The Badger Herald: News: Doyle addresses health care, minimum wage at State of the State

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Doyle addresses health care, minimum wage at State of the State

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Also by Abby Peterson:

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Thursday, January 22, 2004 12:00 a.m.

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Governor Jim Doyle declared “Wisconsin is back on track” in his State of the State address Wednesday night, commending his job of successfully balancing the budget without a tax hike and his record of standing strong against a Republican-controlled Legislature.

Doyle stressed the dire condition of Wisconsin’s health a year ago, claiming to have restored the state to health by working with both parties to cut government spending and reign in a $3.2 billion deficit.

“Balancing our budget without tax increases was the most important single thing we could do to put Wisconsin back on track,” Doyle said.

Doyle repeatedly emphasized making good on his promise to not raise taxes.

“We didn’t raise corporate taxes. We didn’t raise income taxes. We didn’t raise sales taxes. We didn’t raise any taxes,” Doyle said.

Many Republican legislators, however, do not agree with the governor’s claims. They argue Doyle’s veto of property-tax-freeze legislation proves that “fancy words out of Madison” about keeping taxes low have rung hallow.

“The Governor sided with tax spenders rather than tax savers,” said Steve Baas, press secretary for Assembly speaker John Gard (R).

On full display during the address were the partisan politics all too common to the state capitol. Republicans remained seated as Democrats sprang to their feet in rowdy applause when Doyle took conservative senators to task for their plans to override his concealed-weapons veto moments before his speech.

“Wisconsin doesn’t need guns in our shopping malls, movie theaters and on our playgrounds,” Doyle said.

The Senate postponed the action Tuesday and will convene today to consider the override.

Despite the rifts between the two parties, Doyle devoted most of his speech to bi-partisan victories, especially the passage of the Job Creation Act. The legislation seeks to ease environmental permit requirements for businesses to bring more jobs to the state. Doyle said he plans to sign the measure into law today.

Doyle also set forth a plethora of new proposals in those areas he considers a priority, namely education, health care and jobs. The governor announced his plan to initiate a new minimum-wage standard for Wisconsin.

“Fellow citizens, workers haven’t had a raise in seven years. It is time to increase the minimum wage,” Doyle said.

Identifying the cost of prescription drugs as “an issue that won’t go away,” the governor encouraged state lawmakers and Wisconsin citizens to pressure the federal government to allow Wisconsin to import medicine from Canada in order to lower the price of drugs.

Doyle also asked the Legislature to approve a state-wide early-education plan as well as a job-training initiative to help Wisconsinites win higher-paying jobs.

As proof of the positive changes he has brought to Wisconsin over the year, Doyle pointed to the flurry of legislation he approved while governor.

“Last year, I signed 111 bills into law — almost twice as many as in 2002 and nearly three times as many as in 2001. The list of successes is long, and it is significant,” Doyle said.

The governor recognized several special audience members during his speech. After naming all nine Wisconsin soldiers who perished in Iraq this year, Doyle recognized the sacrifice of Rachel Bosveld, a 19-year-old who was the first Wisconsin woman killed in action in Iraq.