MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today announced he will kick off his statewide budget listening session tour at Einstein Middle School in Appleton to hear directly from Wisconsinites on the issues that matter to them as he prepares his 2025-27 executive budget. Topics covered in the sessions include pressing issues facing Wisconsinites and their families, such as addressing rising costs and national inflation; supporting kids and public schools; ensuring healthcare is affordable and accessible; investing in high-speed internet and the state’s infrastructure and transportation systems; conservation and protecting Wisconsin’s natural resources; and bolstering the state’s workforce and building an economy that works for everyone.

“Just like in any Wisconsin household, our state budget is a reflection of our priorities, and since Day One and Budget One, my administration has been committed to ensuring that every Wisconsinite has the opportunity to make their voice heard in the budget drafting process and that we are crafting a budget that reflects the priorities and the will of the people,” said Gov. Evers. “We have big budget challenges ahead of us, Wisconsin, from bolstering our workforce and reducing barriers to work, preventing our child care industry from collapse, investing in our kids and our schools, ensuring folks have accessible, affordable healthcare, and continuing our work to fix the darn roads and connect Wisconsinites to high-speed, affordable internet. These conversations will help guide our path forward to find solutions to the challenges we face, and I look forward to hearing from Wisconsinites in the weeks ahead.”

Gov. Evers has hosted listening sessions for the last three consecutive biennia to provide an opportunity for individuals to share their ideas and give feedback on the state’s biennial budget and for the governor to hear about pressing issues affecting Wisconsinites and their families and how the state can best support local communities. Unlike typical listening sessions, the governor’s listening sessions involve facilitated, smaller group discussions that allow participating Wisconsinites to engage in conversation and dialogue with other Wisconsinites who share or have different perspectives on an issue as Gov. Evers, members of the Evers Administration and the governor’s cabinet, and other state and local elected leaders have the opportunity to learn and listen.

Additional dates, times, and locations will be announced in the coming days.

All participants should register to attend using the link below. Wisconsinites are also welcome to submit written comments on any topic at any time before or after the listening sessions here. Members of the press who plan to attend should RSVP in advance of the listening sessions to [email protected].

An ASL interpreter will be available at the in-person listening sessions. To request additional accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].

Budget Listening Session in Appleton
Mon., Dec. 2, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
Register to attend here.

An online version of this release is available here.