Introduction
I’ll be honest. I did not expect Tony Evers to beat Scott Walker. Hearing things like “ He’s boring or the man is to old” really dampened my spirits of potentially beating Scott Walker. Mixed with the fact that he would have to contend with a overwhelming Republican majority in the State Legislature.
The 2018 Gubernatorial election was more like a Presidential Election to me. I sat up very late. Can’t remember how late watching the results. Seeing how Walker was under performing in his own strongholds gave me hope. Then Walker conceded and Ever’s was sworn in as Governor in early January.
For this piece. I will focus on what Governor Evers actually put his signature on. This is not a rehash of campaign promises.
Bill on Suicide Prevention
The governor signed Assembly Bill 528, which will create grant funding for peer to peer suicide prevention programs. The bill would train students to recognize when their peers are going through a mental health crisis, and prepare them to act appropriately. (1)
Creating a peer to peer suicide prevention could also help prevent school shootings/bullying and other unfortunate acts that happen in our schools. If our states children get the training and education they deserve it will definitely help them later in life.
We all know what the path to destruction is. Drugs, Alcohol and Prison. Wisconsin spends around $40,000 per inmate and around $12,000 per pupil. So how is it conservative to spend money to lock someone up vs get them the education and training to help them live a successful life.
Now, is creating a peer to peer suicide prevention program the magic pill that saves our kids? Of course not. Is it a step in the right direction? Absolutely!
Repealing Miller Park Sales Tax
For the past 20 plus years, Residents of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Racine and Ozaukee have paid an extra 0.1% in extra sales tax to fund the Miller Park Stadium. Governor Evers signed a bill that will eliminate the tax by August 31.
This was a easy bill to sign for Evers. The tax was never popular and he can go into Republican territory and say he cut taxes with this piece of legislation.
Emergency Services.
Governor Evers signed Assembly Bill 137. It allows pharmacists to administer vaccines if they complete a 12-hour course, as long as it's approved by the Council for Pharmacy Education. Pharmacists will also be able to administer vaccines to children under 6, with a prescription from a physician. (1)Assembly Bill 471 allows grant funds to improve emergency services technology, such as using 911, to make communities safer. (1)
Health care is a central part to making America thrive. Citizens are having to choose between paying the mortgage or getting their prescription. A majority of bankruptcies are for medical reasons. Some say Medicare for all is the answer. Others say that we should expand on the Affordable Care Act. As of now dependents can stay on their parents insurance until they are 26. Maybe increasing that to 28, give them an extra two years. Will that solve everything of course not.
Conclusion
The first year Governor Walker had one party control and signed major conservative “ reforms” that sparked massive protests and Wisconsin had a bunch of recall elections including the states highest office.
Are any of these bills that will get progressives excited? No. Will a person up in Eau Claire care about the Miller Park Tax? Probably not.Will any of these bills improve people’s lives in Wisconsin? Definitely. Think about it. He is trying to prevent the next tragedy by creating peer to peer programs. Increasing access to Vaccines and cutting taxes. I have said before you can cut taxes while investing in programs that work.
Evers has an approval rating of around 50%. I am excited to see what Evers can do in his second year or what he can do with a legislature that is more cooperative to his agenda.
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