>> A FIRST LOOK TONIGHT AT HOW
MIDWEEK GOVERNOR TONY EVERS
SHOWS HOW HE MADE 78 VETOES TO
THE STATE BUDGET, INCLUDING
ACTION THAT INCREASES SCHOOL
SPENDING BY $65 MILLION, SAYING
HE OBJECTS TO THE UNDERFUNDING
OF WISCONSIN'S PUBLIC SCHOOL
CHILDREN BUT SAYING EVEN HIS
HIKES DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
HE SAYS TD THE PLAN IS A DOWN
PAYMENT ON WHAT HE CALLS THE
PEOPLE'S BUDGET.
HE COULD HAVE VETOED THE ENTIRE
THING, BUT SAYS THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN MORE OF THE SAME
DIVISIVENESS AND PETTY POLITICS.
FOR THEIR PARTS, REPUBLICAN
LEADERS DESCRIBE THE VETOES AS
MINIMUM, A REFLECTION OF A GOOD
REPUBLICAN-CRAFTED BUDGET.
- >> TODAY I AM SIGNING A MUCH
BETTER VERSION OF THE
LEGISLATURE'S BUDGET, WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE
NOWHERE NEAR WHERE WE SHOULD BE
AND THERE'S LOTS MORE WORK WE
NEED TO DO.
WE WORKED HARD TO MAKE THIS
BUDGET MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE
AND THAT INCLUDES ADDING A
RECORD NEARLY $300 MILLION TO
OUR STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND.
THE BILLS WE WILL SIGN TODAY
DELIVER ON MY CAMPAIGN PROMISE
TO DELIVER A 10% TAX CUT FOR
WORKING FAMILIES, INCLUDING $500
MILLION IN OVERALL TAX CUTS
TARGETED TO WORKING MIDDLE CLASS
PEOPLE IN OUR STATE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THE BUDGET TARGETS STATE
INVESTMENTS MORE RESPONSIBLY AND
SPENDS $2 BILLION LESS THAN THE
GOVERNOR'S ORIGINAL PLAN.
I'M RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT
SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE
WILL KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE
AVAILABLE TO THEM AS THEY BEGIN
PUTTING THEIR BUDGETS TOGETHER
FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR,
INCLUDING A MASSIVE INCREASE IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING.
>> WPR CAPITOL BUREAU REPORTER
LAUREL WHITE HAS COVERED THE
BUDGET FROM START TO FINISH AND
SHOW JOINS US NOW WITH DETAILS.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> FIRST OUT OF THE GATES, WHAT
WILL THE EVERS' VETO BOOST MEAN
TO SCHOOLS?
>> IT'S ABOUT $63 PER PUPILS IN
THE NEXT TWO YEARS OF THE STATE
BUDGET, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT
MORE THAN EVEN THE WISCONSIN
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS
ASKED FOR EARLIER THIS WEEK.
THEY WANTED $25 MORE.
THEY SAID THAT WOULD HELP THEM
MEET THE RISING COST OF
INFLATION.
SO THE GOVERNOR WENT ABOVE AND
BEYOND FOR THEM.
>> WE HEARD MAJORITY LEADER
FITZGERALD APPLAUD THE CERTAINTY
FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ALMOST
LIKE HE WAS GLAD THE GOVERNOR
MADE THESE HIKES.
>> YES.
SO PART OF THE CONVERSATION
ABOUT POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE
STATE BUDGET OR OVERALL VETO WAS
PUSHING NEGOTIATIONS INTO THE
FALL.
AND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT
ARE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AREN'T
GOING TO KNOW WHAT MONEY THEY
HAVE, SO THE GOVERNOR TAKING THE
ACTION HE DID TODAY SET UP THAT
CERTAINTY AND I THINK THAT'S
WHAT FITZGERALD WAS NODDING TO.
>> AND EVEN THOUGH THE GOVERNOR
INCREASED THAT SPENDING TO K-12
EVEN ABOVE WHAT THE SCHOOL
BOARDS WANTED, HE STILL CALLS
HIS INCREASES INSUFFICIENT AND
CONTINUES, AS YOU KNOW, TO CALL
FOR WISCONSIN TO EXPAND MEDICAID
AND HE WANTS TO GAS TAX.
IN FACT, HE MADE A POINTED VETO
IN THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET
AGAINST A STUDY ON TOLLING,
SAYING THAT ACTUALLY THAT STUDY
WOULD SIMPLY SHOW A TAX GAS IS
WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR FUNDING
FOR TRANSPORTATION.
WHAT ELSE DID THE GOVERNOR DO ON
TRANSPORTATION IN HIS VETOES?
>> SO THIS IS ONE THAT FOLKS
MIGHT REMEMBER KIND OF COMING UP
LATE IN BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS LAST
WEEK.
THERE WAS A PROVISION THAT WOULD
HAVE ALLOWED TEST TESLA VEHICLES TO
BE SOLD DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS
OUT A CAR DEALER.
THAT WAS PEGGED TO ONE
REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR WHO
MIGHT HAVE BEEN IFFY IN HIS VOTE
ON THE BUDGET.
THE GOVERNOR CLEARLY WASN'T
HAPPY WITH THAT ADDITION TO THE
BUDGET.
HE VETOED THAT.
HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T THINK
THAT SORT OF POLICY CHANGE
SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET
WITHOUT MORE KIND OF DEBATE AND
DELIBERATION.
>> SO I WONDER WHAT THE SENATOR
THINKS ABOUT THAT, HAVING BEEN
OFFERED THAT, AMONG SOME OTHER
THINGS FOR HIS YES VOTE TO PUSH
THIS BUDGET THROUGH.
>> RIGHT.
>> SO ON THE WORK REQUIREMENTS
FOR FOODSHARE, THIS IS ANOTHER
AREA THAT THE GOVERNOR TOOK OUT
HIS VETO PEN ON.
HE CUT FUNDING FOR BASICALLY THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THAT PROGRAM,
PRESUMABLY MEANING THAT THE
ABILITY TO ENFORCE THAT PROGRAM,
THE PROVISIONS OF THAT, WOULD BE
STYMIED.
SPEAKER VOS TO THAT KIND OF
THING AND THAT VETO SAID, QUOTE,
GOVERNOR EVERS SEEMS INTENT ON
TRAPPING PEOPLE ON WELFARE.
HE SEEMS DECIDEDLY MORE UNHAPPY
WITH THIS BUDGET THAN SENATOR
FITZGERALD.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK SPEAKER VOS REALLY CAME
OUT WITH KIND OF AN AGGRESSIVE
AND POINTED COMMENT ON THAT
PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF THE
GOVERNOR'S VETOES.
YOU KNOW, HE ZEROED IN ON THAT
OF THE 78 VETOES AND REALLY
EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN.
NOW, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO
NOTE THAT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
SAID THAT THIS WON'T COMPLETELY
STYMIE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE
WORK REQUIREMENTS.
THERE WILL BE SOME STILL IN
PLACE.
IT TAKES AWAY MORE THAN $20
MILLION FROM IMPLEMENTING THOSE.
SPEAKER VOS IS CONCERNED.
ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE REPUBLICAN
THAT'S CONCERNED, REPRESENTATIVE
JOHN NYGREN, WHO CO-CHAIRS THE
STATE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
>> AND SPEAKER VOS IS ONE THAT
HAS REPEATEDLY CALLED THE
EXPANSION OF MEDICAID THE
EXPANSION OF WELFARE.
SO THIS IS A PLACE WHERE HE, AS
YOU SAY, IS KIND OF FOCUSING
SOME OF HIS ATTENTION.
NOW, ALL THE DEMOCRATS IN THE
LEGISLATURE VOTED AGAINST THE
BUDGET, WHICH WAS, AGAIN, SIGNED
TODAY.
SCOTT FITZGERALD TWEETED, QUOTE,
I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY NO
VOTES LINED UP AT A PODIUM FOR A
BILL SIGNING BEFORE.
IS THERE ANY LINGERING SENSE
AMONG ANY LEGISLATORS OR OTHERS
THAT GOVERNOR EVERS SHOULD HAVE
VETOED THE WHOLE THING?
>> I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T HEARD
THAT SINCE THE GOVERNOR RELEASED
HIS VETO MESSAGE.
I THINK DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ARE
REALLY MORE IN THE CAMP NOW OF
SAYING LOOK AT WHAT WE WERE ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE WE HAVE A
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.
THEY'RE SORT OF FRAMING THIS AS
THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR MOVING
THE NEEDLE ON THE
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
LEGISLATURE AND GETTING
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS TO APPROVE
MORE FUNDING, DIFFERENT FUNDING
FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, FOCUSING
ON AN INCOME TAX CUT ON
LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, THINGS
LIKE THAT.
>> DOES THE REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE HAVE THE TWO-THIRDS
VOTES NEEDED TO OVERRIDE ANY OF
THESE VETOES?
>> NO, THEY DON'T.
WE KNOW THAT REPUBLICANS
OBVIOUSLY HAVE LARGE MAJORITIES,
PARTICULARLY IN THE ASSEMBLY,
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE
TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO OVERRIDE
THESE UNLESS DEMOCRATS COME
ONBOARD.
>> YEAH.
SO I KNOW THAT GOVERNOR EVERS
WAS SPEAKING TO THIS BEING AGAIN
KIND OF AN INSUFFICIENT BUDGET
IN HIS MIND AND LOOKING TOWARD
SEPTEMBER, LOOKING TOWARD HIS
NEXT PRIORITIES.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE?
>> SOME GOVERNOR EVERS IS
ALREADY TALKING ABOUT
REINTRODUCING THE MEDICAID
EXPANSION AS STAND-ALONE
LEGISLATION.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT WOULD FACE A
REALLY STEEP CLIMB IN THE
LEGISLATURE.
HE'S ALSO TALKING ABOUT A
NONPARTISAN REDISTRICTING
COMMISSION IN WISCONSIN.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S PARTICULARLY
TIMELY BECAUSE OF THE SUPREME
COURT DECISION LAST WEEK.
HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO PUSH
REALLY HARD FOR THAT.
AND HE ALSO MENTIONED MEDICAL
MARIJUANA.
THAT IS SOMETHING HE INCLUDED AS
WELL AS DECRIMINALIZING SMALL
AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA.
SPEAKER VOS HAS SAID HE MIGHT BE
OPEN TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN
WISCONSIN.
SO I'M EXPECTING THAT TO BE A
BIG DEBATE IN THE FALL.
>> SO MEDICAL MARIJUANA MIGHT BE
A GO BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT
EXPANDED MEDICAID WOULD NOT OR
REDISTRICTING.
>> PROBABLY NOT.
I THINK THOSE FACE TOUGHER ODDS.
>>