Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Weekly Radio Address, Highlights New 2026 Legislative Agenda

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 01/15/2026 11:00 AM CST
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 15, 2026
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Delivers Weekly Radio Address, Highlights New 2026 Legislative Agenda
Governor urges bipartisan support to pass massive $1 billion property tax relief plan, increase K-12 school funding, lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors and families, cut red tape to help speed up affordable housing projects, support Wisconsin veterans and farmers, and fight PFAS statewide and renew the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, among other key priorities
Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address, highlighting his legislative agenda for the remaining 11 months of 2026 and the current 2025-27 Legislative Session. The governor, in a letter to members of theWisconsin State Legislature, urged legislators to continue building upon the historic bipartisan accomplishments of 2025, which included negotiating and passing a bipartisan state budget, and to work across the aisle on several key priorities, including a massive property tax relief plan that would prevent property tax increases for average Wisconsin homeowners, increases to K-12 school funding, plans to lower out-of-pocket costs for working families and seniors, including eliminating the sales tax on several household goods and over-the-counter medications, capping the cost of insulin copays at $35, cutting red tape to speed up affordable housing projects, among other key priorities.

Gov. Evers and Republican leaders last year negotiated and passed a bipartisan budget that made meaningful investments in Wisconsin’s kids at every age, from early childhood to K-12 to the state’s higher education institutions. Despite these bipartisan investments, the final budget sent to the governor’s desk was drastically different than the one that he had proposed, and Republican lawmakers who control the state’s budget committee refused to approve several of the governor’s funding requests aimed at addressing statewide issues, as outlined in the governor’s letter.

The governor’s letter comes as Wisconsin closed the last fiscal year with nearly $4 billion in the state’s general fund, which is like the state’s checking account, and $2 billion in the ‘rainy day’ fund. Additionally, the Department of Revenue expects that new projections will soon be released showing state revenue will be much higher than previous estimates expected.

The governor’s letter to members of the Wisconsin State Legislature is available here and urges bipartisan support for commonsense plans to: 
  • Provide property tax relief and prevent property tax increases for Wisconsin homeowners 
  • Deliver on the governor’s promise to do what’s best for our kids 
    • Invest the necessary funding to achieve agreed-upon percentages for special education funding of 42 percent in 2025-26 and 45 percent in 2026-27 are met or, alternatively, to make the appropriation sum sufficient as Gov. Evers has repeatedly proposed. 
  • Lower out-of-pocket costs for working families and seniors 
    • Cut healthcare costs and crack down on health insurance companies and price gouging; 
    • Lowering prescription drug prices; 
    • Eliminating the sales tax on everyday household items; and 
    • Provide postpartum coverage for moms to improve infant-maternal health. 
  • Support Wisconsin farmers and veterans in the midst of chaos in Washington 
    • Ensure homeless veterans have access to the housing resources they need;and
    • Support farmers and processors as trade wars and tariffs wreak havoc. 
  • Ensure access to safe and clean drinking water and protect Wisconsin’s natural resources 
    • Comprehensively address PFAS contamination to ensure clean, safe drinking water across the state; and 
    • Reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and protect the state’s natural spaces and resources. 
  • Cut red tape, save taxpayer dollars, and improve services for Wisconsinites 
    • Invest in quality, accessible, and affordable housing to continue building the 21st-century workforce Wisconsin needs to support a 21st-century economy; 
    • Support Wisconsin’s workforce by restoring resources for license and credential processing; 
    • Eliminate restrictions to enable retired and experienced workers to rejoin the state’s workforce; 
    • Reduce FoodShare payment errors to save Wisconsin taxpayers from hundreds of millions in future costs; and 
    • Address outstanding 2025-27 state budget needs and changes for implementation. 
  • Reform Wisconsin’s justice system and keep kids, families, and communities safer 
    • Resolve longstanding barriers to safety and security in Wisconsin’s correctional institutions by realigning the state’s adult correctional system; 
    • Ensure individuals reentering communities have the skills to join the workforce; 
    • Invest in combating domestic and intimate partner violence and support survivors; and 
    • Keeps kids, families, and communities safer by reducing crimes involving guns. 

Hello! Governor Tony Evers here.

This week, I laid out my agenda for 2026 and the work we must get done for the people of Wisconsin this year.

Things are simply not affordable, and paychecks aren’t going as far as they used to, so a top priority in 2026 must be addressing rising costs.

I'm calling on the Legislature to approve my plan to address skyrocketing healthcare costs, crack down on price gouging for healthcare, prescriptions, and insulin, and eliminate the sales tax on everyday household items.

I'm also asking the Legislature to join me in providing property tax relief for Wisconsin homeowners and for working families, veterans, and seniors across our state.  

  

Together, we must do more to support our farmers and veterans in the wake of continued chaos and uncertainty out of D.C.

We must work to ensure homeless veterans have access to housing resources they need and invest in programs to help farmers and processors as trade wars and tariffs wreak havoc.

I'm also urging the Legislature to join me in reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and finishing our work to get critical funding out the door to address PFAS contamination.

My plans for 2026 also include cutting red tape, saving taxpayers' dollars, and improving services for Wisconsinites so government works and works better for the people we serve.

And we must do more to keep our kids, families, and communities safe by reforming our adult correctional system and preventing crime and reducing violence—including domestic violence and gun violence.

We have proven that, despite these divisive times, we still believe in working together to get good things done for the people we serve.   

  

I'm hopeful that the Legislature is ready to get back to work, continue working together, and spend the next 11 months of the legislative session building upon the bipartisan successes we had last year.

Thank you very much.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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