Governor Evers Spotlights Important Issues
Legislative inaction is not an option

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers delivered his second State of the State address to both houses of our Legislature this week. In his remarks he proposed two sweeping and badly needed agendas to address Wisconsin’s dairy farm crisis and gerrymandered state and legislative districts. The first met with mild approval from the GOP controlled legislature while the second was dismissed out of hand. 

Wisconsin has been losing two family dairy farm operations a day for far too long. Small dairy operations have not been able to cope with the punishing Trump tariffs and trade wars that have curtailed their markets and made it virtually impossible to turn a profit. Evers condemned the Trump administration’s distain for small family farmers noting, “we have not forgotten those who have shared the harvest and bounty, feeding our families, our communities, our state, and our country for more than a century. And tonight, we say we are ready to be a partner in the promise of prosperity.”

Evers announced his call for a special legislative session, as early as next week, to consider a package of bills he will be sending to both houses. They would create a new program to increase Wisconsin dairy exports to 20 percent of the nation’s milk supply by 2024. The effort will be supported by expanded state services for farmers including better access to mental health services and a new program to help farmers connect with state universities, technical colleges, hospitals and local businesses. Finally, Evers will create a Blue-Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity and a state jobs agency Office of Rural Prosperity to help farmers to better manage state programs and aid.

Legislative leadership, which has been loath to work with the Governor or to adopt his proposals, was surprisingly lukewarm in response. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald was open to finding ways to help Wisconsin farmers as was Sen. Albert Darling. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos was oppositional as usual, warning that help Wisconsin agriculture would just lead to more government handouts. He followed by issuing a press release stating that the Assembly would not convene for a special session to address the dairy farm crisis to debate Evers proposals and act to stem the rising tide of farm closings. Instead, he will refer Evers’ proposed legislation to various Assembly committees for hearings. Vos knows this will drag out the chance for passage of any farm aid relief packages, if it does not kill them all together. 

Governor Evers second major proposal came in the announcement that he would create, by Executive Order, a non-partisan commission that would be charged with drawing new state and congressional district boundaries after the upcoming census. Evers commission would not include elected officials, lobbyists or consultants and, hopefully, will conduct its deliberations in public. The resulting maps would be turned over to the legislature for consideration when it draws the new maps. Evers hopes the proposed maps will be adopted by the Legislature.

Republican legislators were quick to dismiss Evers’ plan to create fair maps. Majority leader Fitzgerald called the plan “completely unconstitutional” based upon the constitutional duty placed on the legislature to draw the maps after every census. Rep. Vos also rejected Evers proposal indicating those in control of the legislature will select the process for drawing new maps. Our current legislative and congressional district boundaries were selected by lawyers hired by the GOP majority who worked with GOP leadership in secret allowing those in power to draw districts that included more Republican than Democratic voters and cramming more Democratic voters into districts that usually vote democratic anyway. 

Governor Evers continues to put issues of statewide importance before the legislature for action. By using calls for special legislative sessions, he puts the spotlight on the GOP majorities in both houses. So far, his calls have not met with any positive responses. The legislature refused to even debate the very reasonable gun violence proposals Evers put forward in the last special session by adjourning as soon as the opening gavel fell.

Unless the republicans now in legislative control change their methods and engage in constructive debate resulting in passage of bills that command widespread public support, they will face the voters’ wrath in the next election cycle. They need to understand that there are issues that transcend the partisan divide and command the support of a majority of the electorate. If they continue to turn a blind eye to the will of the people, they will soon be out of work.