Democrats take trifecta at Wisconsin State Capitol, affordability tops agenda

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Democrats have officially won a trifecta at the state Capitol. So, the question is: What do they plan to do with their newfound power?

The party ran on making life more affordable for Wisconsinites, and its leaders are aware they will be judged on their actions, not their words. That's why the two presumptive leaders of each chamber say affordability will be their first priority.

“We’ve got bills to address the cost of groceries, like healthy school meals for every kid in the state, that would save families a few thousand dollars a year. We’ve got bills on housing affordability. We want to invest in public schools and lower the cost of property taxes,” State Rep. Greta Neubauer, the current Democratic minority leader, said.

Neubauer is expected to be elected as the next speaker. She says policies like expanding the Homestead Tax Credit to renters and banning dynamic pricing in grocery stores will help make life more affordable.

“Say it’s the Brewers' World Series game and the grocery stores jack up the price of beer and hot dogs because they know people are coming in for it. There are things we can do to make sure people are not taken advantage of,” Neubauer said.

Democrats also hope to legalize marijuana to bring more revenue into the state. As for the $3 billion state surplus, school funding is a top priority as well.

“We want to make sure we make lasting investments and make sure that people can feel what we are doing, and make sure that they know Democrats are working for them. So we are going to be having those conversations within the first few weeks, but honestly, K12 education is going to be on the forefront of our minds,” State Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, the current Democratic minority leader, said.

On the housing front, party leaders say they have seen progress in other states where red tape has been cut, enabling more housing to be built. They say it's a policy proposal they will consider.

“More to do both to support the buildout of new housing and to ensure that property taxes don’t continue to go up at an unsustainable rate,” Neubauer said.

Neubauer added that Democrats also plan to repeal Act 10 and eliminate the state's right-to-work status. She said current congressional maps for the state's eight congressional seats are gerrymandered, and those maps could be changed.

“We do have gerrymandered congressional maps here in Wisconsin; they favor Republicans, so we are going to consider whether we want to redraw those maps,” Neubauer said.

Both current party leaders say they are holding leadership elections next Tuesday. They say that's when they will discuss their top policy priorities.

We reached out to Republican Rep. Tyler August, the current Assembly majority leader, to get his reaction to Democrats taking control. He sent the following statement:

“Democrats have spent years promising more government spending, and now they'll have the opportunity to show Wisconsin families exactly how they intend to pay for it.

Assembly Republicans will continue fighting to protect taxpayers, keep Wisconsin affordable, and hold Democrats accountable for the decisions they make. If Democrats are serious about affordability, they should start by making sure hardworking families can keep more of what they earn, not finding new ways to spend it.”