Now that the dust has settled after Tuesday’s election, Wisconsin Republicans are laying out their plans.
The GOP again controls the governor’s office and Legislature, and the party has increased its majorities in both the state Senate and Assembly.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rep. Robin Vos, says the party’s agenda is focused on three priorities.
1. Create Better Climate For People To Get & Keep A Job
Vos says that a better climate for jobs is created by reducing unnecessary regulations, reducing the tax burden and "most importantly, ensuring that everybody who wants to work is able to do so by a combination of having more money available for worker training and giving people an opportunity to learn the skills."
"If they’re in a tough situation, perhaps if they’re on drugs – additional treatment," Vos says. "If they’re just getting out of prison, having an opportunity to have the state partner with private sector to get them a job so they don’t return to a life of crime."
2. Ensure Great Schools In Wisconsin
Vos supports a statewide school voucher program, so any parent can get a taxpayer-funded subsidy to send their child to private school.
“Assembly Republicans have always been on the side of giving kids more choices to leave a failing public school,” he says. “Now, I went to public school. The vast majority of schools in the state that are public are doing a good, if not excellent, job. But there are some clunkers out there who need to have either additional resources to turn themselves around and hopefully give parents an opportunity to not be stuck in that school, but really get more choices for their kids.”
In terms of accountability for private voucher schools, Vos points out that every student who is funded with public dollars takes the same assessment so parents can determine which schools are doing best. The speaker says he also wants a grading system for public and private schools.
3. Cut State Spending With A Focus On Entitlement Programs
Vos says if people are in tough times, the state will help them.
“But, I think everybody listening knows that there is inherent fraud in the system that really hasn’t been rooted out and that undermines the confidence of citizens in the entire system if we don’t fix it,” Vos says.
He wants the state to begin drug testing people on public assistance and require those receiving unemployment benefits for more than 12 weeks to work at least 20 hours a week.
