I had the honor of providing the Republican response to Governor Evers’ state of the state address this week. Governor Evers took nearly an hour listing all the new government programs and spending he would like to enact. Surprisingly absent was any mention of his plan to address the issues that matter most to Wisconsin – like returning the budget surplus via tax cuts, ensuring our kids are properly taught how to read in school, and supporting federal immigration enforcement efforts for individuals who commit serious crimes in our communities.

While Governor Evers believes our largest one-time surplus in state history should be used to grow government, Republicans want to return it to the taxpayer. This session, we will work on giving our retirees a much needed income tax exemption and look for ways to hold down your property taxes and help struggling young families.

Right now, only 48% of students in Wisconsin are reading at grade level. While the State Department of Public Instruction will say that trend is reversing, it is only because they have significantly lowered the standards of proficiency. Republicans will pass legislation to bring our standards back to the baseline so results can be accurately tracked and schools held accountable for results.

Finally, Republicans will help President Trump fix the broken immigration system. Governor Evers and Democratic Sheriffs across the state have stated that they will limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. In the interest of public safety, Republicans will pass legislation requiring all law enforcement in Wisconsin to work with ICE to deport individuals in our jails who are here illegally if they commit a serious crime.

Lower costs for families, better education outcomes for kids, and punishing violent criminals are priorities we can all agree on and I look forward to leading on these issues this upcoming session.
You can view my full response below: