Gavel In, Gavel Out: Legislative Republicans Miss Yet Another Opportunity to Help Wisconsin Families

MADISON, Wis. — Today, our state’s elected Republicans had an opportunity to put Wisconsinites first and act on Governor Evers’ forward facing plan for the Badger State’s budget surplus. Yet, GOP legislators let Wisconsin families down.

“It was incredibly disappointing to watch as Republicans in the Assembly and Senate gaveled in and immediately gaveled out of the special session called by Gov. Evers today,” said Chris Walloch, executive director of A Better Wisconsin Together. “These legislators have shown no regard for Wisconsin families at a time when we need our legislators to put politics aside and work together to create better communities for all.”

Gov. Evers’ plan called for a $150 tax rebate to every Wisconsin resident, and nearly $750 million delivered to our children’s education, higher education, and job training. Under Evers’ proposal, Wisconsin families would see more than $130 million in tax savings, which would mitigate the rising cost of child care across the state and take down employment barriers for caregivers.

“Our conservative controlled legislature today stood in the way of sending the state’s surplus funds back where they belong: to our families and into our schools,” Walloch continued. “The time is long overdue for Republicans in Wisconsin to work with our governor on putting money in families’ pockets, funding our children’s schools, and so much more. Their inability to work with Gov. Evers and other progressives is both unacceptable and immature.”

We’ve seen this idle obstructionism out of our state’s GOP before, with a WisPolitics media review from 2020 slating our Republican controlled legislature as the least active full-time state legislative body in the country. Last week, Assembly Republicans packed up their toys and went home – two weeks earlier than initially scheduled. The Republican controlled Senate is set to wrap up as soon as today, with 10 months still left in the year.

“Wisconsinites want leaders who deliver on the issues that matter most to us. We deserve leaders who will put politics aside and show up to work to do the right thing,” Walloch noted. “But right now, GOP inaction at the Capitol is costing Wisconsin families. Economic recovery in Wisconsin cannot wait, yet some Republicans are more interested in their own political advantage than helping the rest of us. Now is the time to support progressive measures from leaders like Gov. Evers, who are working to help all of us thrive – regardless of party lines.”