MADISON, Wis. — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement celebrating Governor Tony Evers’ 2023 State of the State Address:
“Tonight, in his fifth State of the State address—the first of his second term—Governor Evers spoke to the remarkable progress our state has made over the past four years under his leadership, and shared his plans to continue growing our economy, bolster our workforce and expand access to quality, affordable child care. As Gov. Evers said, the state of our state is much different than it was just four years ago—we’re much better off. “From repairing over 5,800 miles of roads and expanding broadband access to more than 387,000 houses and businesses, to vetoing harmful GOP legislation attacking our health care and our freedoms, Gov. Evers has followed through on his promises and delivered for Wisconsin. It’s critical we move forward as a state with Governor Evers’ plans to do the right thing for Wisconsin and put our historic budget surplus to work delivering more middle class tax relief and investing more in our public schools, affordable health care, and our workforce. Governor Evers also laid out a critical commitment to increase shared revenue, the state dollars that help local governments fund EMS, fire, and law enforcement services, transportation, and local health and human services. “Finally, as Wisconsin Democrats, we applaud Governor Evers’s declaration of 2023 as the Year of Mental Health. As the Governor spoke to tonight, mental health in Wisconsin is a growing, quiet crisis, especially for young people, that we must address. Every family with children who have experienced mental health challenges can be grateful that Governor Evers has committed to making the Get Kids Ahead initiative a permanent, well-funded state program. “As Governor Evers reminded us, there is much work ahead of us—and also much opportunity. For a governor committed to doing the right thing for Wisconsin, it’s time to get things done.” |