State Senator Bob Wirch says he’s skeptical that Gov.-elect Tony Evers will be able to keep all of his campaign promises. Both Wirch and Evers are Democrats.
Speaking on this past Saturday’s Community Matters program on WGTD, Wirch, who represents Kenosha and Racine, says the upcoming state budget could be problematic. "Some of his rhetoric during the campaign didn't add up, meaning he wants more money from the schools, more for infrastructure and oh by the way I'm not going to raise taxes," Wirch said. "I want to see how that's done."
To make the budget pieces fit, Evers has said he wants to scale back a tax credit for manufacturers, but Wirch says getting Republicans to agree will be an uphill battle.
On another issue, Wirch says he has concerns about granting tax credits to Kimberly-Clark Corp., a Wisconsin-based company that’s threatening to close a plant. Wirch says granting tax credits to a company that simply wants to retain jobs rather than expand would set a bad precedent.
Wirch says he’s excited to see who Gov.-elect Evers will name to lead the state Department of Natural Resources. A major issue in the gubernatorial race was an allegation from Evers that business interests and politics often times trumped environmental concerns within the agency that’s charged with protecting the environment. "What I'm very excited about is that he (Evers) will reinvigorate the DNR," Wirch said.
Wirch says he plans to try again to change how DNR secretaries are chosen. Wirch would like the Natural Resources Board, rather than the governor, to appoint the agency’s leader.
The full program from last Saturday is available on our website, wgtd-dot-org.
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