Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Governor Tony Evers on March 9th, delivered the Democratic Radio Address highlighting his budget initiatives, shared last month in his 2023-25 Biennial Budget Message, to expand access to affordable child care and create a first-of-its-kind Wisconsin Paid Family Leave Program.

Hey there, Governor Tony Evers here.

I recently introduced my 2023-25 biennial budget—a budget about solutions, not wish lists. It’s about getting back to basics and about doing the right thing.

We have a plan to bolster our state’s workforce, maintain our economy’s momentum, and build a Wisconsin that works for everyone—and that plan includes making sure parents can put their kids and families first.

A critical part of that is making sure working families have access to affordable child care—I hear it every place I go.

54 percent of Wisconsinites live in a child care desert, where there are few to no high-quality options for child care in their neighborhood or community. And even if there is a nearby child care provider, it still might not be affordable for a working family.

So, I’m delivering on my promise to expand the Child and Dependent Care Credit, which will provide nearly $30 million in tax relief to more than 100,000 Wisconsinites.

I’m also calling on the Legislature to join me in continuing our successful Child Care Counts and Partner Up! programs.

These programs have been making a real difference in keeping child care affordable and accessible for working families, but the federal funds that support them won’t last forever.

My budget continues Child Care Counts and Partner Up! as permanent state programs, so providers can keep the lights on, pay their workers fair, competitive wages, expand partnerships with employers, and continue to provide high-quality care to kids across the state.

Finally, I’m also introducing a plan to ensure all public and most private employees have 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.

This is a commonsense proposal that’s supported by 73 percent of Wisconsin voters, including 62 percent of Republicans.

So, let’s get this done—because what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our families and our workforce, too.

An online version of this release is available here.