CONTROLLED JOINT FINANCE
COMMITTEE WRAPPED UP THEIR WORK
ON THE STATE BUDGET BY
INSERTING INCOME AND PROPERTY
TAX CUTS THAT ADD UP TO 3.4
BILLION.
IT HEADS TO THE ASSEMBLY AND
SENATE AND THEN THE DESK OF
GOVERNOR EVERS WHO ANNOUNCED
EARLIER THIS MONTH HE IS
RUNNING FOR A SECOND TERM IN
OFFICE.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM MADISON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
THANKS, ZAC, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
>> GOOD.
IN THE PAST INCUMBENT GOVERNORS
WAITED UNTIL THE BUDGET WAS
SIGNED TO ANNOUNCE.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE THE TIME WAS
RIGHT IN EARLY JUNE.
>> IT WAS AROUND THE ISSUE OF
THE BUDGET.
CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME THINGS
GOING ON WITH THE BUDGET THAT I
FELT AND PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT ME
FELT THAT WEREN'T PARTICULARLY
GOOD FOR OUR SCHOOLS OR OUR
HEALTHCARE OR FRANKLY EVEN OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE KNEW THAT I AM IN FOR
THE LONG HAUL AND I'M ALL IN
AND MY GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS
BUDGET AS GOOD A BUDGET AS
POSSIBLE.
SO IT WAS AROUND THE DIRECTION
OF THE BUDGET.
>> SPEAKING OF THE BUDGET.
JOINT FINANCE WRAPPED UP LAST
NIGHT AND THE LEGISLATURE COULD
MAKE CHANGES ON THE FLOOR NEXT
WEEK THERE WORK APPEARS TO BE
DONE.
WE INVITED REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP TO JOIN US TODAY AND
THEY DECLINED.
THE JOINT CHAIR SAID THIS.
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN DIFFICULT
FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND
BUSINESSES.
THIS MONEY WILL RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT INCOME, PROPERTY
AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX CUTS
TO PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED RELIEF.
NOW GOVERNOR, CONSIDERING WHAT
REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE WITH
TAXES AND EDUCATION SPENDING
ARE YOU STILL CONSIDERING A
VETO OF THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT?
>> IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.
I MEAN EVEN THOUGH JOINT
FINANCE COMMITTEE IS DONE WITH
THEIR WORK, FIRST OF ALL WE
HAVE TO GET THROUGH IT AND TAKE
A LOOK AT IT.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS OF IT.
ON THE FLOOR THERE IS ALWAYS
CHANGES.
THERE IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT
CHANGES THAT ARE MADE AND SO
I'M RELUCTANT TO SAY WHETHER I
WILL SIGN IT OR VETO IT OR VETO
PARTS OF IT.
BUT THAT DECISION MAKING GETS A
LOT OF TIME.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE EXACT
LANGUAGE IN ORDER TO FIGURE
THAT OUT.
CLEARLY I'M NOT EXCITED ABOUT
WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR SEVERAL
AREAS.
I WOULD SAY OUR EDUCATION
SYSTEM IN PARTICULAR IS PRETTY
WEAK.
THEIR RESPONSE TO FOLKS THAT
WORK IN K-12 OR HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTES I DON'T
THINK ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT WHAT
THEY'VE DONE.
THEY'VE SHOULDERED A GREAT DEAL
OF THE BURDEN DURING THIS
PANDEMIC ALSO.
>> IF YOU WERE TO VETO THE
WHOLE BUDGET REPUBLICANS AREN'T
LIKELY TO COME BACK AND TRY
AGAIN.
WOULD THE STATE BE BETTER OFF
UNDER THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR
THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND WOULD IT
IMPACT OUR SCHOOL'S ABILITY TO
CAPTURE SOME OF THE FEDERAL
COVID RELIEF FUNDS?
>> ALL THAT IS ON THE TABLE.
CLEARLY I WILL NEVER DO
ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THE
EDUCATION SYSTEM PERIOD.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR
STATE.
AND SO IF NEED BE, WE WILL SIGN
AND DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH
PARTIAL VETOES BUT AGAIN, IT IS
A WORK IN PROGRESS AND I AM
WAITING TO SEE A FINAL DOCUMENT.
THERE WILL BE CHANGES ON THE
FLOOR.
THERE ALWAYS IS.
PEOPLE LOOKING TO GET THEIR PET
PROJECT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
SO I'M REALLY RELUCTANT TO EVEN
CAPSULIZE WHAT THE BUDGET WILL
LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
>> THE WAY THE REPUBLICANS MET
-- WAS TO SEND MORE MONEY TO
SCHOOLS BUT REQUIRE TO LOWER
THE LEVY REDUCING PROPERTY
TAXES BUT DOESN'T CREATE NEW
FUNDING FOR EDUCATION.
I KNOW IN THE PAST YOU HAVE
SAID THAT IS SOMETHING YOU
WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM.
CAN YOUR LINE ITEM VETO
AUTHORITY IMPACT SOME OF THOSE
LEVY LIMITS IN THE WAY
EDUCATION FUNDING IS ALLOCATED?
>> YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR
COMPLAINTS I HAVE AS AN
EDUCATOR WHEN I WAS IN THE
FIELD AND THE PRESENT EDUCATORS
HAVE.
THE MONEY -- WHERE THEY PUT THE
MONEY DOESN'T COME DIRECTLY TO
THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
IT IS DONE THROUGH LOWER
PROPERTY TAXES.
IN ORDER FOR SCHOOLS TO CAPTURE
SOME MONEY THEY HAVE TO RAISE
TAXES AND THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS
WORK WELL.
THAT MONEY IS GOING TO -- I
UNDERSTAND TECHNICALLY THAT
MONEY IS NOT GOING DIRECTLY TO
SCHOOLS.
IT IS VIEWED AS SCHOOL AID BUT
A PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PLAIN AND
SIMPLE.
THAT DOES NOT HELP OUR SCHOOLS
THAT HAVE MORE MONEY FOR
SPECIAL EDUCATION, BEHAVIORAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES,
EITHER.
>> WHEN YOU FIRST RAN FOR
GOVERNOR YOU LAID OUT A FUMBER
OF PRIORITIES LIKE EXPANDING
MEDICAID THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE
REFUSED TO CONSIDER.
DO YOU THINK VOTERS WILL
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVEN'T
ACHIEVED THOSE GOALS?
>> THEY -- YES, THEY NO DARN
WELL SPEAKER VOS SAYS FROM THE
BEGINNING HE BELIEVES IT MAKES
PEOPLE MORE RELIANT AND
DEPENDENT ON -- HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND APPARENTLY THAT
PEOPLE REALLY DO NEED TO HAVE
ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE
HEALTHCARE.
IF THERE IS ANYBODY THAT HAS
QUESTIONS WHY WE DON'T HAVE
MEDICAID EXTENSIONS I'LL TELL
THEM THAT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL
YEARS.
WE WILL EVENTUALLY GET MEDICAID
IN THIS STATE BUT WE NEED FAIR
MAPS FOR SURE.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WILL
ABOUT.
THE PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN.
70% OF THE PEOPLE SUPPORTING ME.
REGARDLESS OF HIS INDIVIDUAL
BELIEFS, I KNOW THERE ARE
REPUBLICANS OUT THERE THAT WILL
SUPPORT MEDICAID EXPANSION.
>> WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A PREVIEW
OF WHAT REPUBLICANS VIEW AS
YOUR WEAKNESSES IN THIS NEXT
ELECTION.
ONE OF THOSE ISSUES IS THE
DELAY IN HANDLING UNEMPLOYMENT
CLAIMS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
YOUR ADMINISTRATION TALKED
ABOUT THE ANTIQUATED COMPUTER
SYSTEM.
DOES THE BUDGET PROPERLY
ADDRESS UPDATING THAT SYSTEM?
>> WELL, WE HAD SOME MONEY IN
THE BUDGET TO UPDATE THAT
SYSTEM AND CLEARLY WE'LL BE --
THEY SHUT DOWN MOST OF THAT.
WE'LL BE LOOKING TO FEDERAL
FUNDS AND OTHER MECHANISMS TO
MAKE SURE WE UPDATE THAT.
YES, ATTACKING THAT WHEN THEY
ARE THE ONES THAT WERE IN
OFFICE.
I WASN'T IN OFFICE WHEN THE
AUDIT BUREAU SAID YOU HAVE TO
FIX THIS THING.
THIS IS BIG TROUBLE.
BUT REGARDLESS, WE NEED TO MOVE
FORWARD.
WE WILL GET THIS THING FIXED IN
THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
WE ARE PUTTING OUT UPDATES FOR
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
IMPROVEMENT.
>> THE LAST TIME WISCONSIN
VOTERS ELECTED A GOVERNOR OF
THE SAME PARTY AS THE PRESIDENT
WAS 1990.
THAT TREND INCLUDES YOUR
ELECTION IN 2018.
DOES THE MID-TERM ENVIRONMENT
CONCERN YOU HEADING INTO 2022?
>> NOT AT ALL.
I KNOW THINGS ARE GOING WELL IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS DOING A
GREAT JOB.
I BELIEVE MORE THAN EVER THAT
THAT DOESN'T HOLD TRUE ANYMORE.
THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES THAT
FACE WISCONSIN DIRECTLY AND I
BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE IMMUNE
TO SOME OF THAT.
BUT I BELIEVE MY CHANCES OF
WINNING REELECTION ARE VERY
STRONG.
WE HAVE A GOOD RECORD.
A GOOD RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC
WITH THE LEGISLATURE OUT OF
TOWN FOR 300 DAYS.
WE ACTUALLY HAD CHANGES MADE
AND MADE SURE WE GOT SHOTS IN
ARMS AND GOT LOTS OF FEDERAL
MONEY.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET
OUT THE PEOPLE IN OUR TOURISM
INDUSTRIES AND FARMERS AND
SMALL BUSINESSES.
I THINK MY RECORD IS A GOOD ONE
AND I KNOW I WILL GET REELECTED.
>> WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.