(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s governor is ending 2023 with a literal victory lap.
Gov. Tony Evers on Friday said he once again visited all 72 counties in the state.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all of the Wisconsinites who’ve welcomed me over the last year to their classrooms and campuses, small businesses, organizations and everywhere in between. Our conversations together are why I’ll never stop working to do the right thing for Wisconsin and the people of our state, and I look forward to continuing our work to build the future we want for our state in 2024,” the governor said.
The 72-county announcement came just days after the governor released a laundry list of his accomplishments for the year.
“I’m still jazzed as hell that Wisconsinites elected me as their governor, and I’m proud we kicked off the first year of my second term with some of our most important work to date: building a strong economy that works for everyone, bolstering our workforce and preventing a collapse of our child care industry, doing what’s best for our kids and our schools, fixing the darn roads, expanding access to healthcare and trying to do the right thing every day,” Evers said.
The governor said he once again delivered for taxpayers and Wisconsin schools. He took credit for a near-record $7 billion surplus, a new shared revenue deal that will send more state tax money to local governments, and the governor patted himself on the back for the agreement that will keep the Brewers in Milwaukee until at least 2050.
But Republicans say the governor is taking credit for their successes.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Rep Bob Wittke, R-Racine, told The Center Square. “Other people judge you based on our results, not your intentions.”
Wittke says Republicans are the one who are responsible for Wisconsin’s record surplus.
“People forget the budget that he introduced. People should compare what he gave us vs. what they got now,” Wittke said. “We prevented the huge tax increase and spending increase that this governor wanted.”
Wittke said Republican lawmakers worked together, and with a number of Democrats in the legislature to deliver both the shared revenue agreement and the deal to keep the Brewers in town.
Wittke said Evers is now taking credit for signing his name on the proposals that lawmakers hashed out for months.
As for Evers’ claim of delivering for taxpayers, Wittke asked about the tax cuts from Republicans that would have given Wisconsin’s near-record surplus back to the taxpayers.
“When I hear delivering for taxpayers, I’ll ask one question? What about the $3.5 billion tax cut? Didn’t the governor veto that?” Wittke said.
