Gov. Scott Walker released a video Monday featuring conversations with state residents about his top budget priorities.
Titled “Budget Priority: Reform Government,” Walker’s video featured his main goal this session as making the government work more efficiently.
“There’s still too much in government we’re not doing efficiently enough,” Walker said, as he asked citizens what they would like to see improved.
This short episode is a glimpse into Walker’s series of “Talk With Walker” events he has been delivering across the state, in which he spoke directly to citizens and asked what they believed to be Wisconsin’s main priorities.
In the video, Wisconsinites voiced concern about supporting businesses, educational innovation and taxation.
Walker emphasized in the video the importance of small and mid-sized businesses to the state economy and his efforts to assure their success. He said he wants to help such businesses expand.
Walker pointed to recent changes made to the Small Business Regulatory Advisory Council in the video. Once made up primarily of government appointees, the council is now composed mainly of small business appointees, Walker said.
The committee provides a voice for small businesses in the state and advises all sorts of issues regarding policies impacting them, according to the video.
Developing this new and more relevant makeup, Walker proudly touted the positive progress members have made. According to the video, the new committee has identified more than 300 regulations to be reviewed so far.
In the video, Walker also advocated his Ready, Set, Build! initiative, which identifies properties in the state available for development. He said this will attract more business to the state and advance interested companies’ building processes.
Some of Walker’s other priorities include developing the Wisconsin workforce, improving educational standards and creating more jobs, according to the video.
In the video, Walker said the state has made progress since the last budget address, from last session’s $3.6 billion deficit to this session’s millions of dollars of surplus, and he also spoke to Wisconsin’s ability to see these priorities fulfilled.
Walker will deliver his formal budget address to the Legislature Feb. 20.