Rep. Shankland: Response to Governor Walker’s State of the State Address 

By The City Times

MADISON – Following Governor Walker’s 2018 State of the State address today, Rep. Katrina Shankland (D–Stevens Point) released the following statement:

“Throughout his term in office, Governor Walker has repeatedly neglected – and even outright rebuffed – the needs and priorities of working Wisconsin families. Now, in an election year, the governor is scrambling to throw together Band-Aid policy proposals to try to patch up his seven-year record of failure. He sees the writing on the wall – that Democratic ideas have widespread public support. That’s why he is copying and pasting Democratic proposals after fumbling the ball for years.

“I’m disappointed that Governor Walker continues to ignore some of our state’s most pressing issues. Our roads are among the worst in the nation, and yet the governor has failed to act for two budgets in a row. We should be addressing stagnant wages, widespread contaminated drinking water, and the student loan debt crisis. We need to lead on childcare and healthcare affordability, retirement security, paid family leave, and earned sick days. These are the bread and butter issues that Wisconsin families care about, and they should be at the forefront of any governor’s policy platform.

“I hear from working families every day who ask that state government fulfill its most basic functions – fund our roads, schools, and universities. Instead, they see their tax dollars going to projects and tax giveaways that benefit special interests more than them. The governor should ask himself who his policies are helping. I can answer that – political donors, special interests, and out-of-state billionaires.

“We need a Working Families First agenda, not a special interest one. Democrats will continue to champion ideas that solve the problems keeping families up at night.”