Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers unveiled his budget proposal for the 2025-2027 fiscal years on Feb. 24. But, the proposal has already been deemed “dead in the water” by State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, according to Wisconsin Watch.
This proclamation isn’t new. Evers and Vos have been at odds regarding budget and legislation issues since Evers was elected.
Ever since Evers took office in January 2019, Wisconsin Republicans have attempted to “lame duck” him, according to Marquette University Law School’s website. Introduced by former Gov. Scott Walker in the last few weeks of his term, this “lame ducking” rests on a set of three laws attempting to curb the authority of the Wisconsin Executive branch, transferring it to the Legislative branch. Evers has attempted numerous times to repeal the laws and once again, has proposed in his budget a return of powers to the Wisconsin Executive Branch.
The current budget proposal is $119 billion, an increase of $19 billion from the previous budget, and contains some familiar policies pushed by Evers in past budgets, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. But it also contains a few new and notable proposals, including but not limited to free tuition for Wisconsin resident Native Americans, the removal of taxing cash tips, state audits of health insurance companies and the creation of new tax brackets for millionaires in Wisconsin.
This budget proposal arrives at an inflection point in American politics, appearing on the heels of an election that saw a Republican trifecta at the national level. Recently, the federal government has participated in aggressive federal funding cuts, led by the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE has flipped Washington D.C. upside down, marking a transition from the Romney/Ryan era of Conservatism to a new breed of Trumpism within the Republican Party.
While these federal actions don’t represent the ideals of Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, these cuts and attitudes are reflective of many within the voting-age population of Wisconsin, especially among those who turned Wisconsin red this election cycle. Consequently, the extreme partisanship that limited Evers’ last four budgets will likely kick into overdrive as Republicans gain political hold over the behavior of state and local parties, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
In Wisconsin, some Republicans are already rallying behind Vos with criticisms for Evers’ budget, according to Wisconsin Watch. Of the four new additions to the budget, Republicans remain unlikely to offer significant support to most of the proposals other than the cash tips budget proposal, endorsed by the Trump campaign during election season.
On the other hand, Democrats are seeking a massive rebrand at the national, state and local levels. While Democrats have typically prioritized the representation of diverse interests within their constituencies, they are still looking to expand their reach. Simply endorsing tax-free cash tips will not suffice.
Democrats across the country have been adapting to the current political climate in new ways, according to The Washington Post. Most notable among these adaptations was a conversation between California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, and far-right political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk, in which the two agreed that transgender women should not be permitted to participate in cisgender women’s sports.
While this sparked immediate backlash from Democratic Party officials, it highlighted a division within the party on an issue that sharply separated them from Republican voters in the fall election. Gov. Newsom has openly attributed the election loss to differences in transgender policy between the two parties and suggests the Democrats aren’t open to oppositional opinions on the topic, according to The New York Times.
While this action is divisive, it is this type of action the Democrats need to take to find future success on both the national and state levels. This means that Evers, a bipartisanly popular governor, and the Wisconsin Democratic Party must take action to expand their reach. This does not necessarily have to be about transgender rights, but it could be like them calling for all tips to be tax-free. Ultimately, it must be done to help the Democratic Party advance its initiatives.
This is not to say the Democrats should roll over and accept Trump’s influence on modern Republican politics. But they do need to be adaptable and have a bit of give, like any other building or tree. They must be careful because too much giving will lead to a party with no integrity, the exact problem that causes buildings and trees to fall.
The Wisconsin State Legislature must pass a budget by June 30 of each odd year to fully fund the state government and its programs, according to Wisconsin Watch. Evers and the legislature will have the next 16 weeks to attempt to create a deal that fits the needs of the people and the political aspirations of their parties.
