Walker, Republicans Can Move Quickly On Agenda
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker wants to move quickly in passing his second term agenda through a Legislature controlled by Republicans who tightened their grip on the majority with wins in the midterm election.
Walker told The Associated Press after being declared the winner of another term Tuesday that he wants to move fast on passing a budget, a process that typically doesn't wrap up until late June. No matter how quickly things move, just as he did the past four years, Walker will have a friendly Republican Legislature to work with.
Based on preliminary numbers, Republicans would have a 19-14 majority in the Senate, one better than last session. With that large of a cushion, the votes of more moderate Republicans like Sen. Luther Olsen, of Ripon, will carry less weight. With two races still too close to call Wednesday, Republicans were also on pace to increase their majority in the Assembly to as large as 63-36, up from the 60 seats they held going into the election.
"We look forward to passing our conservative agenda and delivering on our campaign promises of growing the economy and reforming government," Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement.
Walker said in an interview Wednesday on WTMJ-AM that he planned to meet soon with Vos and Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to talk about the legislative agenda.
"We had our party, had a couple Miller Lites and now I'm ready to roll," Walker said.
Walker outlined several priorities during his successful re-election campaign against Democrat Mary Burke.
He wants to continue to lower taxes on top of the $2 billion he cut them in his first term. Walker promised to reduce property taxes by 2018 below where they were in 2010, and make income taxes lower than they are currently.
Walker also wants to expand enrollment in the statewide private school voucher program, which is currently capped at 1,000 students, replace the Common Core academic standards, extend a University of Wisconsin tuition freeze and require drug tests for those requesting food stamps or unemployment benefits.
He's also floated the idea of instituting a new sales tax on gasoline, doing away with a franchise fee on gas that's there now, while not increasing the overall tax burden.
Walker stormed into office in his first term, pushing through his limits on public union collective bargaining just months after taking office. That fight brought massive protests, made Wisconsin the eye of the political fight over union power, and spurred the 2012 recall election Walker won.
For his second term, Walker isn't talking about anything pushing anything as divisive as that.
"For us, it's not so much looking for a big, bold thing," Walker said in an October interview. "It's steady growth in the things that have been successful."
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