GOP leaders say they aren’t sexist; Evers’ aide says they won’t work with women on governor’s team.
Evers’ aide says they won’t work with women
OSHKOSH - The leader of the state Senate accused Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday of having “no point person” for the Legislature — a claim that prompted the Democratic governor’s spokeswoman to say Republicans were unwilling to work with the women who lead Evers’ team.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called the allegations of sexism ridiculous, saying women played prominent roles in the Legislature.
The dispute kicked off when Fitzgerald of Juneau and Vos of Rochester took the stage at the state Republican Party convention at the Best Western Hotel and Convention Center in Oshkosh.
“There’s a real disconnect on all different levels with this governor,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s no point person, there’s no one that reaches out to the Legislature on a regular basis.”
Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff disputed that, saying Fitzgerald and Vos know they should be dealing with Evers’ chief of staff, Maggie Gau, but won’t do so.
“The governor has communicated repeatedly to GOP leadership that they should work with his chief of staff, just like they did under the previous governor,”
“That is completely asinine. The most powerful senator on the budget committee is a woman, and perhaps they’d know that if someone from the governor’s team was actually engaged in budget negotiations.” Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, GOP Senate majority leader
Baldauff said. “That directive wasn’t confusing to them when the chief of staff was a man. Vos and Fitzgerald are clearly uncomfortable or simply unwilling to work with a leadership team made up entirely of women.”
Responded Fitzgerald in a statement: “That is completely asinine. The most powerful senator on the budget committee is a woman, and perhaps they’d know that if someone from the governor’s team was actually engaged in budget negotiations.”
Fitzgerald was referring to Sen. Alberta Darling of River Hills, the longtime co-chairwoman of the Joint Finance Committee.
Vos posted a message on Twitter noting his chief of staff, communications director and policy director are women. The Evers staff, by contrast, is “clueless,” he wrote.
Fitzgerald and Vos regularly met with Eric Schutt, the chief of staff under former Gov. Scott Walker. They have said they were able to work through Schutt because of years of trust they built up
with him and Walker.
Those meetings occurred when Republicans controlled all of state government. Now, the parties share control and have had numerous disputes about how often they should be meeting.
Evers has said he’ll meet with GOP leaders when necessary but they should be working with Gau for most matters.
The war of words between Evers and Republicans escalated Saturday as the two sides continued to clash over the state budget.
One of their primary disputes is over BadgerCare Plus, the state’s Medicaid program that Evers wants to expand using funds available under the Affordable Care Act. His plan would provide coverage to 82,000 more people and free up $324 million in state money for other purposes.
Republicans have thrown out Evers’ plan. Vos said they would never go along with it because they believe it will drive up health care costs for people who get insurance coverage through the private sector.
“As Gov. Evers is out there saying, ‘Take the money,’ I want to promise you it will be over our dead bodies,” Vos said.
Baldauff said the Medicaid expansion was an essential part of Evers’ plan to invest in health care, education, criminal justice reform and roads.