Zac Schultz:
As governor, there's a decent chance you could have a Democratic majority behind you in the Legislature. In that case, what's AB 1? What's the first bill you want to sign?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think no matter what we do, the first thing we need to do is work on affordability. I think there are any number of ways in which we need to ensure, whether it's on the issues of stable housing around the state, or whether it's on the issues of health care, Medicaid expansion, which the governor has tried to do over the course of his eight years, hasn't been able to do. Those are the types of things that can be done under, with a Democratic majority. And those are the types of things that I'd be eager to do right away.

Zac Schultz:
Conversely, there could also be Republicans in charge of one of the houses. What's your track record of working across the aisle?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think I'm somebody who, over the course of 30 years, has demonstrated that I am a relationship person first. It's something that I have made a point of, and I have ensured that as I go throughout my career, I think I check my ideology at the door when I want to roll up my sleeves and get things done. It's necessary to do in the nonprofit sector. It's necessary to do in government. But I would tell you that the most important thing that we can do in Wisconsin over the course of the next nine months, the next 11 months, when we get to the general election, is to ensure that we have a Democratic governor, ensure that because of the fair maps we have a Democratic majority in the Assembly and in the state Senate. That'll allow us to do things that truly can make a difference in the lives of Wisconsin residents and make lasting change for us. We're, you know, there's been 15 years of Republican domination in the Legislature and 15 years where we have backslid on really being able to support Wisconsin families, Wisconsin workers. I'd be eager to change that trend. And the most important thing to do in that regard is to get a Democratic governor and Democrats in the Legislature.

Zac Schultz:
The Public Service Commission is looking at pretty large utility rate hikes. There's data centers being proposed all over. What's your plan to deal with those issues?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think the biggest thing that we have to do when it comes to all of this stuff around AI and data centers, like the challenge is the around for government, is around transparency and accountability. The companies that are looking to build these — they want speed. They are intent on getting this done as quickly as possible. The communities that are affected, the ratepayers — what they want and what they need out of the government is they need us to be responsible, they need us to be accountable, and they need to ensure that there's transparency with all of this. You know, AI is something that I think it is a little disconcerting to me personally, because it's an area that all of us know how dramatically and how quickly things are changing. So we're all, we all have a little anxiety about that, and you see that at the local level with these things. But I think that the responsibility that we have fundamentally is to just ensure that these conversations — some that are happening at the state level, a lot that are happening at the local level — that they are, the main thing that we have with them is that there is transparency around them and that the users of this are accountable and that the benefits accrue to all of us and that the responsibility for the costs aren't born by taxpayers in the state of Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:
What would you like to see happen with public education funding? Do we need an increase? Do we need an overhaul in the system?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think, you know, we've got to make sure that we look absolutely at how do we spend more on public education in Wisconsin. One of the challenges, I think, is that we're still working on a system — Tommy Thompson took a snapshot of what things look like in 1993 — and we're still looking, we're still working with that system 32 years later. I think it would be courageous and necessary for us to look at exactly what we need to do for 2026 and moving forward, rather than trying to make the best of a 30-year-old system. So, I absolutely think that we need to invest in special education. We need to fund our schools appropriately. We need to ensure that classrooms are places that are welcoming for teachers, welcoming for students. Then we've got to hold ourselves accountable for the outcomes, because nothing more important to us in the future of our state than ensuring that we have the kind of outcomes that we need coming out of our schools all across the state, and at every level, from early childhood all the way up through the university and technical system.

Zac Schultz:
What would you like to see happen with the voucher system? Expand, contract, stay the same?

Joel Brennan:
You know, the voucher system has now been in place for the last 30 years. I'm not interested in a dramatic expansion of it, but I also think there's challenges of trying to put that genie back into the bottle. I think the most fundamental thing for us is around accountability for everybody in education, making sure that we have the right investment in kids, and making sure that we're holding ourselves, holding schools accountable for the challenges that we have in education. But at the same time, you know, as with anything with education, there are lots of problems that come to the schoolhouse door that have nothing to do with what happens inside that schoolhouse. So we also need to make sure that we're fundamentally looking at how do we ensure that there is better housing around the state, that we provide for people when it comes to health insurance and just the overall economic opportunities that we need as a state. You know, I'm a parent, I'm a father of two kids, and I want my kids to have a chance to do and be successful here in Wisconsin. Part of the path that they have, that that's gotten them there, is a strong public education and where they could do that. And that's what we need to get for everybody here in the state of Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:
What's the number one tax reform you'd like to see?

Joel Brennan:
I think that there are just — we have made strides in the last few sessions in terms of reducing taxes to people, the tax burden on people in the middle class. And I think that as we look at anything related to taxes and generating revenue in the state of Wisconsin, equity and fairness needs to be the way that we look at that. I think the way that the Legislature has had a supermajority — almost a super majority in the Assembly and the Senate over the last 15 years — I think we may have gotten a little bit askew in terms of how we're looking at equity and fairness in our tax system. And I think we should explore that everywhere. But I think that the main thing is that, you know, at this point, the biggest issue that people have in the state of Wisconsin is how can they afford to pay for the issues or the things that they need to put on their kitchen table. And so, as we think about what the tax burden is, we need to ensure that we're giving people the tools and the opportunities to be successful as in their families.

Zac Schultz:
Over the last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down a lot of legislative oversight over the legislative rulemaking process. There have been talks of possibly a bipartisan compromise to restore some oversight. What would you like to see happen as governor?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think, you know, people should think about what happened in the lame duck session before Tony Evers ever started. You know, the Legislature and Scott Walker looked to try to gut the governor's office and the attorney general, and a lot of what's happened in the last year is restoring, I think, the right balance between the Legislature and the governor. You know, we, Wisconsin works best when we have three coequal branches of government, when the Legislature, the governor, and the judicial branch are all operating well. And that has been certainly out of line over the last 15 years as Republicans have oftentimes run roughshod over other branches of government and other parts of Wisconsin's, the important Wisconsin elements. So, I think that we need to restore that balance, but I think it's, we also, the most important thing that we can do is ensure that there's a Democratic governor, ensure that there's a Legislature that has a Democratic majority in the Assembly and the Senate. If we can do that, we'll start to get that balance, not just with the Legislature and the government, but the balance that I think taxpayers and citizens of Wisconsin need.

Zac Schultz:
What would you like to see happen for funding for local government?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think I was very involved in the effort two years ago to try to ensure that there was some better, that local units of government got more of that shared revenue, because that's where the rubber meets the road. You know, where in, at local government, that's where public safety, where local roads and bridges, fire, all of those very important services are done. And that contract people, I think know it, the contract is about 115 years old where, you know, Wisconsin was one of the first places to collect all the money in Madison and then send it back to local units of government. Well, when we have the number of referenda that are still going on, when places like Whitewater and Stevens Point have to go to, right, have to go to referendum in order to create positions for firefighters, that system is still not working the way it needs to work. And so, I think that no matter what we do, we need to ensure that the relationship between local government and state government is strong, and that we're hearing what's happening at the local level. I think that we have for many years as state shared revenue was frozen, I think we were not listening to local government as their costs were increasing. I think we've done a little bit and we've made some progress in that in the last few years, but it certainly is not something that's been fixed yet. And so that would be one of the areas that I'd be committed to working on with all of my partners in local government.

Zac Schultz:
Right now, there's exploratory drilling in northern Wisconsin in a number of different sites, looking at future mines. The mining law was overhauled in 2017. Do you think that current law is correct? Would you like to see something different in place for these potential mines?

Joel Brennan:
Well, I think one of the most important things that we have in Wisconsin, a differentiator that we have in Wisconsin versus other places around the country, is the natural beauty — the ability that we have to go out and enjoy Wisconsin. That's not a partisan issue, that's not an ideological issue, that's a vision that we share for the state. And so as we think about anything that would do any potential harm to the state of Wisconsin, I think we need to be very cautious about that. I think there are issues around economic development that I think we need to try to find that right balance. If it's time to revisit that issue or it's time to have that conversation, I'd be all for it. But the most important thing for me, and one of the most important core differentiations for Wisconsin from anywhere else in the country, is how we appreciate and how we have a visceral connection to Wisconsin and its beauty. I'm not going to be somebody who puts that in peril on behalf of the 6 million residents of our state. That's something that's paramount for us.

Zac Schultz:
In this political environment, have you had any concerns for your own personal safety while campaigning?

Joel Brennan:
I'm concerned about the level of vitriol for anybody here. You know, I'm concerned when I see what happened in Pennsylvania with Josh Shapiro and what happened at the executive residence there. You know, one of the things that I bring to this campaign is as the secretary of the Department of Administration — we were responsible for the management of the executive residence, of the State Capitol. And so I've had opportunity to see that. I respect the people who do that work and who work in local law enforcement. I guess I still believe that campaigns are about ideas and I absolutely, I know that there are going to be people who disagree with me and disagree with me on the campaign. I hope and expect that they are going to do that honorably. I am more than willing to take pot shots that people have online — and there's a lot of that and I, you know, I have to have a thick skin around that. But I hope that we're at a place, and I hope we can demonstrate in Wisconsin that we do things civilly. You know, we have a horrible example at the federal level in Donald Trump, who I think we continually kind of find out how much lower he can go, where we don't think that morally or ethically he can go any lower. His comments about the death of Rob Reiner and his wife were just another example of that. But I'd like to think that in Wisconsin we can elevate the discussion, elevate the way we treat people. That's who we are. That's the core values that we share and who we are just as Wisconsinites

Zac Schultz:
What's your plan to increase affordable housing?

Joel Brennan:
Well, you know, I think you're in a situation — I mentioned earlier where we are in a place in Wisconsin where the average, the first-time average home buyer, the average age for that has gone to 40-years-old, and it was 33-years-old just five years ago. And so we are creating a nation of renters and a state of renters. No matter where you go around the state, when you're talking to an employer, when you're talking to the people in the school district, when you're talking to universities or higher ed people, they all say that there is a challenge in finding the housing, for not only affordable housing at the lowest income level, but also for those who are seeking their and getting their first job or starting their families. So that's an issue that is absolutely paramount to me. I think Wisconsin likely needs a top to bottom housing plan where we can look at all aspects of this, and there are tools at our disposal that we have through WHEDA that I'm not sure that we are using to the best of our abilities. And if we need new tools, we'll go out and get them. But this is kind of the core of affordability for Wisconsin families, is ensuring that they have a safe and secure place to put a roof over their head, that they can build equity, that they can build wealth for their family over time. So, that's one of the issues that I look forward to working with on as soon as I become governor.

Zac Schultz:
The Department of Corrections is going undergoing a pretty rapid overhaul. Would you carry Gov. Evers' plan forward?

Joel Brennan:
I think I was at the front end of some of those, the work that happened with Gov. Evers and the administration. I think that the challenge that we have, and, you know, I worked with Sec, Kevin Carr as the head of the Department of Corrections, and I think as I told him he had one of the toughest jobs in state government. I think we need to continually try to create that balance where there is need for secure detention and where there's need for employees of the correction system to have the right tools at their disposal. We need to create those, 'cause we have these 150-year-old prisons and things that we need to do in to make investments on. But at the same time, I think we also need — and I think the governor has done this too — we need to look at the alternatives to incarceration. We need to work with our partners at the local level to ensure that there is a pathway that doesn't just ensure that what we have is the last resort, which is where we're putting people in prison and locking them up. If somebody, if there's a law that's broken, I respect the judicial system and I respect the ability for lawyers and judges to manage that and put people in prison and incarcerate them as they need to. But there's so much that we can do at the front end — investing in early childhood, investing in education, ensuring that there are opportunities for people who are coming out of high school or technical schools. There are lots of things that we can do to ensure that we're not just doing things and spending them at the end of the pipeline.

Zac Schultz:
Would you like to see any changes to Wisconsin abortion laws?

Joel Brennan:
Well, abortion to me is a decision that is best made between a woman and her health care provider. Abortion is health care. And so I'd like to see us to do things that get politics out of that and ensure that that women and their doctors can make those decisions, the educated and informed decisions on their own.