WisPolitics.com

This episode aired Feb. 18, 2019.

The Republican-controlled Legislature passed a middle class tax cut last week. It includes using a surplus to pay for the cut. Now, the ball is in Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' court. He also is pushing for a tax cut — but to pay for it, he wants to virtually eliminate a manufacturing tax credit. There's been talk that Evers will veto the GOP tax plan, and unveil his own, in his budget address later this month.

WUWM's Marti Mikkelson asked JR Ross of WisPolitics.com about the issue in this week's Capitol Notes conversation. Ross says the "going bet" is that Evers will reject the Republican proposal, because he doesn't think it's properly funded.

This episode aired Feb. 11, 2019.

The Republican-controlled legislature is moving ahead with its plan for a middle class income tax cut. A bill passed out of committee last week and is scheduled for floor debate Tuesday and Wednesday. Lawmakers want to use a surplus to pay for the tax cut, while Gov. Tony Evers is pushing a plan to eliminate a tax credit for manufacturers.

How might this play out? JR Ross of WisPolitics.com, says Evers will likely veto the GOP plan, but then the legislature could override the veto. In response, Evers may put his plan into the budget and then it remains to be seen if Evers and lawmakers can reach a compromise on how to pay for the income tax cut.

This episode aired Feb. 4, 2019.

There was a lot of drama last week involving Foxconn. The Taiwanese electronics giant said it would shift the focus of the huge plant it's building in Racine County from manufacturing LCD screens -- to research and development. But, after a conversation between President Trump and Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, the company announced that LCD screen manufacturing at the plant is back on.

In this week's "Capitol Notes" conversation, JR Ross of WisPolitics.com says in essence, plans for the plant are back to where they were last summer. Foxconn signalled it would scale back the operation from making large LCD screens for flat screen TVs, to making smaller screens for electronic devices. The company is also talking about locating a research hub at the campus in Mount Pleasant. Ross says we probably won't know for years what the plant is going to be -- and whether Foxconn will make good on its promise to create up to 13,000 jobs.

In another development, the co-chairs of the Joint Finance committee announced the state will have more money to spend than expected in the next budget -- to the tune of $2.4 billion. Ross says his sources tell him that Gov. Evers is preparing a budget that will spend most of that money, on items like education or prison reform. But, the question is, what will Republicans accept and then what will Evers do with his veto pen?

And finally, Ross talked about conservative Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn, who came under fire last week for comments about abortion and homosexuality, that he made on his blog in 2005. Hagedorn is running against Appeals Court Chief Judge Lisa Neubauer in the April 2 election. Neubauer is backed by Democrats. Ross says it remains to be seen how this will play out at the polls. He says Hagedorn's comments could be used in campaign ads, to fire up the liberal base and drive turnout.

With calls for recreational marijuana in neighboring states, the WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take up Gov. Tony Evers' planned budget proposal to legalize medical marijuana.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

This week on the WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen discuss whether former Gov. Scott Walker is the future of the state GOP.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

With reports from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that tax revenues will drop this year, the WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, consider the budget process facing Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican Legislature.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

Gov. Tony Evers raised eyebrows last week when he announced in his first State of the State address that he was directing Attorney General Josh Kaul to withdraw Wisconsin from a federal lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.

Evers took back his comments, after Kaul said he has no authroity to do so. That's because the Republican-controlled Legislature passed laws last month which took away that power and gave it to lawmakers. Kaul is now asking the Joint Finance committee if it would approve getting the state out of the suit.

In this week's Capitol Notes conversation, WUWM's Marti Mikkelson asked JR Ross of WisPolitics.com if he thinks the committee will approve the request.

WUWM's Ann-Elise Henzl talks with JR Ross of WisPolitics.com for this week's Capitol Notes

After his first few weeks in office, the WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, weigh in on whether Gov. Tony Evers will find bipartisan agreement with the Legislature.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

The WisOpinion Insiders, Jensen & Chvala, evaluate Gov. Tony Evers' new cabinet.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.