1-23-19 evers-state of the state address

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is calling for bipartisanship in his first State of the State speech Tuesday, urging Republicans who control the Legislature to take up the biggest issues facing the state, including increasing funding for schools and addressing health care concerns.  The battle over Evers’ budget proposal — a roughly $76 billion two-year spending plan — will be the central fight in the Legislature this year. The budget includes funding levels for K-12 schools, higher education, prisons, Medicaid and roads.  The governor, in the State of the State, said he wants lawmakers to take up his version of the budget rather than creating their own. Evers has said he would consider vetoing the entire budget if Republicans summarily reject what he proposes.  Evers also called for an emphasis on the economy, increasing the state’s share of funding for K-12 schools to two-thirds of costs, and improving the condition of roads and other infrastructure. Evers wants to increase funding for K-12 schools by $1.4 billion over the next two years, but Republicans have balked at the price tag.   The governor also wants to expand Medicaid coverage to about 75,000 more poor people, relying on federal money to save the state about $180 million a year. Republicans have long opposed accepting the federal Medicaid expansion, and in recent weeks have said any such proposal would be a non-starter.  Evers praised the Wisconsin Idea, the University of Wisconsin mission statement that says the purpose of the university is to improve people’s lives outside of the classroom. Former Gov. Scott Walker tried to remove the mission statement from state law in 2015, but amid a strong backlash later claimed it was a “drafting error” and dropped it.  Fixing the economy is also a priority, Evers said, and he referenced his calling on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to create an innovation and entrepreneurship committee to work with entrepreneurs and support innovation.