MADISON (WKOW) — Tuesday evening, Governor Tony Evers will deliver his first state of the state address, outlining his priorities for his upcoming budget and his term as a whole.
It will be the first time in nearly a decade, a Democratic governor will deliver the address. Both sides of the aisle say they’re hoping for two different messages but both say they want to see a clear path forward.
Analiese Eicher, a program strategist with the liberal action group One Wisconsin Now, said she wants to see a change of pace from the new administration.
“I’m really hoping to hear a sense of hope and a sense of forward-looking,” she said.
Meanwhile, Republican strategist Brandon Scholtz said he’s looking for common ground.
“This is very much an opportunity for [Evers] to first showcase to people how he’s going to act as governor,” he said.
Scholtz said he hopes that comes with a message of positivity and cooperation in Tuesday’s speech. He believes a plan for compromise, in the beginning, can set the stage for Evers as he works with the Republican-controlled legislature.
“Maybe there’s a some issues that they simply can’t agree on,” Scholtz said. “I mean you just put it on the table and say, ‘You know what, we’re never going to get there. Alright, then let’s move on and find something we can get together.”
Eicher said she hopes that issue will be health care, as the Republicans move their pre-existing conditions bill through the legislature.
So far, Evers has voiced concerns, but Eicher said she’s encouraged to see he has already met with Republican leadership about the plan.
“He’s actually reached out to individuals who pushed through legislation that sought to immediately limit his powers the minute he was sworn in” she said.
Despite partisan politics dominating his campaign and the weeks leading up to his inauguration, both Eicher and Scholtz said they expect conversations around compromise to dominate his first year and his speech Tuesday night.
“We’ll get a sense of how he’s going to govern and I think that’s what’s important,” Scholtz said.
The exact issues the speech will cover won’t come out until Evers releases a few excerpts from his speech Tuesday morning. Both Eicher and Scholtz expect health care and education to be at the forefront.
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