| Contact: EversPress@wisconsin. |
| “Having these kinds of roundtable conversations with our community is really important” |
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GREEN BAY — Governor-elect Tony Evers, Lt. Governor-elect Mandela Barnes, and transition policy staff heard from Fox Valley residents who attended the first “Building the People’s Budget” event at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Governor-elect Evers and his team are focused on building a budget that reflects the values and priorities of the residents of Wisconsin. As part of the process, they’ve invited Wisconsinites to share their ideas on how best to tackle the problems we face and improve our state. Transportation, public education, healthcare, and jobs were among the highest priority issues for attendees in Green Bay. Fox Valley residents welcomed the opportunity to be heard during the listening sessions. “The budget session facilitated really good conversations with the entire crowd,” said Tehassi Hill, Tribal Chairman, Oneida Nation. “Having these kinds of roundtable conversations with our community is really important.” Joan Swigert, a retired teacher from Green Bay added, “It’s really important for people to have a voice and I think it’s going to take a while to being used to having a voice. A lot of ideas are coming together and this format worked really well for that.” In small groups facilitated by transition policy staff to ensure meaningful feedback and discussion, attendees also expressed their opinions on natural resources, criminal justice reform, entrepreneurship, and renewable energy. “The people of Wisconsin made their voices clear when they elected me as governor — they want to see a responsible budget that begins to fix our crumbling roads and infrastructure, fully fund our public schools, and address skyrocketing healthcare costs in Wisconsin,” said Governor-elect Evers. “I’m encouraged by the great conversations we had in Green Bay and look forward to hearing from Wisconsinites around the state in the coming days. Through this process of hearing directly from the people we will build a budget that reflects the values and priorities of the residents of Wisconsin.” If you are unable to attend a listening session in person, but would still like to offer feedback, please submit your thoughts using this form. About the ‘Building the People’s Budget’ Tour The statewide tour began on Tuesday, December 11, in Green Bay and will end next week in Milwaukee. Each session is open to the public and will give participants the ability to share their budget priorities directly with Governor-elect Evers, Lt. Governor-elect Barnes, and transition policy staff. |
