State of the State; Gov. Evers gives final address, talks surplus debate

Gov. Evers gives final State of the State address

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday, pressing lawmakers to stay in session longer, reach a bipartisan deal on the $2.3 billion surplus, and gather in special session to start the process of a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering. Speaker Robin Vos called the speech "partisan."

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday, pressing lawmakers to stay in session longer, reach a bipartisan deal on the state's $2.3 billion surplus, and gather in special session to start the process of a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering. Speaker Robin Vos called the speech "partisan."

What we know:

The governor framed the speech around cooperation but acknowledged sharp disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over taxes and education funding.

Gov. Tony Evers at the State of the State address

"Giving working families a little more breathing room in their household budgets is something we’ve worked on together over the last seven years," he said. "I’m hopeful we can continue building upon those efforts this session, including reaching bipartisan agreement on a plan to get meaningful resources to K-12 schools and provide property tax relief. And it must balance these important obligations a heckuva lot better than the plan Republican leaders sent me this week."

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Evers used the address to reflect on his seven years in office, noting he has signed more than 800 bills passed by the Republican-led Legislature.

"Wisconsin is as purple as ever, but we’ve shown we can put politics aside and work together to get good things done. Compared to all of the chaos, dysfunction, and recklessness in Washington, here in Wisconsin, we’ve worked to lead by example," Evers said.

Among the bipartisan efforts he highlighted were a deal to fund American Family Field upgrades and repairs in exchange for the Milwaukee Brewers agreeing to stay in the city through 2050. He also spoke about the shared revenue agreement that boosted state aid for local governments.

"We worked together to keep Major League Baseball in Milwaukee until 2050, so future generations of Wisconsin’s kids will grow up rooting for the Brewers like so many of us have," said Evers.

"Thanks to our bipartisan efforts, Milwaukee is no longer on the brink of bankruptcy, and state support for most municipalities increased over 20% to help them meet basic and unique needs alike," he added.

The governor said he will call the Wisconsin Legislature into a special session this spring to start the process of a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering. He also said he would not hesitate to bring lawmakers back later this year, if needed. Lawmakers are getting ready to finish this year's session soon.

"I know the Legislature would rather hit the road and take the rest of the year off, but I’m going to ask lawmakers to stick around until our work here is finished," said Evers.

He also declared 2026 the "Year of the Neighbor" and announced the state will work with the Milwaukee Bucks on a new project.

"One of the things I’m jazzed to announce tonight is that my administration will be partnering with our own Milwaukee Bucks on a public campaign to help combat domestic violence across Wisconsin," announced the governor.

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Evers said he plans to deliver a farewell address later this year.

What they're saying:

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester):

"Tonight, Gov. Evers spent much of his speech blaming Republicans for problems that were directly caused by him and his administration. Our bipartisan budget had great accomplishments last summer, like $2 billion in property tax relief and meaningful investments in special education, public safety, and local roads. We still have room to make more progress in the coming days.

"The governor can talk about the ‘Year of the Kid’ all he wants, but those are empty words without action. His 400-year veto doesn’t help schools; it raises property taxes on hardworking Wisconsinites while creating another deterrent for schools to fix the root cause of their problems. These issues, including Wisconsin having more school districts than California and a drop in student population, could’ve been fixed by the Republicans’ school consolidation plan. Instead of working with us, he vetoed this plan and chose to ignore the need for reform by perpetuating a broken system.

"Wisconsin families are feeling the weight of his 400-year property tax increase. This comes as the costs of everyday necessities are growing and affordability becomes more challenging for households across the state. With a current $2.4 billion surplus, this money should go back to the taxpayers.

"Republicans have presented the governor with a meaningful plan to effectively utilize this surplus. Our plan includes an income tax rebate for single and joint filers, as well as significant investments in special education, schools and educators, and disaster relief.

"I look forward to working with the governor to do what we were sent to Madison to do – keep costs low and prioritize the people of Wisconsin."