MONTHS.

>> ALL RIGHT, CHARLES FRANK, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AS ALWAYS THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN WISCONSIN FROM POLITICS TO POLICY.

TONIGHT WE CHECK IN WITH OUR POLITICAL PANELIST REPUBLICAN BILL McCOSHEN AND DEMOCRAT SCOT ROSS.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

FIRST OFF WHAT IS YOUR BROAD TAKE ON THE LEGISLATURE'S STATE BUDGET JUST PASSED AND AWAITING THE GOVERNOR'S ACTION?

IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED WITH A 7 BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS?

>> I THINK IT'S A 7 BILLION DOLLAR WASTED OPPORTUNITY BY REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN, THRIVE AND EXCEL.

WE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO END THE CRIMINAL ABORTION BAN.

WE'RE GASHING THE UW SYSTEM.

WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION.

LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE.

WE'VE GOT CHILDCARE, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE REAL CHILDCARE BUT INSTEAD WE'RE GIVING A TAX BREAK TO THE TOP 1 PERCENT.

25,000 PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE 300 MILLION DOLLARS THAT COULD HAVE OTHERWISE PREVENTED 2500 CHILDCARE FACILITIES FROM CLOSING THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

IT'S JUST SHAMEFUL.

>> I THINK VIEWERS SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS BUDGET.

THIS IS TONY'S THIRD BUDGETS WITH REPUBLICANS IN THE MAJORITY WHERE THEY HAVE GRAND BARGAINS ON KEY ISSUES.

SHARED REVENUE, HISTORIC INCREASE IN FUNDING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, K-12 AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, ALL KIDS BENEFIT REGARDLESS OF WHICH CHOICE THEIR PARENTS MAKE FOR THEIR EDUCATION, HOUSING 500 MILLION DOLLARS, TO INCREASE THE HOUSING STOCK NOT ONLY IN URBAN BUT RURAL AREAS AS WELL.

LITERACY, TRANSPORTATION, PAY RAISES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS THEY AGREED ON.

THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST THREE BUDGETS.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT IN THIS BUDGET.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNOR MIGHT DO?

>> I TALKED TO SOMEBODY TODAY FROM THE EAST WING AND THEY SAID THE CHANCE OF VETOING THE ENTIRE BUDGET ARE FIFTY-FIFTY.

IF NOT THEY'RE GOING TO LINE ITEM AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE AS THE GOVERNOR ALREADY STATED AND I THINK FOR GOOD REASON BECAUSE WE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, HANDING OUT TOO MUCH MONEY TO PEOPLE.

>> WHAT WOULD HE BE VETOING OVER?

>> THE TAX PLAN IN PARTICULAR.

YOU SEE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE WASTING.

THE TOP 1 PERCENT IS TAKING AWAY 300 PLUS BILLION DOLLARS.

IF YOU GET RID OF THAT TOP RATE IT'S 700 MILLION DOLLARS LOST THAT COULD BE INVESTED IN THINGS LIKE CHILDCARE.

>> THREE CHOICES, SIGN IT IN TOTAL, HE WON'T DO THAT, VETO IT COMPLETELY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALISTIC, OR PARTIAL VETOES IS REALISTIC.

HIS STAFF INDICATED HE WILL USE IT AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

THE REASON HE WON'T VETO THE WHOLE BILL, THE FUNDING IS IN THIS BILL.

THE LIKELIHOOD OF A BETTER DEAL NEXT TIME AROUND IS ZERO.

>> TO ELIMINATE UW DEI OFFICES.

BUT WHAT'S NEXT IN THE REALM OF ABANDONING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES IN WISCONSIN?

>> I DON'T THINK WE'RE ABANDONING IT BUT I THINK MAYBE FINALLY WE'RE GOING TO PUT THE FOCUS WHERE IT BELONGS WHICH IS ON URBAN SCHOOLS.

IF YOU WANT TO GIVE AFRICAN-AMERICAN KIDS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE TO TEACH THEM TO READ.

WHEN 22 CAN READ AT GRADE LEVEL AND 80 PERCENT CAN'T, THE 80 PERCENT IS NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT TO COLLEGE AND MORE LIKELY TO END UP IN PRISON.

THAT HAS TO BE THE FOCUS IS MAKING SURE OUR URBAN SCHOOLS DELIVER THE KIND OF EDUCATION THOSE KIDS NEED AND THE TRUTH IS THE ONES WHO SUFFER THE MOST ARE ASIAN AMERICANS, NOT WHITES.

>> I THINK IT'S DISGRACEFUL WHAT THE SUPREME COURT AND REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE IS TRYING TO DO.

AGAIN, DIVERSITY IS WHAT MAKES WISCONSIN, WHAT MAKES THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN GREAT, AND STYMYING THAT BECAUSE YOU THINK IT PLAYS YOUR RACIST BASE IS NOT THE WAY TO GO.

34 MILLION DOLLARS CUT OUT OF UW.

SO A STUDENT WHO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GETS TO WALK AFTER FOUR YEARS ACROSS THE AISLE.

A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WILL HAVE TO STAY FIVE YEARS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET WHAT THEY NEED IN FOUR YEARS AS A RESULT.

>> MY SON GRADUATED FROM MADISON IN MAY.

I WAS AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY.

FEWER THAN 200 AFRICAN-AMERICANS CROSSED THE STAGE OUT OF 8,000.

>> WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN AND NOT TAKE IT BACK.

WHAT THE SUPREME COURT DID WAS DISGRACEFUL AND PROBABLY WAS THE WORST WEEK FOR THE SUPREME COURT OTHER THAN PLESSENGER VERSUS FERGUSON.

>> SPEAKING OF THE SUPREME COURT, THEY TURNED BACK JOE BIDEN'S ACTION TO CANCEL STUDENT LOAN DEBT.

WHAT IS THE COMPLIIMPLICATIONS?

>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW PROVIDING ROBIN VOS WITH A 300,000 LOAN, HE'S A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE, HOW THAT HELPS THE ECONOMY, BUT FORGIVING 10,000 DOLLARS FOR NEARLY A MILLION STUDENT LOAN BORROW ERS WHO WILL PUT IT BACK IN THE ECONOMY HELPS OUR ECONOMY.

IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

AND THE PEOPLE WHO FINANCED THE LAWSUIT GOT A PPP LOAN.

IT'S HYPOCRISY.

>> I'M ONE OF SEVEN KIDS.

THE NOTION THAT I WOULD GO TO A BIG TEN SCHOOL AND GET A DEGREE WAS UNTHINKABLE WHEN I WAS A KID, YET IT HAPPENED.

WHY?

I INVESTED IN MYSELF.

I TOOK OUT STUDENT LOANS.

I PAID THOSE BACK.

I VIEWED IT AS AN INVESTMENT IN MYSELF AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MADE THAT SAME CHOICE.

>> THAT'S THE ARGUMENT.

>> WE SPENT THE MONEY, WE USED TO INVEST TEN CENTS OF EVERY GPR DOLLAR INTO HIGHER GENERAEDUCAT.

IT'S DOWN TO TWO AND A HALF CENTS.

I PAID STUDENT DEBT FOR 26 YEARS.

I SUPPORT FORGIVING EVERY PENNY OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT AND MAKE IT FREE.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL POLL THAT SHOWED 66 PERCENT OF PEOPLE SURVEYED IN WISCONSIN THINK ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGAL IN ALL OR MOST CASES.

HOW WILL THIS ISSUE CONTINUE TO INFORM THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS?

>> THE SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN HAS A BIG SAY IN THAT WHETHER IT'S THE LAW OF THE LAND OR SOMETHING PASSED SUBSEQUENT TO THAT.

SO WE'LL SEE.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE CROSS TABS PEOPLE DON'T LIKE ABORTION UP UNTIL THE TIME OF BIRTH AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T SUPPORT ANY ABORTION AT ANY TIME.

>> NOBODY'S HAVING ABORTIONS UP TO THE POINT OF BIRTH BUT I AGREE IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE ISSUE.

I THINK IT'LL REIGN HUGE IN RACES AND DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.

THE LESSON FROM THE POLL IS REPUBLICANS IF THEY ACTED MORE LIKE DEMOCRATS WITH THOSE ISSUES THEY MIGHT LOSE FEWER ELECTIONS.

>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER