Gov. Tony Evers met with grassroots supporters at Colectivo Coffee on State Street Tuesday evening to discuss his campaign and encourage students to vote.
Many of the people in attendance were University of Wisconsin students. At the meeting, Evers focused on three major points of his campaign — public education funding, abortion and marijuana legalization.
Evers recently announced a new $90 million investment in public education, as well as a proposed additional $2 billion as part of the 2023-2025 budget. Funding was diverted to increase mental health services in public schools, which Evers said has been more important after reports of poor mental health among high school students increased dramatically during the pandemic.
This is in contrast to Evers’ gubernatorial opponent Tim Michels, who said increased funding was ‘the definition of insanity,’ according to Evers.
Evers stated that access to abortions and reproductive autonomy is another priority for his campaign, and that the 1849 law that essentially criminalized all abortions was meant to strip women of their rights.
“The women in this room became second-class citizens overnight,” Evers said. “We have to change this — I do not support this law.”
Additionally, the number of women crossing state borders to access reproductive health has increased tenfold since Roe v. Wade was overturned earlier this summer, Evers said.
Finally, Evers focused on marijuana legalization. He said he uses his pardoning power to help those who have been incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.
Evers said while speaking with Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker, Pritzker stated he was glad Wisconsin has not yet legalized marijuana, as Wisconsinites who cross the border to buy marijuana legally increase Illinois’s revenue through taxes that can be levied on marijuana products.
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According to CBS Chicago, Illinois collected $445.3 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales this fiscal year.
Evers ended his time by encouraging listeners to convince their friends to vote in the midterm election Nov. 8, whether they would vote for him or not.
Voter turnout tends to decrease by 20% between presidential and midterm elections, UW College Democrats Chair Kevin Jacobson said at the beginning of the event.
Gov. Evers is a UW alumnus and served on the UW System Board of Regents for 11 years.
“I’m always going to be a Badger,” Evers said.
