MADISON (WKOW) — Competing boos and cheers could be heard ringing through the crowd during Democratic Gov. Tony Evers's State of the State Address on Wednesday, as part of a rare opportunity to experience the performative display of partisan interactions between the legislative and executive branches.
Wisconsin lawmakers, justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, tribal leaders, and other elected officials convened at the Wisconsin State Capital to hear the governor's remarks. Legislative Republicans in leadership sat behind Evers during his speech.
Wednesday night's remarks are the seventh State of the State Address since Evers took office in 2019.
Evers' remarks covered a wide range of issues impacting the communities of Wisconsin. Evers emphasized that 2025 would be the "Year of the Kid." Evers announced that lowering the cost of child care for working families would be a priority for his administration during this budget cycle, including historic investments in K-12 public education and the state's University of Wisconsin system and its technical colleges.
"Every budget I have ever built began first by doing what is best for our kids, and this one will be no different," said Evers. "Republican lawmakers can start today by releasing the $50 million we approved with bipartisan support nearly two years ago. These funds were already approved, they are available now, and they should not still be sitting in Madison."
In his 2025-2027 Biennial Budget, Evers is proposing $300 million be allocated towards comprehensive mental health services in schools statewide. That funding will be used to establish peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and expand mental health training to school districts.
The governor also proposes that the budget be used to address the lack of access to clean and safe drinking water for schools and local communities.
Lowering the cost of prescription drugs, improving oversight of drug companies, and violence and crime prevention will also be high-priority issues for Evers. And with President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, Evers responded to the extensive list of executive orders the nearly elected president signed drastically altering immigration policies.
"A lot has happened in Washington in the last 72 hours, and I know there is a lot of angst about what may happen in the days, months, and years ahead. I want to talk about what that means for Wisconsin and how we move forward together," Evers said. "Let's agree that if you work, obey the law, pay taxes, contribute to our communities, and play by the rules just like everyone else, you should have a fair shot at continuing to pursue the American Dream."
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Republican leadership quickly criticized some of the governor's initiatives announced during his address. Vos confirmed those proposals were unlikely to be approved by the legislature because they would require "massive tax increases or massive spending cuts."
"What we heard tonight was Governor Evers' longest State of the State Address, and it was shot full of liberal wishes, empty promises and a whole lot of things that are not going to happen in Wisconsin," Vos said. "What he promised today is unaffordable."
In response to Evers' proposed $300 million investment for mental health services, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Rep. Tyler August confirmed there was a possibility that the legislature would continue efforts to allocate dollars to mental health resources, pointing to the $30 million lawmakers allocated in the last budget.
When asked whether Republicans would once fund Evers' Child Care Counts program, it was an immediate "no." LeMahieu argued the GOP plans to create more access to affordable child care and ensure the people of Wisconsin get paid more.
Rep. August and Speaker Vos both spoke to President Donald Trump's latest mass deportation efforts and Evers's calls to protect undocumented immigrants, who the governor says are contributing to Wisconsin's economy.
August stating President Trump won Wisconsin, and one of the cornerstones of his campaign was illegal immigration.
"We're going to focus on three easy things, making sure that we have high educational standards with any increase in funding for our schools, we're going to make sure that if someone who's here illegally and commits a crime, they're going to be deported by cooperating with ICE and Most importantly, we are not going to spend that surplus in growing the size of government," said Vos.
Evers will provide a comprehensive outline of those proposals discussed during his state address in his 2025 to 2027 Biennial Budget on Feb. 18.
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