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In this update:
- ‘Meet the Cabinet’ Recap
- Administration Updates
- Election Updates
- Legislative Updates
- Upcoming Events
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WEDC CEO and Secretary Missy Hughes featured guest at MBS luncheon | |
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Michael Best Strategies hosted Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO and Secretary Missy Hughes at the Madison Office on Wednesday as a part of our ‘Meet the Cabinet’ series. She highlighted WEDC’s key accomplishments from 2024, like the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub being selected as a Designated Tech Hub by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Looking towards the budget, WEDC is prioritizing investing in entrepreneurship, supporting the energy and construction needs of its economic development projects, and helping businesses to invest in automation. Sec. Hughes assumed the role as WEDC’s Secretary and CEO in October 2019.
Please join us next month for two events:
February 18th at 11:30 AM - State of Wisconsin Fiscal Update and 2025-2027 Budget Outlook with JFC Co-Chair Sen. Howard Marklein
February 19th at 11:30 AM - Meet the Cabinet: Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand
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Preview of State of the State | |
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On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 7:00PM, Governor Tony Evers (D) will deliver his 2025 State of the State Address. Earlier this month, Gov. Evers revealed budget priorities that are expected to reappear in his State of the State speech. The Governor has vowed to propose an increase for school funding and was critical of Speaker Robin Vos’ (R) statement that school funding negotiations would be off the table if the state Supreme Court upholds the governor’s partial veto in the last budget.
Gov. Evers also announced he will propose in the budget to allow state voters to put binding referendums on the ballot. If the measure passes, lawmakers would be required to vote on a joint resolution that would add a new pathway for amending the state constitution, while also empowering voters to propose or repeal state statutes at the ballot box. If approved by lawmakers in two consecutive legislative sessions and by voters on a statewide ballot, Wisconsin residents who are seeking to put a binding referendum on the ballot could file petitions with the Elections Commission to hold a vote on proposed state laws, constitutional amendments, or to repeal state statutes. Currently, state constitutional amendments can only originate in the legislature before being sent to voters. Republican legislative leadership has already stated that this proposal is “dead on arrival.”
Other topics Gov. Evers mentioned for his budget include:
- Criminal justice reform
- Legalization of marijuana
- UW System
- Childcare
Watch the State of the State here: 2025 State of the State Address - WisconsinEye
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Evers creates Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention | |
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Gov. Tony Evers (D-Plymouth) signed an executive order creating the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention. The office will work to support violence prevention efforts statewide. The governor said he planned to immediately direct $10 million in federal funding to the new office so it can start on its work. According to Gov. Evers’ press release, the office will:
- “Connect the dots between state and local government agencies, including law enforcement agencies, to ensure a whole-of-government approach to prevent violence, including gun violence statewide;
- Support and provide technical assistance to local violence prevention and intervention efforts;
- Administer and award grants to school districts, firearm dealers, law enforcement agencies, non-profits, and government agencies to support violence reduction and prevention initiatives;
- Develop public education campaigns to promote safer communities; and
- Identify opportunities to improve statewide policies or laws.”
The move from Gov. Evers comes a month after a fatal school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. “Violence, including gun violence, is a statewide problem, with statewide consequences for people and families across our state,” Gov. Evers said. “This issue has long deserved a comprehensive, statewide response, and that’s what we’ll be taking on with our new Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention.”
Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said at a news conference that Assembly Republicans would not support the office and would not provide state funding to sustain its operations. “It takes a bureaucrat to think another government agency is actually going to be effective,” Speaker Vos said. “So I think what we need to do is to increase funding for our police and public safety and services, not create a whole bunch of touchy-feely bureaucrats that are going to go around wasting time, wasting money and certainly not putting the effort where it’s deserved.”
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Schimel launches first ad | |
Conservative Supreme Court candidate Judge Brad Schimel launched his first TV ad, saying “justice is my life’s work.” The ad will run on broadcast and cable in the Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison, La Crosse and Wausau markets through the end of January. He says in the ad he has helped Wisconsin’s most vulnerable, stopped elder abuse, taken on human traffickers, and put pedophiles behind bars. He also highlights leading the sexual assault kit initiative, clearing 4,000 backlogged kits so survivors could “finally get justice.”
Watch the ad here.
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A Better Wisconsin Together release ads targeting Schimel | |
A Better Wisconsin Together launched new display ads on abortion and a 15-second video targeting conservative Supreme Court candidate Judge Brad Schimel. One of the static ads claims Judge Schimel “wants to take Wisconsin women back to the 1800s.” The second says he “supports using an 1849 law to ban abortion,” and the third says Judge Schimel “wants to turn back the clock on Women’s Rights.” The video says Judge Schimel cut deals with sexual predators and “even let a man who sexually assaulted two children go free with no jail time” as a prosecutor.
The display ads and the video launched last week and will run on digital platforms through the end of January.
View the first static ad.
View the second static ad.
View the third static ad.
Watch the video here.
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Kinser releases first video | |
State Superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser released her first video promoting her campaign. In the video, she highlights her work as a “special education teacher, an award-winning public-school principal, and a student literacy advocate who wants every Wisconsin child to read, write, and do math well.” She also says in the video that barely 3 of 10 Wisconsin students are college or career ready. Ms. Kinser says she wants to restore high academic standards, partner with parents, focus on the basics of reading, writing, and math, guarantee school funding reaches classrooms, and ensure good teachers get the pay and respect they deserve. She also called for transparency, predictability, and innovation at the Department of Public Instruction.
Watch the video here.
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Assembly approves constitutional amendment | |
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The Assembly voted along party lines in favor of an amendment to the state constitution that would require photo ID to vote. Last week, the Senate passed the bill along party lines with Republicans in favor. With both houses’ approval, the amendment goes to the voters for a statewide referendum on the April 1st ballot. If the voters are also in favor, the provision requiring voters to show a valid photo ID would now be in the state constitution
Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D) criticized Republicans for choosing the amendment as the first bill of session. She said, “Unfortunately we’re here on our first day of session and the majority party has chosen to bring forward a highly partisan constitutional amendment, rather than focusing on the issues we hear about from our constituents.” She argued the legislature should be focusing on important issues to Wisconsinites like affordable health care and childcare. Republicans previously said Wisconsinites support a photo ID requirement, citing a Marquette Law School poll from 2021 that found 73% support the law.
| Wisconsin Health News Legislator Roundtable | |
Wisconsin Health News hosted a Legislator Roundtable to discuss health related legislative priorities for the new legislative session. The roundtable included Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menominee), and Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison).
The topics covered in the event included:
- Their health priorities for the legislative session
- Healthcare costs and access
- Closure of hospitals and clinics
- Workforce shortages
- Reproductive care
- Expanded coverage of breast cancer screenings
- APRN bill
Watch the roundtable here.
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Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R) was on ‘UpFront’ last Sunday to discuss the upcoming budget. He said Republicans would pull out “all the policy issues right away" once they receive Governor Tony Evers’ (D) budget proposal. Sen. LeMahieu said "It's not a policy vision for the governor. But a lot of the agency requests, in education, K-12 is way too much. He said $4 billion was almost too much for him in education, so we'll see what he puts in there." Sen. LeMahieu also promised Senate Republicans will bring forward a stand-alone tax cut bill before budget negotiations. "I think it's important to get a commitment from the governor to cut taxes first before we pass the budget," Sen. LeMahieu said. "We'll work with the Assembly, but it might be a Senate bill, there might be an Assembly bill, and we'll work together to maybe do both or combine."
Other topics in the interview include:
- Relationship between Republicans and Democrats
- Universities of Wisconsin funding
- Monday ballot processing
- Medical marijuana
- Abortion
Watch the interview here.
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February 18th at 11:30 AM - State of Wisconsin Fiscal Update and 2025-2027 Budget Outlook with JFC Co-Chair Sen. Howard Marklein (virtual and in-person options available)
February 19th at 11:30 AM - Meet the Cabinet: Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand (virtual and in-person options available)
RSVP to Barb Stevenson at Barb.Stevenson@michaelbest.com if you'd like to attend any of these events
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If you would like any additional information about the above topic, or if you would like to find time to discuss the above matter in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact your Michael Best Strategies contact.
Have a great day,
Wisconsin GR Team
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One South Pickney Street, Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-257-3501
Fax: 608-283-2275
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