My question for
you guys today is,
how do you think
the ongoing
political polarization
in Wisconsin affects
the state's ability to pass
bipartisan legislation?
Where would you begin
to answer Riley here.
Last semester
and then hope
that their time
doesn't run out
before summer starts?
This is a huge question.
It's a good question, Riley.
The first thing to do
is define is
what is bipartisan?
Because technically,
one Democrat joined
the Republicans.
It's a bipartisan bill,
even if all the rest of them
oppose it.
So we can really stretch
that definition.
And, Shawn, you remember back,
you know, 20 years ago
under Jim Doyle,
at the end of the year
interviews, we'd talk about,
like the controversy
in the Capitol and say
90% of the bills
we pass are bipartisan.
And those
statistics are true.
Most of those bills
are really minor.
Some technical adjustments.
Some of those really aren't
controversial at all.
So they are
overwhelmingly bipartisan.
But the ones that
get our attention,
the ones that we track
and we follow,
are very contentious.
I think the one thing
that I would like to impart
upon people who feel like
you look around
the politics today,
and it feels
extremely polarized.
I think that, yes,
some Democrats
and some Republicans
legitimately hate
the other party and,
in no uncertain terms.
I think the
Wisconsin legislature
has a lot of moments,
though, of actual
bipartisanship.
Yeah, the legislature passes
a lot of bills
that are incremental.
And we
don't write about them.
We don't talk
about them as much,
but they're there.
They do pass a lot of stuff
that is not
a knock down, drag out fight.