Contact: Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) 608-266-8546
MADISON, WI – Senator Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) offered the Democratic weekly radio address on Governor Evers’ pro-worker budget proposal.
The audio file of this week’s address can be found here:
A written transcript of the address is below:
https://sen32-shilling.cms.legis.wisconsin.gov/media/1260/smith-radio-address.mp3
“Hello, I’m State Senator Jeff Smith with this week’s weekly radio address.
“This week, communities across the state recognized workers of all stripes in annual celebrations dedicated to Wisconsin’s workers.
“Respecting workers has always been a deeply held Wisconsin value. Governor Tony Evers’ budget reestablishes Wisconsin’s long held tradition of supporting the hardworking men and women that contribute so much to the success of our state.
“In an effort to restore the state’s historic partnerships between management and labor, the governor’s budget restores prevailing wage law, repeals right to work, raises wages for workers, expands family and medical leave, officially ‘bans the box’ in Wisconsin, and allocates hundreds of thousands of dollars for workforce training programs within our corrections system.
“These budget proposals support fundamental Democratic principles. They give more Wisconsinites the opportunity to enjoy economic security and pride in their work.
“Governor Evers’ budget reverses many changes from the previous administration made over the past eight years that weakened the state’s tradition of championing workers, collective bargaining, and local control.
“It’s simple: We all benefit when we put workers first and respect their labor.
“Democrats are proud to support a budget that prioritizes workers and puts forth commonsense solutions to grow our economy.”