Before the final gavel, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos paid compliments to outgoing Minority Leader Peter Barca, calling him “someone who has worked to make this institution better.”

“You did your side proud,” said Vos, R-Rochester. “They will never know all of the things you got for them.”

Barca, D-Kenosha, responded that while he’s changing his position, he’s not changing his approach to lawmaking, something he said “probably makes people on both sides of the aisle sad.”

“We’ll be working together trying to elevate the debate, trying to make this a better institution and trying to make Wisconsin proud,” Barca said to a bipartisan standing ovation.

Barca is stepping down from his post as Dem leader at the end of the month after he was forced out of the position earlier this month.

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