Evers touts new administration as ‘pro-business’ during visit
Governor lays out his agenda in Milwaukee
“It’s really time for the State of Wisconsin to form a better relationship with the greater Milwaukee area. That’s at the core of what I’m doing.” Gov. Tony Evers
Gov. Tony Evers came to Milwaukee on Monday to assure business and political leaders he is on their side as he unveiled broad policy initiatives and prepared for next week’s “state of the state” address.
“This is not an anti-business administration,” Evers told the Greater Milwaukee Committee. “This is a pro-business administration. This is an administration that cares about the people of Wisconsin.”
During his speech and follow-up questions, Evers laid out an agenda that includes pushing through an expansion of Medicaid and boosting spending on education so that the state covers twothirds of K-12 costs.
“For the first time ever, I think (Assembly Speaker) Robin Vos has agreed with me that two-thirds funding is important,” Evers said. “I’ll take it. We’ll take it. We’ll make sure he and I are together on that issue going forward.”
While upbeat, Evers didn’t mention dollars. He wants to put in an additional $1.4 billion and Vos wants to put in much less than that.
Evers announced that his transportation secretary, Craig Thompson, will convene a group in the near future to study road funding. “I’d rather not have a tax increase,” Evers said. “But that committee that Craig Thompson will be putting together in the near future will come up with recommendations. Clearly, the gas tax is an option on the table.”
“Here’s what’s not on the table,” he said. “We can’t borrow. Either we lower our expectations or find a revenue stream.”
All the initiatives will have to go through a Republican-controlled Legislature, whose leaders have voiced concerns about Evers’ agenda.
He said he’ll focus economic development on all 72 counties, but strengthening Milwaukee remains an important part of his agenda.
“It’s really time for the State of Wisconsin to form a better relationship with the greater Milwaukee area,” Evers said. “That’s at the core of what I’m doing.”
Answering a question, Evers said he was “open to” options about expanding the Wisconsin Center and “hopefully we can accomplish that in the near future.”
Focus on startups
Before Evers’ speech, he announced that the state’s economic development agency is forming a committee on entrepreneurship and business innovation.
The Democratic governor said that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. was convening the committee at his request. But he is operating under a weaker hand than his predecessor, Republican Scott Walker.
Up until Republicans approved lameduck legislation in December, Wisconsin’s governor had the power to direct the economic development corporation. But under the new laws, WEDC’s board is controlled by Republican appointees and the agency is run by Mark Hogan, who was put in place by Walker.
Evers campaigned on dissolving the economic development corporation and replacing it with a more traditional state agency.
Republicans balked at getting rid of the entity they created in 2011 and believe is more nimble than the state Department of Commerce that predated it.
Between Evers’ election and inauguration, Republican lawmakers proposed and approved sweeping legislation curbing the power of Evers and new Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and limiting early voting. Walker signed the laws just before leaving office.
Among the provisions of the new laws are ones putting Republicans in charge of WEDC’s direction and giving the board — rather than the governor — the ability to appoint its secretary.
Those rules are temporary. Under the lame-duck laws, in September the governor will regain the ability to appoint WEDC’s secretary and WEDC’s board will be evenly split between Republican and Democratic appointees.
For the moment, at least, Evers and Hogan are seeing eye to eye on entrepreneurship.
Evers said in a statement that the new committee would help identify support for entities that help startups and find investors for new businesses.
In the same statement, Hogan said his agency would form the committee “to enhance our increasingly vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
“Providing support and resources to Wisconsin’s entrepreneurs is vital to helping new businesses grow and thrive in our state, and I appreciate that Governor Evers is focusing on this important issue,” Hogan said in the statement.