MADISON – State Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) recorded the following response to the State of the State Address delivered by Governor Tony Evers:
“Governor Evers spent much of his State of the State Address touting a strong economy. This can be easy to do when the state is looking at a record surplus (over $7 billion, according to recent estimates). But we have to keep in mind that the average Wisconsinite does not feel confident about our economy. In fact – Wisconsin households and small businesses have been coping with inflation at or above 6% for the last 20 months. Legislative Republicans are committed to working on ways to make Wisconsin’s cost of living more affordable.
“While the unemployment rate may be low, Wisconsin employers continue to face a persistent workforce shortage nonetheless. In fact, over 100,000 job openings are available on the Wisconsin Jobs website today. We have an aging population here in Wisconsin, so it follows that we have an aging workforce. What this means is we need to find innovative ways to attract new, able-bodied individuals to work in Wisconsin, and Legislative Republicans will get to work on doing just that.
“What was noticeably absent from the governor’s speech was anything about public safety. Violent crimes continue to rise in southeastern Wisconsin. Republicans will be committed to providing support for law enforcement.
“Our priority for this session will be continuing our work to make Wisconsin a great place to live and do business. In the coming weeks, we will continue to hear Gov. Evers’ plans for increased spending in our state. I am committed to providing transformational tax relief and making smart investments for Wisconsin that we can continue to afford in the long run.”
