MADISON – Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) offered the Democratic Weekly Radio Address on Thursday. The topic this week is the top Democratic priorities for Wisconsin in the New Year – restoring economic opportunity with a legislative agenda that focuses on creating jobs, growing wages and rebuilding the middle class.

"As the New Year begins, it is more important than ever that we work to restore economic opportunity for the people of Wisconsin," Rep. Barca said. "While legislative Republicans focus on helping special interests and their own self-interests, legislative Democrats will continue to advocate aggressively for the people’s agenda in 2016 and beyond."

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

As the New Year begins, it is more important than ever that we work to restore economic opportunity for the people of Wisconsin.

In 2015, more than 10,000 hardworking Wisconsinites received layoff notices, the highest single-year total since Governor Walker took office. Wisconsin still ranks in the bottom third for job growth and our middle class is shrinking faster than any other state. That’s why my Democratic colleagues and I have made creating jobs, growing wages and rebuilding the middle class our top priorities.

Our “Economic Opportunity Agenda” is comprised of 15 bills designed to help create good-paying jobs, connect workers with available jobs, increase wages and make us more competitive in a global economy. Our “Bring Back the Middle Class” package would boost retirement security and provide relief from high child-care costs and student debt. We would also replace our failed jobs agency with a model that is more effective, transparent and accountable to Wisconsin taxpayers.

Meanwhile, the Republicans’ number one priority has been to consolidate their own political power with an agenda that will open Wisconsin to corruption and put an end to clean, open and transparent government in our state. Given these extreme policies, it’s not surprising that the governor and legislative Republicans have such dismal approval ratings and that the majority of our citizens believe Wisconsin is going in the wrong direction. Republicans have shown they cannot be trusted to prioritize the needs of the hardworking citizens of Wisconsin.

While legislative Republicans focus on helping special interests and their own self-interests, legislative Democrats will continue to advocate aggressively for the people’s agenda in 2016 and beyond. You deserve nothing less.