Governor Tony Evers has long positioned himself as the “adult in the room” — a steady hand in chaotic times, a calm voice amid Republican dysfunction. That approach made sense during the pandemic, when Wisconsin needed stability and restraint. But this moment calls for something different. It’s time for our governor to stand between working families and the damage being done by an unserious and increasingly extreme Republican legislature.

You can’t compromise with a party that isn’t negotiating in good faith.

It’s common knowledge that Wisconsin Republicans gerrymandered themselves into power more than a decade ago and since then, they’ve used that power not to govern, but to subvert — discrediting and defunding the public programs that hold our communities together. They’ve hoarded a record-breaking surplus while claiming there’s no money, all while families face skyrocketing costs and service cuts.

The child care crisis is a prime example. Gov. Evers included $480 million in his 2025–2027 budget proposal to continue Child Care Counts — a program that has kept providers open and parents in the workforce. Republican leadership didn’t debate it. They didn’t negotiate. They just said no, letting the program sunset, even as providers across the state prepare to close and working parents brace for job disruptions and financial strain. The last payment is on July 11, and Wisconsin could see up to 25% of its centers shuttered.

To his credit, Evers has now said publicly that he will not sign a state budget that doesn’t include continued child care funding. That necessary stance is one made possible because grassroots organizers across Wisconsin have been raising the alarm for months. Groups like Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN) and the Wisconsin Public Education Network have packed public hearings, organized forums in places like Hortonville and Sparta, and kept the public engaged when the political class went quiet.

Corrine Hendrickson of WECAN speaks at a child care funding forum in Hortonville, Wisconsin. Photo by Emily Tseffos.

Now, Republicans are trying a new trick designed to mislead voters and trap Democrats. They’ve introduced standalone bills that lift popular ideas from the governor’s original budget — like funding for child care and technical colleges — but have no actual dollars attached. These aren’t real solutions. They’re political bait.

Democrats have responded with amendments to either fund these measures now or ensure they can’t take effect unless funding appears in the final budget. If Republicans were acting in good faith, they’d welcome these amendments. Instead, they’re banking on Democrats voting no so they can run attack ads claiming we opposed things we actually champion.

This is worse than bad-faith legislating. It’s strategic manipulation of the public. And this is exactly why coordination now matters more than ever between the governor, legislative Democrats, and grassroots leaders. Because while Republicans are staging headlines and plotting their next campaign mailer, everyday Wisconsinites are being asked to accept crumbs and confusion.

We saw this play out last cycle: Republicans touted a “historic investment in public education” — and it worked. They ran on it, they campaigned on it, and I heard about it again and again while knocking doors as a candidate. But the reality didn’t match the headline.

Yes, Governor Evers used his veto pen to lock in a $325 per-pupil increase. But the legislature included no new state aid to cover it. The only way for districts to access those dollars is by raising local property taxes… again. And even then, the amount doesn’t keep up with inflation, let alone meet our schools’ real needs. Special education is still underfunded. Mental health services are strained. And voucher schools? They got another raise, with no strings attached.

Symbolic wins don’t keep the lights on. And when Democrats take credit for half-measures, we make it easier for Republicans to keep selling false promises.

The pattern is predictable: Republicans create a crisis, block every solution, and then blame “government” for the fallout. When Democrats respond with silence or softened demands, we don’t look principled — we look complicit.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The governor still holds powerful tools: the veto pen, the bully pulpit, and the trust of many Wisconsinites. But those tools only work if they’re wielded boldly and visibly — and in partnership with the people doing the work across this state. Where’s the tour from Bayfield to Kenosha with lawmakers and activists to save Child Care Counts? Where are the joint press conferences with school superintendents, child care providers, and parents? Why not hold a primetime address and say clearly: the Republican legislature is sabotaging your schools, your child care, your communities.

This is about accountability.

People deserve to know who is standing up for them and who is standing in the way. If Republicans want to defund the future, make them do it in the light of day. But Democrats must be relentless in showing up — on the floor, in the press, at the kitchen table, and online — to tell the truth.

And it’s worth saying aloud that in 2025, we can’t rely on legacy media alone. We need to meet people where they are: in town halls, on Facebook and TikTok, on conservative radio, at PTA meetings, at the car shows and county fairs. And when we show up together — the administration, legislators, and neighbors — we win the message war.

Wisconsinites don’t expect perfection. But we do expect someone to fight for us — publicly, clearly, and without apology. The Democrats who are winning across the country — from Tim Walz in Minnesota to Andy Beshear in Kentucky to Bernie Sanders in Vermont — aren’t winning by being quiet. They’re winning because they speak plainly and fight hard for working people.

Gov. Evers, you were elected to protect Wisconsin families — not to politely coexist with those trying to hurt them. If Republican lawmakers refuse to govern, don’t help them hide it. Shine a light. Use your voice and your power.

When hardworking Wisconsinites are being asked to pay more while getting less, courage isn’t just a virtue, it’s a requirement.

If 2025 is truly the Year of the Kid, don’t settle for anything less than they deserve. Draw the line with this budget — and hold it.

Emily Tseffos is the chair of the Democratic Party of Outagamie County in northeastern Wisconsin, 2024 State Assembly candidate, and former statewide organizer for Indivisible. She is dedicated to electing progressive candidates locally and prioritizes building sustainable, genuine grassroots capacity in larger cities and rural communities through strategic, consistent development.

Read more from Emily Tseffos at The Recombobulation Area here.

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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer and at BlueSky at @danshafer.bsky.social.

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