THE CASE, SAYS HE PLANS TO APPEAL.
>>> IN OTHER NEWS, AS PART OF OUR END-OF-YEAR INTERVIEWS WITH
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC SCHULTZ,
TALKED WITH REPUBLICAN SENATE DISWRMAJORITY LEADER DEVIN
LeMAHIEU. >> GIVE ME YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON
THE LAST YEAR STARTING WITH THE BUDGET, THE BIG BILL OF THE
YEAR. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT
EVERYTHING'S UNFOLDED FOUAD. >> I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD
THINGS DONE THIS LAST YEAR IN 2023.
THE SHARED REVENUE BILL FOR LOCAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT,
SCHOOL FUNDING, SCHOOL CHOICE EXPANSION, A BUDGET THAT COULD
HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE GOVERNOR WOULDN'T HAVE ISSUED A COUPLE OF
VETOES, BUT -- AND THEN THIS FALL, PASSING -- YOU KNOW,
KEEPING THE BREWERS AROUND FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS AND WE GOT A
LOT OF GOOD BILLS DONE. >> A YEAR AGO, THERE WAS A LOT
OF TALK ABOUT A RESET WITH THE GOVERNOR. THERE HAVE BEEN SO
ME GOOD MOMENTS WITH THE GOVERNOR, WE
JUST TALKED ABOUT. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER
MOMENTS WHERE THE SENATE AS REJECT SOME OF HIS APPOINTMENTS,
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER CONTROVERSIES. HOW DO YOU FEE
L YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW? >> SINCE THE BUDGET, WE HAVEN'T
COMMUNICATED A WHOLE LOT, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT I GUESS
WORKED SOMEWHAT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON THE BREWERS
BILL TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND
OBVIOUSLY HE REALLY WANTED TO GET IT DONE, BUT IT'S
UNFORTUNATE HE KEEPS VETOING TAX CUTS WHEN WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE
SURPLUS OF TAXPAYER MONEY THAT WE COULD BE GIVING IT BACK TO
THEM. >> SPEAKING OF THE TAX CUTS THAT
HAVE BEEN PASSED AND VETOED TWICE, YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR ON OTHER ISSUES. IS THERE ANY ROOM TO
SIT DOWN TOE TABLE AND FIND COMPROMISE ON
WHAT HE MIGHT BE WILLING TO SIGN? >> I DON'T EVEN -- I M
EAN, IF IT'S SOME WISH LIST OF HIS, LIKE
THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE, IT'S NOT WORTH DOING A TAX CUT
BUT HE WAS FOR REDUCING THAT TAX BRACKET IN THE -- BEFORE HE RAN
FOR RE-ELECTION, AND AS YOU SAID, AS PART OF HIS RE-ELECTION
TACTICS, NOW APPARENTLY IT'S NO, WHICH STARTS AT 24,000 WHEN YOU
FILE INDIVIDUALLY, THAT TAX RATE, AND 36,000 MARRIED FILING
JOINTLY. SO IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT
HE SORT OF FLIPPED HIS IDEA OF THAT BEING OF GOOD WAY TO REDUCE
TAXES IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AHEAD TO THE
NEXT YEAR, WHAT BILLS ARE A PRIORITY FOR YOU?
>> I THINK THERE'S TWO BILLS THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET DONE
YET VERSUS THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO ALLOW WISCONSIN
COMPANIES THE RIGHT TO BUILD NEW TRANSMISSION LINES FIRST, KEEP
THAT WORK DONE HERE IN WISCONSIN, IS GOING TO SAVE RATE
PAYERS MONEY, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT DONE.
THEN THERE'S ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING BILL THAT WAS JUST
INTRODUCED. I THINK THAT BIL L WILL BE VITAL
TO EXPAND CHARGING STATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AS
THERE ARE MORE AND MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES. >> IN TERMS OF E
LECTION BILLS, ARE THERE ANY BILLS OUT THERE
THAT YOU THINK THE GOVERNOR WILL SIGN SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE
EARLY COUNTING BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN THE PAST?
>> WELL, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I ACTUALLY AUTHORED THAT BILL A
COUPLE OF SESSIONS AGO, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT BILL IS AT THE
SENATE RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL MOVE OR
NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME
OF THE BIGGER CITIES ACTUALLY GET THEIR VOTES COUNTED ON TIME.
>> WHAT ARE THE OTHER BIG THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR,
OBVIOUSLY, WAS THE SUPREME COURT ELECTION AND A SHIFT IN THE
BALANCE AND POWER THERE. HOW MUCH DOES THAT WEIGH ON YOUR
CAUCUS WHEN IT COMES TO EITHER THE BILLS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING
OR OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AHEAD TO POSSIBLE NEW MAPS NEXT YEAR?
>> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN IN OUR CAUCUS, AND
AMONGST MYSELF THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE FOR
ME FOR EIGHT YEARS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND
LONGER, FOR THE LAST DECADE, 12 YEARS, ALL OF THE REFORMS THAT
WE'VE PASSED COULD BE UNDONE BY, DEPENDING ON HOW ACTIVIST THIS
COURT ACTUALLY BECOMES, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S EARLY ON, BUT YOU CAN
TELL THE FIRST THING THAT THEY DID WAS CHALLENGE OUR MAPS, THAT
SHE WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE, SO THAT'S -- IT'S REALLY
UNFORTUNATE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S LAWSUIT
TRYING TO -- SUING US, OUR JOINT COMMITTEES, THAT WE HAVE TWO
BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT TRYING TO BOX OUT THE LEGISLATIVE BRONCHO.
WE'RE COEQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO GETTING BILLS DONE. >> ONE OF THE BIG THINGS NEXT
YEAR IS THE CONVENTION COMING TO MILWAUKEE. WHAT DO YOU THINK
THAT IMPACT WILL BE FOR THE REST OF THE
STATE ALL THE WAY IN THE FALL? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WILL BE
GOOD -- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT IF WE HAD THE DNC CONVENTION IN
2020, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT MILWAUKEE AND THE GREAT STATE
THAT WE ARE. IT WILL BE EXCITING TO HAVE ALL
OF THE CAMERAS ON ON THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE AND HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD
STATE OF WISCONSIN. >> BUT AS FAR AS AN ELECTORAL
BOOST, YOU THINK THAT CAN CHANGE MINDS IN MILWAUKEE, THE SUBURBS,
OR INITIALS IN THE STATE? >> I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WILL
HAPPEN. IT'S GOING TO BE U P TO WHOEVER
THE NOMINEE IS TO DO THAT. WE'LL BE WORKING HARD TOE
GRASSROOTS REVEL IN THE SENATE. I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY
SUCCESSFUL FINDING -- THIS LAST SESSION, WE HAD A LOT OF OPEN
SEATS THAT WERE CLOSE AND WE FOUND GOOD CANDIDATES AND -- WHO
CONNECTED WITH THEIR DISTRICTS AND THAT'S HOW WE PICKED UP A
SEAT AND GOT TO A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY. IT WILL BE MY JOB
TO HELP FIND A GOOD QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IF WE
HAVE NEW MAPS OR IF SOME OF OUR MEMBERS DECIDE NOT TO RUN AGAIN.
BUT I THINK A LOT, IF THINGS -- JUST THE EVEN SET DISTRICTS ARE
UP, I THINK A LOT OF THOSE SENATORS WILL PROBABLY RUN
AGAIN. BUT WE'LL SEE.
>> DO YOU HOPE THAT DONALD TRUMP IS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE?
>> I'LL LET THE VOTERS DECIDE ON THAT.
I'M A BIG FAN OF NIKKI HALEY. I THINK SHE WOULD BE A NICE
CONTRAST TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, BUT THAT'S FOR THE VOTERS TO DECIDE.