Rep. Baldeh Reaction to Gov. Evers’ State of the State Address

January 23, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rep. Samba Baldeh

PHONE: (608) 237-9148

Rep. Baldeh Reaction to Gov. Evers’ State of the State Address

Governor Reviewed How Far We’ve Come, and the Road Ahead

MADISON – In reaction to Governor Tony Evers’ State of the State Address earlier this evening, State Representative Samba Baldeh (D-Madison) released the following statement:

“This evening, Governor Evers delivered yet another excellent State of the State Address, and laid out both how far we have come in the past year and how much work still remains to be done.

Today, Wisconsin is in the best financial position it has ever been. Our infrastructure is in the best shape it has been in years: as the Governor shared tonight, thousands of miles of roads and almost 2000 bridges have been improved under his watch, with 900 miles of road and 200 bridge improvements in just the last year.

We’ve also taken important strides in addressing the housing shortage that continues to affect communities across the state. Thanks to good, bipartisan work in the Legislature and Gov. Evers’ office, we’ve built 15,000 affordable housing units and we’re on track to invest over half a billion dollars in workforce housing in the years to come.

That said, Gov. Evers made clear that we must not lose sight of the work still to be done. While key investments in infrastructure and housing have set us up for success, we still face major workforce challenges. Gov. Evers reiterated tonight that affordable and accessible childcare remains key to addressing our workforce shortage, as does providing paid family and medical leave for workers throughout Wisconsin and providing key investments in public education at all levels. While the Governor was able to direct $170 million in emergency funds to temporarily help our childcare sector, and we were able to make some important investments in education, the Legislature still must work with Gov. Evers to build upon these initial investments and fully commit to these forward-thinking policies.

Unfortunately, Republicans have continued to reject these important policies, and withhold funding to address other critical priorities. I am sincerely hopeful that Republicans will come to the table to work with Democrats and Gov. Evers to adopt the plans outlined tonight, to address the key workforce issues impacting our communities, to clean up PFAS and protect our environment, and to make Wisconsin the most attractive place possible to live, work, and raise a family.

I appreciate the good work that Gov. Evers has done for our state over the years, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor to make our Wisconsin communities the best they can be!”

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23 Jan 2024