MILWAUKEE — With months of budget negotiations between Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-controlled legislature set to officially begin Wednesday night with Evers’ biennial budget address, there are signs of some potential broad stroke agreements.

“First, I’m looking at taxes,” said Dr. Anthony Chergosky, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. “We know the governor and the Republican-controlled legislature want to see a tax cut.”

Chergosky added there could be some earlier-than-expected agreements about school funding and funding for local governments.

As for how much politics could play a role in the negotiations this time around?

“There is an argument to be made that things might have cooled off a little bit [politically],” Chergosky added. “First off, as you mentioned, the election just happened... Secondly, the $7 billion surplus is going to be a big factor in potentially easing along some negotiations — it’s very hard when you have to negotiate to cut things from government but it’s quite easy to negotiate, potentially, when you have a surplus of money and can use the extra money on things that everyone wants.”

Watch the full interview above.