MADISON (WKOW) ā 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 theyāre 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.
āIām really hoping to hear a sense of hope and a sense of forward-looking,ā she said.
Meanwhile, Republican strategist Brandon Scholtz said heās looking for common ground.
āThis is very much an opportunity for [Evers] to first showcase to people how heās going to act as governor,ā he said.
Scholtz said he hopes that comes with a message of positivity and cooperation in Tuesdayās speech. He believes a plan for compromise, in the beginning, can set the stage for Evers as he works with the Republican-controlled legislature.
āMaybe thereās a some issues that they simply canāt agree on,ā Scholtz said. āI mean you just put it on the table and say, āYou know what, weāre never going to get there. Alright, then letās move on and find something we can get together.ā
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 sheās encouraged to see he has already met with Republican leadership about the plan.
āHeās actually reached out to individuals who pushed through legislation that sought to immediately limit his powers the minute he was sworn inā 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.
āWeāll get a sense of how heās going to govern and I think thatās whatās important,ā Scholtz said.
The exact issues the speech will cover wonāt 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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