>> INDIFFERENCE IN THIS BUILDING
IS GETTING EXPENSIVE, FOLKS, AND
LET ME BE FRANK.
THE PEOPLE WHO BEAR THE BURDEN
OF INACTION ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY
NOT THE PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS
CHAMBER TONIGHT.
SO DON'T SIT HERE IN A WHITE
MARBLE BUILDING WITH STATE
COFFERS THAT ARE FULL AND TELL
WISCONSINITES WHO ARE WORKING
HARD EVERY DAY, WE CAN'T AFFORD
TO DO MORE.
>> WE'VE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT
IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS AND
BUSINESSES CAN BOTH THRIVE.
BUT DESPITE BEING IN BETTER
FINANCIAL SHAPE THAN MANY OTHER
STATES, WISCONSIN IS NOWHERE
NEAR WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
NEARLY EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF OUR
LIVES HAS DECLINED IN QUALITY
BECAUSE OF JOE BIDEN'S
DISASTROUS POLICIES AND TONY
EVERS' WEAK LEADERSHIP.
>> OUCH.
CAN YOU TELL IT'S AN ELECTION
YEAR?
IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE
ADDRESS THIS WEEK, GOVERNOR TONY
EVERS CHALLENGED REPUBLICAN
LEADERS TO TAKE UP HIS PLAN TO
GIVE CHECKS FROM THE STATE
SURPLUS TO EVERY TAX FILER.
HIS CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION,
MARCH 8, TO DO THAT IS SO FAR
NOT BEING MET WITH E ENTHUSIASMY
REPUBLICAN LEADERS WHO SLAMMED
HIS IDEA IN FAVOR OF THEIR OWN.
IT SEEMS LIKE A NICE ELECTION
YEAR PROBLEM TO HAVE, BUT LEAVE
TO FOLKS UNDER THE DOME TO MAKE
IT A POLITICAL FIGHT.
SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ IS AT THE CAPITOL NOW,
WHERE WE CHECK IN WITH HIM.
HEY, ZAC.
>> HELLO, FRED.
>> SO WHAT IS THIS TAX REFUND
FIGHT OVER?
>> WELL, IT'S REALLY WHAT TO DO
WITH THE SURPLUS IN AN ELECTION
YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY GOVERNOR EVERS HAS
LAID OUT HIS PLAN TO SEND SOME
OF IT BACK.
YOU MAY RECALL FOUR
YEARS AGO, GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER
SENT $100 PER CHILD HOME TO
TAXPAYERS IN AN ELECTION YEAR.
AT THE TIME, DEMOCRATS CALLED IT
A GI MIC.
WELL, HE HAD THE REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE ADVANCE IT SO IT
ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
THIS TIME AROUND REPUBLICANS ARE
CALLING IT A GIMMICK,
REPUBLICANS WOULD MUCH RATHER
SEE THAT SURPLUS STAY THERE IN
THE HOPES THAT THEY HAVE A
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WHO WILL
SIGN A MUCH MORE TAX
CUT-FRIENDLY BILL IN THE BUDGET
NEXT YEAR.
>> SO HERE'S WHAT SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER DEVIN LEMAHIEU
HAD TO SAY.ú>> ULTIMATELY, GOVES
ABANDONED HIS OWN UNREALISTIC
BUDGETS AND FOLLOWED OUR LEAD BY
SIGNING OUR RESPONSIBLE BUDGETS.
>> BUDGETS THAT INCLUDED TAX
CUTS, WHICH THEY SAY THAT EVERS
IS TAKING CREDIT FOR.
BUT HERE'S WHAT EVERS SAYS ABOUT
WHY HE WANTS TO CUT THESE CHECKS
NOW AND NOT WAIT FOR A TAX CUT
LATER.
>> IT WON'T HELP WISCONSINITES
PAY FOR CHILD CARE, HEATING
THEIR HOMES OR PUTTING FOOD ON
THEIR TABLE TODAY.
WISCONSINITES CANNOT WAIT.
>> SO THE GOVERNOR NOT ONLY
WANTS TO GIVE THE SURPLUS REFUND
TO FAMILIES BUT BEEF UP
EDUCATION FUNDING BY
$750 MILLION, WHICH HE SAYS
PRESERVES THIS FEDERAL FUNDING
TO WISCONSIN SCHOOLS, WHICH IS
AT RISK IF THE STATE DOESN'T
SPEND ENOUGH ON EDUCATION.
DOES THIS PUT THE OPPOSING
PARTY, REPUBLICANS, IN A BIND?
>> NOT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
THEY'RE PERFECTLY CONTENT TO LET
THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.
IF THERE'S ANY ISSUE BETWEEN THE
STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
OVER ANY OF THOSE FUNDS DOWN THE
ROAD, THEY WILL BLAME GOVERNOR
EVERS, JOE BIDEN IN WASHINGTON,
THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION IN MADISON.
THEY ARE JUST LOOKING TO GET
THROUGH THIS UNSCATHED AND GET
INTO THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
>> AS PART OF THE PLAN TO BOOST
EMPLOYMENT, THE GOVERNOR WOULD
INCREASE CHILD CARE TAX CREDITS.
MEANWHILE, THE ASSEMBLY JUST
THIS WEEK PASSED THESE MEASURES
TO GET AT THE NEED FOR WORKERS,
INCLUDING MOVING RULES TO GET
MORE PEOPLE OFF GOVERNMENT
PROGRAMS.
SO WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT KIND
OF THE DIVERGENCE IN APPROACH
HERE?
>> WELL, IT'S A PRETTY CLASSIC
LOOK OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE DIFFERENT
PARTIES AND HOW TO HANDLE THE
EXEE AND JOBS.
REPUBLICANS FOR YEARS HAVE SAID
WE NEED TO GET EVERYONE OFF
UNEMPLOYMENT, WE NEED TO GET
THEM INTO THE WORKFORCE, DOESN'T
MATTER WHAT JOB, JUST GET THEM
THERE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
ANY INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO
POSSIBLY STAY ON UNEMPLOYMENT
LONGER, TO LOOK FOR A JOB MORE
SUITED TO THEIR FIELD OR IN
THEIR PARTICULAR FAMILY
SITUATION, THAT'S NOT TO THEIR
LIKING.
WHEREAS DEMOCRATS ARE MUCH MORE
COMFORTABLE TRYING TO CREATE
INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD
CAREERS OFF UNEMPLOYMENT, AND
THEY POINT TO ACTUALLY A VERY
SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE
WORKFORCE THAT ARE ON
UNEMPLOYMENT RIGHT NOW, AND THE
FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
WORKERS, PERIOD, SO IT'S A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAT GOES
BACK A LONG WAY ON HOW TO
APPROACH JOBS IN THE ECONOMY.
>> MEANWHILE, REPUBLICANS CHIDE
EVERS FOR GIVING OUT FEDERAL
COVID FUNDS, CALLING THE MONEY
FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS BORROWS
AGAINST OUR KIDS' FUTURES BUT
THEY ALSO COMPLAIN HE HASN'T
GIVEN IT OUT FAST ENOUGH.
IT'S LIKE HE CAN'T WIN FOR
TRYING HERE?
>> IT'S MORE POLITICS,
FREDERICA.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY
OF THIS MONEY.
IT WASN'T TOO LONG AGO THAT
REPUBLICANS WERE TRYING TO MAKE
EVERY DOLLAR THE GOVERNOR WANTED
TO GIVE OUT HAVE TO GO THROUGH
THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE,
WHICH THEY CONTROLLED.
AND IN THAT SCENARIO, IT SEEMS
MUCH MORE LIKELY THAT MONEY
WOULD HAVE BEEN SLOWED DOWN IF
NOT STOPPED ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE
AT THE TIME, REPUBLICANS WERE
STILL HOPING THEY COULD HAVE A
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SPENDING
THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE THE FUNDS
ARE STILL GOOD FOR A COUPLE MORE
YEARS.
THEY'D BEEN FRUSTRATED AT THE
GOVERNOR'S CHOICES AT EVERY STEP
ALONG THE PROCESS.
THEY PASSED A LOT OF BILLS
DIRECTING HIM TO DO THIS OR
THAT, AND HE'S VETOED ALL OF
THEM BECAUSE HE'S MAINTAINED
SOLE AUTHORITY ON WHERE TO PUT
THESE DOLLARS AND HE'S STILL
DOLLING THEM OUT RIGHT UP
THROUGH THE ELECTION SEASON INTO
AREAS THAT HE THINKS ARE
CRITICAL FOR WISCONSIN'S
ECONOMY.
>> SO OVERALL, AS AN ELECTION
YEAR ADDRESS, HOW DID THIS ONE
FARE?
>> IT'S PRETTY STANDARD.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE
INCUMBENT GOVERNOR CHEERLEAD AND
TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING GREAT.
THAT'S WHAT THE STATE OF THE
STATE ADDRESS IS.
AND YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO SEE
THE OPPOSITE PARTY SAY YOU
DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS
THAT REALLY MATTER, ALL THE
THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO HYPE UP.
ELECTION YEARS DON'T HAVE MUCH
MEAT ON THE BONE AT THE CAPITOL
WHEN IT COMES TO LEGISLATION.
THE SESSION IS ALMOST DONE,
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE MUCH DONE
IN THAT SENSE, SO THIS STATE OF
THE STATE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT
THE NEXT ELECTION.
>> AND WE'RE COMING IN TO THE
NEXT ELECTION.
SO ZAC SCHULTZ, THANKS VER
MUCH.
THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US FROM
THE CAPITOL.