ASSEMBLY SNUCK IN AN
AMENDED VERSION OF A BILL TO
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 CAUCUS
THAT REPUBLICANS HELD IN THE WEE
HOURS OF THE MORNING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SENATE
STANDS ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH
A NEW PROPOSAL.
IT'S CERTAINLY IN QUESTION
WHETHER THE SENATE WILL TAKE
THAT UP IN 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 BE REALLY INTERESTING
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