Wisconsin Governor’s State of the State a call to action

What is the state of our state? We will find out one version of that tomorrow, when Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers delivers his State of the State Address. It will be a call to action to the state legislature to deliver on the promises he made to voters on the campaign trial. Clearly, Evers’ vision of the state differs from that of the Republican-led legislature. But Evers was elected because people liked his vision for Wisconsin. Wisconsin is on solid ground, with a sound economy and low unemployment rate. Although we are still waiting to see whether Foxconn will become the 8th wonder of the world. There are a number of issues that Evers wants to see action on, including improving the state’s drinking water and closing the dark-store loophole, which allows big retailers to get their property taxes significantly reduced. The governor wants the legislature to approve the use of medical marijuana, and to enact gun-control measures, including universal background checks. It is understandable that the opposing party sees things differently. But that shouldn’t prevent us from having a debate over these differences. Legislative leaders should do their homework, and schedule debate on the important issues facing the state. Bills may not pass, but they should be debated. Perhaps one side could learn something from the other by actually having a conversation. The state of Wisconsin is strong. But more cooperation, and more listening, would make the state even stronger.