Politics in Wisconsin in 2015: Governor Scott Walker's short-lived presidential bid stole the show
MADISON -- Gov. Scott Walker's presidential aspirations dominated the state's political landscape in 2015, a year when Wisconsin controversially became a right-to-work state.
Governor Scott Walker says "no" to Kenosha casino project
Walker, who has previously done "year-end" interviews to reflect on his work as governor, declined a request this month through a spokeswoman.
"We are evaluating the schedule and looking into the possibility of scheduling some interviews focused on looking at the year ahead after the first of the year," said the spokeswoman, Laurel Patrick.
Walker generated headlines early in the year by denying the Menominee Tribe's application to build an $800 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on the old Dairyland Greyhound Park ground in Kenosha.
Eighteen months of negotiations were scuttled over concerns that the state would have to reimburse the Potawatomi Tribe for potential lost revenue at its Milwaukee casino.
Proposed Hard Rock Casino for Kenosha
"There were more than 100 million reasons why we had to make this decision," Walker said on January 23rd, referencing claims that a Kenosha casino would expose taxpayers to a potential $100 million risk.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of neighboring Racine County opposed Walker, saying after the deal was dead that "every once in awhile, even somebody that you're really good friends with gets it wrong." Assembly Democratic leader Peter Barca of Kenosha also criticized the governor's decision.
Governor Scott Walker at Iowa Freedom Summit
The day after killing the casino deal, Walker's status as a presidential contender was born at the Iowa Freedom Summit, a proving ground for potential candidates.
"We weren`t afraid to go big and go bold," Walker told the crowd of his Wisconsin record. The speech made Walker a frontrunner, but he made decisions shortly after that would ultimately doom his future presidential campaign.
In early February -- still five months before he would officially become a presidential candidate -- questions emerged about Walker's readiness.
"I'm going to punt on that one as well," Walker infamously said when asked about his views on evolution during a trip to London.
Governor Scott Walker delivers state budget
That month, the governor proposed his two-year budget earlier than he had in previous years, hoping to get a jump-start on the process with a presidential campaign looming.
Walker told lawmakers during his February 3rd budget address that his budget plan "will help restore that American dream in Wisconsin." It left lawmakers grumbling. Republicans balked at Walker's request to borrow $1.3 billion to fund the state's road projects.
Republicans focused on passing right-to-work legislation, which Walker had previously said would be a distraction to other issues facing the state.
Protest at Capitol in Madison over right-to-work legislation
"When you have the votes, you go to the floor. You don`t wait around," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said in February. The move brought unions back to Madison -- but this time, the protests were smaller than they were during the battle over Act 10 five years earlier.
The Legislature passed the bill, which allows people to work at union shops without paying fees to the union, and Walker signed it into law.
Lawmakers were then faced with a looming crisis: the possibility of Milwaukee losing its professional basketball franchise without financing for a new arena to replace the aging BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Bucks arena funding plan
Yet outstate lawmakers opposed Walker's initial plan, which called for the state to float $220 million in bonds for the project.
So a group of Milwaukee County and state leaders came up with a new funding plan and the less-than-inspiring catchphrase "Cheaper to keep them." At a news conference June 4th -- and throughout the arena funding debate -- supporters said Wisconsin stood to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue if the Bucks left.
By August, lawmakers had pulled the arena funding out of the overall budget and passed it separately. They committed $250 million in public money to the project, a number that could grow to $400 million with interest. The Bucks' current and former owners have pledged $250 million.
• The arena and entertainment live block anchor an ambitious new vision activated by sports, entertainment, residential and office uses. • Fronting existing Fourth Street and proximate to Old World Third Street, the site connects to the greater Milwa
Over the summer, Republicans quietly sought to gut the state's open records law. Under the proposal, members of the public would not be able to see many communications and records that government officials maintain.
After an outcry from public record advocates and members of both parties, legislative Republicans backed away from the plan. By the end of 2015, open records had again been curtailed by a separate state board. That change is now under review.
On July 13, Walker officially entered the presidential race, delivering a speech to thousands of supporters at the Waukesha County Expo Center.
Governor Scott Walker announces bid for president
"Now more than ever, America needs a president who will fight and win for America," Walker said.
Walker's poll numbers plummeted after lackluster debate performances and the emergence of businessman Donald Trump's candidacy. His fundraising dried up, and his campaign was reportedly $1 million in debt when he quit the race on September 21st.
Governor Scott Walker speaks during presidential debate
Independent observers have said it was the third-shortest presidential bid of any candidate since 1972.
Meanwhile, Republicans had new plans at the state Capitol, including a bill that would eliminate and replace the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board -- the state's top government watchdog. Republicans also loosened the state's campaign finance limits and limited the authority of prosecutors to conduct John Doe investigations into alleged political misconduct.
Governor Scott Walker suspends campaign for president
Walker has been clear that he doesn't want to talk about his failed presidential bid that dominated Wisconsin politics in 2015.
"Our state motto is 'forward.' I`m going to talk about what`s forward, not backwards," Walker said on September 25th, during his first public appearance since exiting the race.