Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Weekly Radio Address, Highlights 2025 Accomplishments

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 01/08/2026 10:47 AM CST
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2026
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Delivers Weekly Radio Address, Highlights 2025 Accomplishments
 
Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, in celebration of 2025 coming to an end and a new year ahead, reflected on his administration’s efforts over the past year to serve Wisconsinites in every corner of the state and highlighted several administration-wide accomplishments for 2025, including efforts to support Wisconsin’s kids and families during the Year of the Kid, as declared by the governor in January 2025.

Among Gov. Evers’ and the Evers Administration’s 2025 accomplishments include: signing 82 bills into law, including the bipartisan, pro-kid 2025-27 Biennial Budget; creating a statewide Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention; approving a new emergency rule to combat lead poisoning statewide; ending fiscal year 2025 with a positive ending balance of $4.6 billion in the General Fund—the state’s main checking account—exceeding previous estimates by over $265 million; celebrating Wisconsin’s third consecutive record-breaking year of tourism economic impact; granting over 1,800 pardons since 2019; securing the largest investment for the University of Wisconsin System in nearly two decades; increasing the Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program and saving approximately 15,000 Wisconsin families around $174 per month on average on child care costs; moving forward with his comprehensive correctional facilities plan announced earlier this year to close Green Bay Correctional Institution and Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools as a youth facility; celebrating his 49th back-to-school season with kids, educators, school-staff, and families across the state; completing his annual 72-county statewide tour for the sixth time as governor; improving more than 9,600 miles of road and 2,400 bridges since 2019; continuing efforts to build more than 30,000 units of housing since 2019, and much more.

In addition to Gov. Evers’ many accomplishments during 2025 the Year of the Kid, the governor fought to ensure the over 700,000 Wisconsinites, and 270,000 kids who rely on Wisconsin FoodShare, also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), received their critical benefits for the month of November after Republican’s federal government shutdown—the longest federal government shutdown in the nation’s history—delayed these funds for folks and families across the nation.

A comprehensive but not exhaustive list of Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration’s 2025 accomplishments is available here. 

Hey there, folks! Governor Tony Evers here.

2025 was a really big year in our state. So, as we look back on 2025, here are just a few things I am proud of this year.

I declared 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin because I’ve always believed that what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. And from clean water to affordable housing, we did a whole lot of good for our kids.

That included the creation of our new statewide Office of Violence Prevention. Violence, whether it’s gun violence or domestic violence, is a statewide issue that deserves a statewide response.

I also signed our biennial budget into law, which was a great pro-kid budget, with investments in our kids at every age and every stage, from early childhood to K-12 through college.

That budget also included important investments in our farmers, cut taxes for middle-class families and retirees, lowered out-of-pocket costs by eliminating the sales tax on utility bills, and continued our work to fix the darn roads. 

And the budget wasn’t the only thing I signed into law. All told, I signed 82 bills into law this year, proving that despite these polarizing times, we can still get good work done in the state of Wisconsin.

I also wrapped up another 72-county tour of our state, getting to every single county to visit with local leaders, business owners, educators, farmers—you name it.

Now, it wasn’t all positive this year; we also had a lot of chaos and uncertainty out of D.C., but I’m proud of the work we did here in Wisconsin to protect against that chaos.

We joined countless lawsuits against the Trump Administration’s reckless and frankly illegal actions and protected critical food assistance for hungry kids, families, and seniors.

So, as 2025 comes to a close, we’ve got much work ahead of us, but I look forward to continuing our work in the year ahead to keep Wisconsin moving, as always, Forward. Thank you.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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