Armstrong Responds to State of the State Address
MADISON, WI – Rep. Dave Armstrong (R-Rice Lake) joined his fellow legislators at the State Capitol Tuesday night to hear Gov. Tony Evers’ annual State of the State address.
“This is the third State of State address Governor Evers has given since I began my Assembly service,” Representative Armstrong said. “And while he may be correct that Wisconsin is in the ‘greatest fiscal position in [its] history’, he once again failed to mention that we enjoy our current budget surplus not because of his four years in office, but in spite of them.
“The State of Wisconsin almost certainly would not be in the strong fiscal position it is today if the Legislature had ignored our responsibilities and simply rubber-stamped Governor Evers’ budgets or answered his calls for gimmicky special sessions. In addition, the Governor failed to recognize that a lot of the money making up the current surplus is one-time money. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so my colleagues and I will need to ensure that any expenditures are money well and smartly spent.
“One area I do agree with Governor Evers is the need for increased investment in broadband, particularly in rural areas like northwestern Wisconsin. There are other areas for agreement, too – particularly supports for startups and small businesses – but the devil is in the details, and I will do my duty to the residents of the 75th Assembly District by carefully reviewing the Governor’s budget proposal when he submits it in February.”
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