WPT Governor's Budget Address    	February 28, 2019.

[Introduction of distinguished guests]

- Welcome to Wisconsin Public Broadcasting live coverage of the 2019 Wisconsin state budget address, from the capitol in Madison. 

- in a few moments, Governor Tony Evers will make his way into the Assembly chambers and address the full legislature, cabinet and people of Wisconsin. 

- Good evening. I'm Zac Schultz from Wisconsin Public Television. 

- I’m Shawn Johnson from Wisconsin public radio. We are about to hear Tony Evers' first budget address. 

- Now, we expect the Governor to set the stage for his budget proposals by playing an individual from his budget tour with Mandela Barnes and we're expecting the Governor to be able to enter the chamber quickly. I believe here we have the intro. 

- The honorable Tony Evers! 
[Cheers and applause]

- Assembly sergeant at arms introducing Governor Tony Evers who is now making his way into the Assembly chambers. Joined by lawmakers from both parties as he goes right down the middle of the Assembly chamber shaking hands on both sides there. You're going to see one of the sides of the aisle applauding a lot more than the other tonight. There's a lot in here that democrats are going to be happy about and a lot the republicans have already said they don't    like. They're going to find out more tonight they're skittish about. 

- We should expect Tony Evers to start his speech trying to reach to that other side of the aisle and play to the middle, trying to find things that they have in common as he has maintained since his inauguration. One of the big numbers is going to be about transportation, how much money is he going to want and where is it going to come from. 

- We heard that he was open to all options when it comes to funding transportation, kind of left people guessing a little bit. Since he became Governor he's been saying the same things. He's open to something, hasn't quite said what. He is going to call for new revenue for transportation, a step the state hasn't taken since about 2016. The question now is whether he's got the votes in this legislature to pass it, a legislature that's still dominated by republicans. 

- And republicans have been calling-
- some of these ideas came out of a republican study group. However they never tried to put them into law. They looked at the ideas, but never put in a gas tax, any increased vehicle fees in some places. So we'll hear him address as he's shaking hands right now with the other constitutional officers and about to reach the podium. Shaking hands with the other    3 constitutional members. 

- Republican leaders of the legislature will be sitting behind the Governor tonight. You might watch their reaction to the speech, will give us clues to what they're thinking about. 

- And here's Governor Evers. 

- Thank you. Thank you.

[Applause]

- At this time, it is my honor to introduce the Governor of the great state of Wisconsin, the honorable Tony Evers. 
[Cheers and applause]
 On 

- Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

- And the good news is I hit the speaker button this time. Good evening, everybody. Honorable Supreme Court justice, thank you very much for being here. Tribal nation leaders, constitutional officers, major Dunbar and members of the Wisconsin national guard, as well as active and reserve members of our armed forces, cabinet members, senate president Roth, majority leader Fitzgerald, minority leader shilling, speaker vows and minority leader hints and most importantly the people of Wisconsin and thank you for being here this evening. Appreciate that.

[Applause]

- My favorite pickleball player, Kathy, is also right up there in the gallery tonight. Thank you, Kathy, always for your love and support.
[Cheers and applause] 

- Before we get started, I also want to mention someone who's with us in the gallery tonight. All of you know I talk a lot about connecting the dots. Well, Karen is an operator for the Milwaukee county transit system. She literally makes connections every day. While on her route one day, Karen noticed a boy alone freezing cold. She pulled over to make sure he was okay, but noticed the boy wasn't wearing any socks or shoes. So Karen brought the boy onto her bus and kept him safe and warm while she called for help. Folks like Karen embody our Wisconsin values, like kindness, compassion, empathy and respect. Karen, thank you for joining us tonight and for your exceptional work.

[Cheers and applause]

- After introducing you to Karen, I’m humbled to introduce myself, but I’m Tony Evers, and I’m incredibly proud to be here as the 46th Governor of Wisconsin announcing my first biennial budget for our state.

[Cheers and applause]

- You know, I guess you might say I’ve spent some time in education, give or take for a handful of years, and one of the most important lessons I took away from my time in the classroom is you learn more from listening than you ever do from talking. So after Mandela and I were elected, we decided to we wanted to do a listening session tour    5 across from Wisconsin, hear directly from the people of our state about what they wanted to see in the budget I’m announcing here tonight. But we didn't want to show up months later, budget in hand and say so what do you think? We said we'd always put people first. That's why we wanted everyone to be part of finding those solutions together. So what we did what we turned the standard listening session formula on its head. And, by golly, the dandiest thing happened. People showed up from different backgrounds and different communities. They sat. They talked to each other. And they listened to each other's perspectives. And they had a dialogue about the problems our state is facing and the best way to fix them. And they ranged from republicans to democrats to the democratically disenfranchised to the politically apathetic. Sometimes they disagreed, but amicably, never with raised voices or disrespect. I know in today's day and age what I’m describing might sound like a unicorn phenomenon of sorts. But the good news is we managed to capture proof of it actually happening and I’d like to share that with you tonight. So we have a video. Roll it, Lester. 

[Governor Evers’ Voices of Wisconsin video begins]

- People like to be listened to. People that are paying taxes, and the people that are voting, they like to be listened to. They want to tell folks how they want government to run.

- So, it was important for us to get the opinion of people before the budget process even started. These weren't invite-only events, they were open to the public, so we got a raw range of ideas, you know, things that people have thought were important for a long time that have been neglected for the last eight years.

- I wanted to make sure that the actual policies of the budget items we develop are directly related to the people of Wisconsin. So we thought, "What better way than to go out and ask them?"

- Specifically coming here tonight to talk about criminal justice reform.

- Healthcare concerns.

- Someone needs to advocate more strongly for our seniors.

- I'm very passionate about the work I do which is in education.

- I've been very concerned with the rural economics in the state of Wisconsin.

- I wanted the governor to know how important public transit is to people across the state.

- Student debt and student loan reform's another one.

- Interested in helping the environment, so that's what I'm here for.

- The issue regarding with undocumented or illegal people. I don't get into the narrative I just think it's a situation that needs to be fixed.

- There's no way any of your elected officials are gonna have expertise in every area they’re required to vote upon, so they need to rely on actual experts in the field to help provide them information so they can make educated decisions.

- This event allowed for what I believe in to actually start to happen which is: those that are closest to the problem are those that are furthest from the resources but can be empowered to make the most change.

- I think it's a very powerful and wonderful experience to have people participate, regardless of political persuasion.

- I just see the hope rising in our state. We feel that someone cares.

- People in power need to hear from the average person. They need to hear the issues what people are concerned about.

- The needs of North Central Wisconsin are unique to North Central Wisconsin and they need to be heard, they need to be part of the way that the state gets governed.

- I think each individual plays a role in making our state a better place so I think it's about civic engagement.

- Just relationships are gonna always be at the foundation of how we actually make ourselves better like, having a connection with people that we may not have is gonna make us care about issues that we might not have known about.

- All these elected officials are walking around the room and listening to the comments of others and really taking it in.

- I think with being heard, there is going to come an expectation from the community that something will be done with the information that's collected tonight and throughout the state.

- People care enough to actually come out and do this and spend an evening, not just talking at somebody, but interacting with other people. The people of Wisconsin care about the government and want their government to work well.

[Governor Evers’ Voices of Wisconsin video ends]
 
[Applause]

- Thank you.

- Now, I showed this to you    6 tonight for a few reasons. The first, although I said it tongue-in-cheek, is to show you that people really can get along. Wisconsinites can come to a room armed with different ideas, to listen to each other and compromise on solutions. Then we should be able to do that right here in this building.

[Applause]

- Thank you. Second, I want everybody to understand how we arrived here. At the end of the day, our budget is about putting people first. It's about creating a Wisconsin that works for everyone, Wisconsin for us. Believe it or not, this is not the Tony Evers' budget, it's not the democratic budget, the speaker's budget. This is the people's budget.

[Cheers and applause]

- And it's one that we crafted together. We heard from people like Mary Ann who lives in Coleman in tiffany and senator mural’s district and Nancy. Both came to our listening session and talked to us about water quality and water pollution issues across this great state. Because of people like Mary Ann and Nancy, we're announcing that we're making safe drinking water a top priority in Wisconsin.

[Cheers and applause]

- We are authorizing nearly $70 million in bonding to address water quality from replacing    7 lead lines to addressing water contamination all across this state.

[Cheers and applause]

- Now, I know shank land has been working closely with us on this issue, too. Thank you, Representative, and to Mary Ann and Nancy, who are here with us in the gallery tonight for advocating for this very important issue.

[Cheers and applause]

- We also heard from people like Tony, who lives in senator petro ski and Representative Snyder’s district in Wausau. Tony not only has a great first name, but he also came to one of our listening sessions and talked about why we need driver's cards for immigrants and persons who are undocumented, especially in communities where there's limited access to public transportation. Because of people like Tony, we're announcing tonight that undocumented folks will be eligible to receive driver license and ID cards.

[Cheers and applause]

- This makes our roads and our communities safer and helps strengthen our economy and Wisconsin families. I know Representative Zamarripa has worked on this issue. Thank you for your work on this issue.

[Cheers and applause]

- And finally, I share that tonight so that everybody understands what's at stake in choosing to play politics with    8 this budget. We have to be better. We have to be a better version of democracy than we have in the past. At times we've succumbed to political out-posturing and clouded the opportunity for compromise and we let power be the enemy of the good. So tonight I want to be clear, this can't be one of those times. We cannot afford to play politics with this budget. Folks, the stakes are really, really high.

[Applause]

- As I told you in my inaugural address, I believe in leading by example. That's why we're going to begin tonight on the things about which we can all agree. I said all along that reforming our criminal justice system is an area where I know republicans and democrats can work together. So earlier this week, I announced we're going to return kids who are to the juvenile justice system.

[Cheers and applause]

- and I’m investing more than $200 million in additional funds so that we can get kids out of Lincoln hills and get them closer to home as soon as we safely and responsibly can.

[Applause]

- I know there's been bipartisan work on this issue in the past. I want to thank you for your work on this issue, and I look forward to working together with you in the days ahead.    9 now, juvenile justice is only one part of a larger picture. We have to connect the dots in criminal justice by tackling this issue holistically. Starting the moment someone encounters the justice system to the moment they rejoin our communities, we have to look at everything from alternatives to incarceration to equity in representation to substance abuse prevention to reentry programming. The criminal justice system starts in our communities. So we're announcing tonight that we're allocating $2 million on a grant program for community policing through the department of justice in ten cities with the highest violent crime rates in Wisconsin.

[Cheers and applause]

- but at the same time we also need to come to terms with the fact that nonviolent drug arrests are contributing to overcrowding and economic inequity, instability and insecurity in our state. That's why I announced a few weeks ago that our budget will decriminalize marijuana possession for 25 grams or less.

[Cheers and applause]

- And we also have to ensure that once someone encounters our criminal justice system, that they're receiving adequate, fair and vigorous representation. So we're increasing the private bar reimbursement rate to $70 an hour and we're providing more than 25 additional assistant district attorneys across our state.       
[Cheers and applause]

- Under our plan, ado positions will be the highest they've been since 2011. That will allow us to make sure the justice system is efficient and works for everyone. I know that Representative born recently advocated for similar initiatives and that there's been a bipartisan support for this issue in the past. I'm hopeful that these will receive bipartisan support in our budget.

[Applause]

- Additionally, we need to make sure that while folks are incarcerated, they have the tools to be successful when they reenter our communities. So we're expanding the opening avenues to reentry programs to all 72 counting for inmates who have mental health issues and are at risk for reoffending.

[Applause]

- And finally, we have to make sure folks applying for jobs have the tools they need to maintain employment. So we're expanding the windows to work program by allowing the program to be in all minimum
- and medium-security prisons and institutions and that's why we're also announcing tonight that we'll be banning the box statewide.

[Cheers and applause]

- We have to reduce employment barriers and empower the folks reentering our communities with the skills and support they need to live a better life. I know senator Taylor has been a tireless advocate on this issue     and thank you for your work on this.

[Applause]

- But fixing our criminal justice system is not the only area of this budget where we can find common ground. Last session, senator darling and majority leader stein eke introduced and received unanimous bipartisan support for legislation creating the interagency council on homelessness. It was chaired by former Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch and addressed homelessness in Wisconsin. I know that republicans recently introduced legislation supporting portions of the council's ideas. This is critically important work and that's why just this last week, I announced that I will be chairing the council myself and tonight I’m proud to announce that we're accepting each and every one of the council's recommendations and including them in our budget.

[Cheers and applause]

- Thank you.

- Homelessness and housing insecurity affects kids in the classroom, it affects our criminal justice system and it affects economic development in our communities. We have to connect the dots to get on this issue. It's time to get serious about this issue in Wisconsin. Another area we can agree on and where we have to connect the dots is expanding access to broadband.       

- Yes!

[Applause]

- Mary lives in senator witch and Representative Neubauer's district in Racine and came to one of our listening sessions last December. She's seen how businesses and schools are falling behind because of a lack of broadband and thinks this is a hindrance to advancing all entries and technologies. Mary told us not to have access to broadband flies in the face of development. Mary is with us here in the gallery tonight. Mary, thanks so much for being here. Mary.

[Cheers and applause]

- Folks, Mary’s right. Lack of access to reliable broadband internet service affects families at homes, it affects our classrooms, our hospitals and building a strong economy. I know there has been bipartisan support on this issue in the past, and we absolutely need to double down on this critically important issue. So we're setting a goal of attaining 25 megabits per second download and three megabits upload for all Wisconsin homes and businesses by 2025.

[Cheers and applause]

- But we're not just setting goals. We're also going to make sure that we actually have the means to achieve them. That's why we're making historic investments in broadband     expansion grants, increasing total funding to more than $78 million over the biennium. That's more than four times what was invested during the last state budget. And we're going to be targeting those grants to the unserved and underserved communities who need them the most.

[Cheers and applause]

- So from broadband to homelessness to criminal justice reform, among many other things in this budget, there's much we can agree upon. I said all along I’m willing to work across the aisle to get things done. I've said all along that there's more that unites us than divides us. We just have to choose to put people before politics. We have to do what's best for the people of our state. And most importantly, we have an obligation to listen, truly listen to what the people of Wisconsin need and what they're asking of us. That starts with health care.

[Cheers and applause]

- I’ve said all along us need to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin. And according to a recent Marquette law poll, 62% of Wisconsinites agree. 82,000 more Wisconsinites will have access to affordable, quality health care coverage. And because we're accepting these federal dollars, we have the opportunity to invest in programs and improve health care access and affordability across our state.       
[Cheers and applause]

- It means that we can invest in programs to address infant mortality and to encourage preventive care, like cancer and side screenings.

[Applause]

- it means we're going to put our money where our mouths are, literally, to ensure Wisconsin isn't among the worst states in dental care in the country.

[Applause]

- And it means we can expand access to substance abuse and mental health treatment, intervention and stabilization, especially in our rural communities for people who are in crisis.

[Applause]

- So additionally, the people of Wisconsin have asked us to fully fund our public schools. 

- Yeah!

[Cheers and applause]

- They have.

[Applause]

- More than one million Wisconsinites have raised their own property taxes to support their local schools in their communities. This is simply not sustainable. I've said all along that's what's best for our kids is best for our state. Investing our kids will yield dividends for our future. We're going to start with k-12 and returning to two-thirds funding at the state level.

[Cheers and applause]

- In the past decade, we've not  only cut public school funding, we've failed to fund programs for special needs. Erin is from St. Francis, in Senator Larson and Representative snick’s district. She talked about some of the gaps in our education system and what more support and attentiveness would have helped someone like her when she was growing up. Erin said special education is important to me because education sometimes students need extra support. For some students a little. For some students it's a lot. But if we don't have the resources we need to access, everybody loses in the end. Because of folks like Erin we're making sure that kids like mac and abbey have the support and resources they need to be successful. Our budget includes an unprecedented $600 million increase in special education funding.

[Cheers and applause]

- We shouldn't have to squeeze resources to make sure every kid can be successful. Erin, Mac and Abbey are here with us tonight in the gallery. Thanks so much for being here, folks.

[Cheers and applause]

- We have to support our kids in the classroom and we also have to make sure that we're supporting educators who teach our kids, too. Wisconsin pays our public school teachers less than the national average, which makes it harder     to recruit and retain talented educators. We need to do our part to make sure our educators know that the work they do is valued and that school districts across our state use these funding increases to do everything they can to keep our talented educators here in Wisconsin.

[Applause]

- And we're not just investing in k through  education. We're also going to get back to the business of funding public education at every level, including investing in higher education. We announced --

[Applause]

- We announced this week that we're increasing funding for our technical colleges by $18 million over the biennium and investing more than $150 million in our university of Wisconsin system.

[Cheers and applause]

- That means we're able to freeze tuition for undergraduate residents in Wisconsin, but our universities shouldn't have to sacrifice affordable or quality education. So we're not just going to freeze tuition. We're also going to fund that freeze.

[Cheers and applause]

- And no one should have to struggle paying their bills because they pursued higher education. I've said all along that folks should be able to refinance their loans just like any mortgage. That's why I’m also bringing together state treasurer Godlewski, DFI secretary designee Blumenfeld to create a Wisconsin-based strategy for student loan debt refinancing.

[Cheers and applause]

- and finally, we're going to make sure that regardless of whether a kid is born in this country, if they went to Wisconsin high school and had lived here for three years, they shouldn't have to pay more tuition like out-of-state students. They should be treated like any other kid from Wisconsin.

[Cheers and applause]

- In addition to funding public schools at every level, I believe everyone should have the opportunity to participate in our democracy. People should be able to choose their elected officials, not the other way around.

[Cheers and applause]

- So earlier this week, we announced a nonpartisan redistricting commission. As it turns out, the people of Wisconsin agreed. According to a recent Marquette law poll, 72% of Wisconsinites want nonpartisan redistricting in Wisconsin.

[Cheers and applause]

- And that's not just these guys. 63% of the republicans and 76% of the independents support nonpartisan redistricting.

[Cheers and applause]

- I know Senator Hansen has done extensive work on this. Thank you for your leadership.

[Cheers and applause]

- Nonpartisan redistricting is only part of the democratic process and participation. So we're not only including nonpartisan redistricting in our budget. We're also going to direct the elections commission and the department of transportation to work together on implementing automatic voter registration.

[Cheers and applause]

- And I know Representative Crowley has been working on this issue, so thank you so much.

[Cheers and applause]

- And finally, we turn to transportation. I've said all along that our current approach to transportation is unsustainable. For years, we've kicked the can down the road on this issue, and we can't afford to do it again. According to a 2018 trip report, industries like retail stores, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing bolster about 1.4 million full-time jobs and depend on our roads and highways and bridges. About $580 billion in goods are shipped across our state each year. Yet our roads rank among the worst in the nature. Our infrastructure problems are costing $6.8 billion annually in higher vehicle operating costs, accidents and traffic delays. That's bad for our economy. It's bad for our pocketbooks. It's time to find a long-term     solution to our transportation crisis and that's what I’m proposing to do here tonight.

[Cheers and applause]

- I said when we ran for Governor, and when I ran for Governor, excuse me, that I’d get everyone to the table and find a solution that works for everyone. And that's what we did. And that's why tonight I’m proposing the largest biennial investment in transportation in Wisconsin state history.

[Applause]

- But this won't be a one-time fix. We're going to raise more than $600 million in new revenues to fix our roads, bridges and highways and make sure that our transportation fund is sustainable for our future.

[Applause]

- Now, I want to be clear. Everyone's going to have to give a little to make this work. That's compromise. That's what it's called. We're all going to have to share the burden so it's feasible for everyone, and to make sure that we're not passing the buck on to the next generation. We're going to increase fees for titles and heavy trucks and we do have to raise the gas tax. But we're sure as heck not going to raise the gas tax by a dollar.

[Cheers and applause]

- It’s going to be less. It's going to be less. We're going to raise it 8 cents a gallon, well below what they   did over the river raising it by 20 cents in Minnesota and 18 cents in Ohio. But the good news is we're also going to repeal a hidden tax that costs you 14 cents a gallon on gas. That means our plan actually makes possible for you to pay less at the pump than you do right now.

[Cheers and applause]

- Because of all this, we're going to make sure that local governments don't have to rely on things like wheel taxes to make ends meet. We're going to increase general transit and transportation aid to counties and local governments by 10% to repair local roads and bridges. Those at the highest levels in Wisconsin history.

[Cheers and applause]

- And we're going to do all this without having to raid our general funds and jeopardizing other budget priorities, like expanding broadband, like fully funding our public schools and reforming our criminal justice system. Because our long-term solution on this issue, Wisconsin highway bonding in our budget is the lowest it's been in over 20 years. It's time we pay our bills and stop kicking the can down the road.

[Applause]

- At the end of the day, the people of Wisconsin expect and deserve for us to get to work on these present issues. From broadband to health care,     education to justice reform, roads to redistricting, these are priorities of the people of our state. Their plight must be our purpose, their crises our call and their desires our demands. You know, I’ve heard some remark that people of Wisconsin chose divided government this November. I don't think that's the case. I think the people of Wisconsin didn't choose us to be divided. They chose us to find it within ourselves to be united, not in party, but in promise, to serve our state and to do what's best for the people who sent us here.

[Cheers and applause]

- Folks, let's get to work. Thank you so much. And on Wisconsin!

[Cheers and applause]

[Tangled up in blue UW-Madison a cappella group singing "on Wisconsin"]

["On, Wisconsin"]
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward", our motto
God will give thee might!

- Governor Tony Evers concluding his first biennial budget address, but also talking about health care, education and tax cuts. There will be a lot to discuss and analyze in the weeks ahead. 

- tonight we're joined by Jason Stein from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Thanks for being here. 

- Pleasure to be here. 

- there's a lot to digest in any budget the first day you get it, both in the speech and the backup materials that the Governor hands out. What struck you about what you heard from the Governor tonight? 

- it's an historic day.    It's a return of the democratic Governor for the first time in eight years. He proposed some changes that would be historic, but at the same time many of them are nonstarters with the legislature. So we'll have a lot of debate to come. This is just the first step. 

- so what are some of the things that are jumping out at you as far as proposals or numbers that maybe we haven't heard already? The big one we've been waiting for was transportation. We heard about a gas tax. We know there's going to be some fee increases. 

- absolutely. So this is a budget that makes big investments in health care, in education, in us, in corrections. At the same time, in spending more than 5% each year in state and federal money, it's also going to see increases in taxes. So in the area of gas tax, in the area of capital gains and income taxes on upper ended income tax earners. There will be some tax cuts for lower-income earners. 

- The Governor had a chance to shine a light on stuff he wants to talk about. What are some of the things he wants to highlight to present as his people's budget, as he referred to it? 

- Right. Obviously he's talking a range of investments, rural broadband to lead pipe abatement. He's talking about education. He's a former state school superintendent.      up. He's talking about those things. He's also talking about investing in transportation, an 8 cents increase in the gas tax to do it, although he says he has a plan to help mitigate that for drivers. 

- The budget is a political animal, more than just the numbers behind it. The republicans will control what happens next in this building. We saw Governor Evers reference polling numbers and statewide support and even calling out citizens from republican districts saying they support these ideas. Is he trying to rally more support outside the building? 

- Obviously. This is the first time we have divided government in Wisconsin in eight years. This is a return to mini lawmakers. The Governor has not had this situation of divided government confront them. Obviously, this is just the first stage in a discussion with the state, a debate within this building about what the ultimate outcome is going to be. 

- So there's some stuff he did mention tonight that is in the budget. He's going to repeal Wisconsin’s right to work law in this budget. Everything has to pass the legislature. He's proposing repealing right to work. He's talking about increasing the minimum wage. There are a lot of tax law changes in there, stuff that he     didn't talk about there. Anything that struck you on kind of stuff that has yet to be vetted in the public at this point? 

- Sure. Well, obviously there's a number of things that are nonstarters with the legislature, and some of those would include at least some of the increases in income and capital gains taxes as well as on manufacturers. Now, it's possible that some revenue increase for transportation might be achievable within the budget process. Other things, like an expansion of Medicaid health care for the needy using federal money, the republicans have been pretty adamant that they wouldn't accept that. It's an open question how well the two sides can work with each other going forward. 

- People like to look at who's applauding and when. Its natural all the democrats would be applauding, republicans will sit silent. But one time I saw republican applause was talk about increasing money for assistant public defenders and private lawyers to handle some of those cases. There were a few items for both sides to rally around. 

- Right. I do believe the state faces litigation on that front, on the question of support and representation for the indigent. That's one another where I think you've seen both sides talking about. Juvenile justice reform, you've seen both sides talking about     it. Some of the Governor's proposals, like moving back the time to transition if one state juvenile justice facility to another have had questions raised on both sides. 

- What happens if the republicans don't go along with the expansion of Medicaid and taxes for manufacturers, if, if, if. If all that revenue doesn't end up being there in the budget that they pass out of the legislature, what's the final budget going to look like once it gets back to the Governor's desk? 

- That’s a good question. Obviously, the Governor has had his day and the legislature will get its day. So they'll be putting something in front of him. And they may be able to do that in a reasonable amount of time and then the question will be is it something he can accept if he puts his powerful partial veto pen to work on that bill. Or is there a possibility that he wouldn't accept it. That's really the question we have to see asked and answered in the coming months. 

- Now, we haven't seen divided government since 2007, but we haven't seen this setup with a democrat as a Governor and republican-controlled legislature since Governor Doyle’s first term. In those situations we saw a budget come out, get completely rewritten and then Doyle’s veto pen came out. We've already seen Governor Evers' veto pen. 

- That was not something we saw under Governor walker because he had a republican-controlled legislature that he was on many, many issues able to work pretty closely with. Obviously, the veto pen that Governor Evers has is not as powerful as the one that Governor Jim Doyle and Governor tommy Thompson had. But it still remains quite significant and he has the ability to for appropriations bills like the budget to lower dollar amounts, to zero out dollar amounts, to even delete individual words or phrases to change the meaning of sentences. So he also has some tools he can bring to bear. 

- So we had eight years of budgets from Governor walker, before that, the last budget from Governor Doyle was kind of colored by the recession. It's a long way of saying we've had about a decade now that a lot of these things that are proposed tonight have not happened. What are some of the items in the budget that kind of stick out to you as that's something we haven't seen in a while? 

- Sure. Well, obviously we're seeing, you know, a shift in what the priorities are within the administration. We obviously are going to see a pretty significant increase in spending in each year, about 5% in each year. The economy is doing relatively well, but that may not last. So there's also some significant commitments that the state would take on if this budget were to be adopted and so then obviously one of the questions is are     those commitments sustainable for not just the next two years, but the two years after that and so on. 

- But we did see some things that republicans have already said are dead on arrival. We saw speaker vows shake his head at decriminalizing marijuana and things like that. Is there political value in bringing things out in those speeches even if it won't go anywhere in the building? 

- The task for Governor Evers is different than Governor walker because he was putting forward something where he wanted 100% of it to pass or 90% of it to pass. Obviously it's a different situation for Governor Evers. So he may feel in some way that he doesn't want to negotiate with himself that he wants to just put forward a vision and then, you know, see it, you know, try and reach compromise in the coming months. 

- We’re going to leave it there. Jason stein is research director at Wisconsin policy forum. Thanks for joining us. 

- if you'd like to see tonight's speech, you can watch it again by going to wpt.org. Wisconsin Public Television will have it posted later this evening on our website. We will also have continuing coverage and reaction to the budget tomorrow night on "here and now" when we get reaction. 

- Wisconsin public radio will follow developments from the capitol with Kate archer Kent and budget coverage during our newscast. 

- The next couple months will     be filled with debate over the budget and the spring election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court? For more, go to WisconsinVote.org where you can get coverage of Wisconsin politics online. 

- I’m Shawn Johnson with Wisconsin public radio. 

- I’m Zac Schultz with Wisconsin Public Television. This concludes the 2019 Governor's budget address.