MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsinites will soon hear more about Gov. Tony Evers’ spending priorities for the next two years as he delivers his biennial budget address at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his biennial budget address to Wisconsinites and lawmakers on Tuesday, February 18 at 7 p.m.

  • During his State of the State address last month, Gov. Evers previewed several spending priorities, including $145 million to fight PFAS contamination, as well as more than $500 million to cut the cost of childcare and nearly $300 million to support mental health programs in schools

  • Just days before his budget speech, the governor also announced a more than $500 million plan to reform the state’s correctional system, with several major capital investments

Last month’s State of the State Address from the governor was a preview of his upcoming budget address in many ways.

Fighting PFAS and lead contamination is front and center, but so is lowering the cost of childcare and prescription drugs.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers who will be on the floor Tuesday all have their own ideas and will be listening for different priorities.

“He’s always been able to sign a budget that Republicans have sent to him, so I know that would probably be a goal that he would have,” Minority Leader Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, said. “I’m hoping that with more Democratic senators, we can be a part of the process earlier.”

After flipping 14 legislative seats, Democrats are ready to push for the governor’s priorities.

“I think his past budgets have really reflected what I hear from my constituents. Governor Evers, like our caucus, is focused on putting out this vision of what we want to see happen in Wisconsin while also taking opportunities to get things done when possible,” Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, explained.

Republicans said, so far, every budget has been a liberal wish list of spending.

“We continually tried to say to the governor, ‘Your starting position is not even reasonable, so give us a reasonable budget to begin with.’ Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to do that,” Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August, R-Walworth, said.

However, this time might be different for some Republicans. Before the start of the legislative session, State Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, told Spectrum News he wanted to hear solutions for the state’s problems with prisons.

“With the issues going on in corrections, how are you going to fix it? It’s happened under his watch. How’s he going to fix that? I’m hoping to hear that there [are] some reforms coming or some good ideas, whatever they might be, but there [are] some big problems in the state right now, and he needs to work on those,” Feyen said.

Just days before his budget address the governor revealed he does have a more than $500 million plan to pitch.

“Wisconsin spends more on corrections than most states, including all of our Midwest neighbors,” Gov. Evers told reporters during a press briefing on Friday. “That’s because, unlike red and blue states across our country, Wisconsin has refused to move our approach to corrections into the 21st century.”

You can watch the biennial budget address live on Spectrum News 1 beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

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