MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> CONTINUING OUR SERIES WITH
STATE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER ZAC
SCHULTZ SPOKE WITH ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER GRETA NEUBAUER
LOOKING BACK AT 2023, AND WHAT SHE EXPECTS IN THE YEAR TO COME.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT 2023 AND THE YEAR THAT WAS IN THE
LEGISLATURE, WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS BUILDING? >> IT BEEN A VERY
FULL YEAR. OF COURSE, A TOP PRIORITY FOR
OUR CAUCUS IS UPHOLDING GOVERNOR EVERS' VETO.
THE STATE ASSEMBLY HOLDS THAT ABILITY BY JUST TWO SEATS.
AND SO IT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO PREVENT REPUBLICANS FROM MOVING FORWARD RIGHT WING AGENDA
THAT'S REALLY OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKED HARD TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO PASS BILLS
WHERE POSSIBLE AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE HAD EXTENSIVE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SHARED REVENUE AND THE MILWAUKEE
BREWERS AND SO MANY OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES.
AND THEN THERE HAS BEEN SOME GOOD BILLS THAT HAVE GOTTEN DONE
ON HOUSING AND A NUMBER OF OTHER BIPARTISAN PRIORITIES.
WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE LONG TERM AND KNOW THAT THIS BODY IS
NOT DOING WHAT THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN NEED FOR US TO PROVIDE
FOR WORKING FAMILIES, FOR US TO MAKE WISCONSIN A PLACE WHERE
EVERYONE CAN THRIVE. SO WE CONTINUE THAT WORK INTO
THE COMING YEAR. >> ONE OF THE OTHER BIG THINGS
FROM 2023 WAS THE SUPREME COURT ELECTION AND THE CHANGING OF THE
WABALANCE OF POWER THERE. DOES THAT GIVE YOU HOPE FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE ASSEMBLY, ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING THE REDISTRICTING CASE? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE ARE SEEING A CASE MOVE FORWARD IN THE ARE SUBCONTRACT
SUPREME COURTRIGHT NOW CHALLENGG WISCONSIN'S GERRYMANDERED
LEGISLATIVE MAPS. PEOPLE AROUND WISCONSIN
UNDERSTAND WHEN ABOUT 50% OF THE VOTES GO TO DEMOCRATS AND THAT
RESULTS IN A THIRD ROUGHLY OF THE SEATS IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY
AND STATE SENATE, SOMETHING IS WRONG.
WISCONSIN IS CLASSIFIED AS A DEMOCRACY DESERT, AND THAT MEANS
THAT THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN'S PRIORITIES ARE JUST NOT
REFLECTED IN THE BILLS THAT MOVE THROUGH THIS BODY.
SO WE ARE, OF COURSE, HOPEFUL THAT THERE WILL BE FAIR MAPS
THAT ALLOW FOR REALLY COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS IN A BUNCH
OF SEATS IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY AND THE STATE SENATE NEXT YEAR,
AND THINK THAT THAT WILL MEAN THAT THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN ARE
BETTER REPRESENTED IN THIS BUILDING. >> ARE YOU ALREA
DY STARTING TO RECRUIT CANDIDATES?
ARE YOU HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO MAY BE MORE INTERESTED WITH THE
IDEA OF A DIFFERENT LOOKING DISTRICT THAN IN YEARS PAST?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A BIG PART OF MY JOB,
TALKING TO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES, CALLING FOLKS AND GETTING CALLS
FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE NEXT
ELECTION CYCLE. THEY KNOW THAT IT COULD BE A
YEAR IN WHICH DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING FOR THE MAJORITY, AND
THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THAT. SO I'VE HAD FANTASTIC
CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS FROM ACROSS THE STATE WHO ARE READY
TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. >> WHAT KIND OF A SHIFT IS THAT
WHEN YOU'VE GONE FROM PROTECT THE VETO TO WE MAY HAVE A SHOT
AT THE MAJORITY? >> YEAH, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I FEEL LIKE I'M SHIFTING EVERY DAY.
SO LAST CYCLE, WE WERE VERY FOCUSED ON PROTECTING OUR
INCUMBENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE ASSEMBLY HELD THE GOVERNOR'S
VETO POWER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SENATE, YOU
KNOW, IS A REPUBLICAN SUPERMAJORITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FOCUSED ON BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN A LOT OF SEATS.
THE REALITY OF THE GERRYMANDERED MAPS IS THAT THERE HAVE ONLY
BEEN A FEW SEATS THAT ARE TRULY COMPETITIVE IN THE LAST DECADE.
AND SO NOW WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A SITUATION IN WHICH WE HAVE
A DOZEN, TWO DOZEN SEATS THAT ARE REALLY ON THE MARGINS, AND
THAT BOTH, OF COURSE, CHANGES WHAT ELECTION SEASON LOOKS LIKE
FOR US, BUT IT ALSO CHANGES WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING,
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE VERY FEW LEGISLATORS SITTING IN
THIS BUILDING WHO ACTUALLY FEEL THAT THEY COULD LOSE THEIR SEATS
AND WHO FEEL THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO ADJUST AND LISTEN TO
THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND DO WHAT THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN HAVE
ASKED THEM TO DO, SUPPORTING POLICIES LIKE MEDICAID
EXPANSION, LIKE GUN SAFETY, LIKE MAKING APPROPRIATE INVESTMENTS
IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND SO I HOPE THAT FAIR MAPS
WILL CHANGE WHAT GOVERNANCE LOOKS LIKE IN THIS BODY, AND
THEN OF COURSE WE HOPE TO PICK UP A WHOLE LOT OF SEATS NEXT
YEAR AND BE IN A POSITION TO FIGHT FOR THE MAJORITY IF
THEY'RE FAIR MAPS. >> ONE OF THE BIG THINGS COMING
TO WISCONSIN NEXT YEAR IS THE RNC CONVENTION IN MILWAUKEE.
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL HAVE AN ELECTORAL IMPACT IN THE FALL, OR
IS IT STRICTLY A TOURISM THING IN THE SUMMER?
>> IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. OF COURSE, PARTIES CHOOSE WHERE
THEY HAVE THEIR CONVENTIONS INTENTIONALLY.
THANKFULLY WE'LL HAVE A CONVENTION NOT TOO FAR AWAY, IN
ILLINOIS, AND I KNOW MANY OF US WILL BE GOING OVER TO VISIT AND
FEEL THE ENERGY GOING INTO THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO COMMUNICATE THE WINS THAT
WISCONSINITES HAVE BECAUSE OF JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS
BEING IN OFFICE, AND I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR MY OWN DISTRICT.
WE HAVE EXPANDED BROADBAND ACCESS TO THE AFFORDABLE
CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM. THERE'S A COMMUNITY HEALTH
CLINIC MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE OF POLICIES PASSED BY THIS
ADMINISTRATION. OF COURSE TH E INFLATION
REDUCTION ACT, HAVING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN WISCONSIN.
SO A CONVENTION IS ALL GOOD AND WELL, IT'S FUN FOR THE BASE, FOR
THE ACTIVIST, BUT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE EXEUN KATE
WHAT THE CANDIDATE STAND FOR, RIGHT, AND THE IMPACT OF HAVING
THEM IN OFFICE, WHAT IT MEANS FOR PEOPLE'S REAL LIVES, THEIR
DAY TO DAY, AND WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT FROM THE BIDEN-HARRIS
ADMINISTRATION. >> DO YOU WA NT TO SEE DONALD
TRUMP AS THE G.O.P. NOMINEE? >> OH, THAT'S PLAYING WITH FIRE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT IN PRESIDENT
BIDEN AGAIN. I THINK THERE'S JUST BEEN SO
MUCH GOOD WORK THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT GOING INTO NEXT YEAR,
AND WE KNOW, OF COURSE, THAT DONALD TRUMP IS WILDLY OUT OF
TOUCH WITH THE REALITIES FACING WISCONSINITES.
I THINK THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE OTHER PRIMARY CANDIDATES.
SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHOEVER COMES THROUGH WILL BE
READY, AND I THINK WE'RE EXCITED READY, AND I THINK WE'RE EXCITED