FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2018
Contact: [email protected] or 608-267-2560
MADISON – Today, Governor-elect Tony Evers released his testimony to the Joint Committee on Finance in opposition to legislation before the committee for extraordinary session.
Members of the Joint Committee on Finance:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony on the legislation before you today.
For the past year, I spent time traveling around the state talking with people about the things that matter most to Wisconsin families—issues like fully funding public education, fixing our crumbling roads and infrastructure, and ensuring that health care is affordable, accessible, and maximizes protections for people who have pre-existing conditions. The bottom line, though, is that the election this November was not just about these issues, and it was bigger than any name on the ballot.
The election was not about Republican values or Democratic values—it was about our Wisconsin values of decency, kindness, and finding common ground. It was about solving problems, not picking political fights.
On November 6th, Wisconsinites said they agree that we are more than the sum of our differences, and they said it is time for a change from divide-and-conquer politics. The people of Wisconsin asked us to stop putting politics first, they asked us for a government that works for them, and they asked us to set aside partisanship and political ambitions to work together on the pressing issues facing our state.
Yet, the legislation before you today and the spirit of this extraordinary session are unfettered attempts to override and ignore what the people of Wisconsin asked for this November. This is rancor and politics as usual. It flies in the face of democratic institutions and the checks and balances that are intended to prevent power-hungry politicians from clinging to control when they do not get their way.
That’s why today I am submitting this testimony in opposition to this legislation and the extraordinary session. I urge you to stop any and all attempts to override the people of Wisconsin by opposing any extraordinary session legislation, and to stop the extraordinary session going forward.
Wisconsinites expect more from our government than what is happening here today. I’ve said all along that I believe we can work together. I believe there is a lot of common ground we can find. I remain hopeful that we can rise to the occasion. That is what the people of Wisconsin expect from us, and that is what the people of Wisconsin deserve.
