YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> THIS FALL'S ELECTION SAW
REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE
GAIN ADDITIONAL SEATS IN BOTH
THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY.
BUT NOT ENOUGH TO OVERRIDE THE
VETO PEN OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS.
SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ SAT DOWN WITH DEVIN
LEMAHIEU THIS WEEK TO TALK ABOUT
HIS VISION FOR THE LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
>> REPUBLICAN SENATE MAJORITY
LEADER LEMAHIEU SENT A CLEAR AND
DIVIDED MESSAGE IN THE ELECTION.
>> VOTERS TRUST US BUT WE
LEARNED THAT WISCONSIN MAYBE
LIKES DIVIDED GOVERNMENT AS WELL
BY REELECTING TONY EVERS.
>> HE SAYS REPUBLICANS HELPED
EVERS WIN BY SENDING HIM TWO
FISCALLY CONSERVATIVES BUDGETS
TO SIGN.
>> UNFORTUNATELY FOR US IT
WORKED FOR HIM BUT WE'LL
CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS
IMPORTANT FOR STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> REPUBLICANS AND EVERS SAW
EACH OTHER AS ADVERSARIES OVER
THE LAST TWO YEARS SO THERE WAS
LITTLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THE
LEGISLATURE.
LEMAHIEU HOPES IT'S CHANGING.
>> OBVIOUSLY SOME PEOPLE IN THE
STATE WHO VOTED FOR REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATORS AND A DEMOCRAT FOR
GOVERNOR SO WE NEED TO TRY TO
WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOME
SOLUTIONS WHILE STILL MAKING
SURE WE'RE BEING RESPONSIBLE IN
OUR BUDGETING.
>> THE BUDGET WILL BE THE FIRST
BIG TEST OF WHETHER THE TWO
BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT CAN COME
TOGETHER.
THANKFULLY, WRITING A BUDGET
WHEN THE STATE HAS A PROJECTED
$6.6 BILLION SURPLUS IS A LOT
EASIER THAN WHEN THERE IS A
DEFICIT.
>> WE HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED
SURPLUS.
>> HE SAYS REPUBLICANS WILL
START WITH A GIANT TAX CUT.
>> WHEN THE STATE IS COLLECTING
6.6 BILLION MORE THAN THEY'RE
SPENDING, PEOPLE ARE BEING
OVERTAXED.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE PERMANENT TAX
RELIEF IN THAT SITUATION.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS SAYS HIS
PRIORITIES WILL INCLUDE MORE
MONEY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
REPUBLICANS AREN'T OPPOSED TO
THAT BUT HE HOPES TO NEGOTIATE
THE DOLLAR FIGURES WITH THE
GOVERNOR.
>> IF THE GOVERNOR IS WILLING TO
WORK WITH US AND NEGOTIATE I
THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SOME OF
THE THINGS HE WANTS TO
ACCOMPLISH WHILE STILL DOING
IMPORTANT TAX RELIEF, INVESTING
IN EDUCATION, EXPANDING SCHOOL
CHOICE.
>> THE NEXT COMPROMISE BETWEEN
SENATE REPUBLICANS AND THE
GOVERNOR IS OVER APPOINTMENTS.
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS
REPUBLICANS HAVE REFUSED TO HOLD
FINAL VOTES ON MULTIPLE
CABINET-LEVEL APPOINTMENTS TO
GOVERNING BODIES LIKE THE DNR
BOARD AND THE UW BOARD OF
REGENTS.
HE SAID EVERS PICKS WERE TOO
PARTISAN.
>> WE'VE SOME OF THE
APPOINTMENTS LATELY SEEM TO BE
MORE POLITICALLY CHARGED.
>> THE BIGGEST CONTROVERSY WAS
OR FRED PREHN WHO REFUSED TO
STEP DAB AFTER REPUBLICANS URGED
HIM TO STAY ON TO DENY EVERS'
NOMINEE THE MAJORITY.
THE CASE WENT TO THE WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT.
>> DO YOU EXPECT FRED PREHN TO
STAY ON THE DNR BOARD?
>> I'M NOT SURE.
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO HIM.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO
CONFIRM SOME OF THESE
APPOINTMENTS THEY NEED TO BE
PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED AND
SERIOUS FOR THESE POSITIONS AND
NOT JUST POLITICAL OPERATIVES
DOING THE WILL OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EXTREMISTS.
>> THE SESSION S