Frederica Freyberg:

As we reported earlier, the Democrats were also in caucus this week. Former minority leader Chris Larson endorsed his successor and by unanimous vote was replaced by Senator Jennifer Shilling of La Crosse. And that’s where Senator Schilling joins us now. Thanks for doing so.

Jennifer Shilling:

Hello.

Frederica Freyberg:

Well, first, congratulations.

Jennifer Shilling:

Thank you very much.

Frederica Freyberg:

What will you do as minority leader that will be different from past leadership?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, first I’m very grateful and honored that my colleagues have entrusted me with this privilege and this responsibility. And as we look ahead, it’s important– I’ve always been a relationship builder. And having served in the assembly and now serving in the state senate, I think it really is important. The campaigning is over and we need to govern. And I look forward to reaching out. We’ll be meeting with Majority Leader Fitzgerald in the near future. It will about finding some of that common ground. Wisconsin voters want their officials to work together, they want us to be problem solvers, and we need to do that. We need to lift up Wisconsin together.

Frederica Freyberg:

Do you think that election results giving Republicans the majority across the board represents a mandate for them?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, we certainly are at a legislative disadvantage. We look at who controls both the senate and the assembly. We look at the numbers as far as the makeup of both caucuses and both houses. But I think there will be those areas– And, again, I have served on the finance committee. I have worked with those colleagues in committee. And we will find a way to find some of those areas that we can have that one voice together. But I also don’t have the legislative– the leadership style to walk into a room and point fingers and say, what are you going to do to fix this? It’s about what we will do as a state to fix this. I know the majority party has come out with several items they have said they want to act quickly on. And I want to work with my caucus and see where there are ideas that we can bring together, and that there are some areas I can bring along our caucus. And I know there will be certain areas and issues that we don’t have that unified voice, but I think as one example, on transportation financing, that there have been discussions since the summer with candidates and legislators around the state and that’s something we’ll be– That will be a tough issue for us to tackle together as we move into the budget.

Frederica Freyberg:

Taking a look back just a little bit, why in your mind did Democrats lose the governor’s race and other races across the state?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, I mean, as we look at the state and some of the legislative races, of course gerrymandering is one area, but those seats have now– Those lines are set for ten years and we need to find a way that we can communicate our ideas and our message better to the voters, especially in out-state and rural parts of Wisconsin. I come from La Crosse. The senate district that I represent is a rural district except for, really, the city of La Crosse. So we need to find– We are selling a bar of soap and nobody seems to be buying it. And so we need to figure out as Democrats statewide how we need to talk about the issues. There is a disconnect out there. And we need to be able to know how we can reconnect. And certainly we’ve been right on the issues and there’s support when it comes to increasing the minimum wage, when it comes to accepting federal money to expand and strengthen BadgerCare here in the state. So there are issues that Democrats and the voters supported the points of view of Democrats. And we need to continue to talk about issues such as higher ed and lower debt, and really the issues that graduates, students and recent graduates and professionals have as they go out into the work force and they are really saddled with large amounts of debt as they go out to start their life.

Frederica Freyberg:

Do you know what the answer is in terms of the message not resonating, how you make that happen?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, we will be having debriefs. Many of our friends and allies and others that are wiser than I am, and want to certainly tap into their insight and talk to even some former colleagues who are no longer part of the legislature and say, what has happened, what are our strengths? We have a lot to offer our state. And there were still many, many votes that were cast for Democrats across this state, for Mary Burke and legislative candidates. But we have to make sure that we don’t just bank on the Democrats in Milwaukee and in Dane County turning out to vote. We cannot lurch from election to election. That the Democrats find that they do better in presidential elections. And we need to make sure that we have that ground game and we have the issues on our side as we go out and we talk to voters.

Frederica Freyberg:

What is your reaction to some of the specific priorities that the majority has set forth, like reforming the Government Accountability Board or cutting taxes again or drug testing for some public assistance recipients?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, as we go into January, certainly those are the issues that they have talked about. I’m concerned about maybe the issues that they have not talked about. But as we sit down and as we move forward into January, we will have time that as the minority we have the opportunity to be heard. We have the opportunity to have an alternative position to the majority party. I know the majority party will prevail. But on one of the issues of drug testing recipients of public aid, many states have found that not to prove to be really cost savings or constitutional questions about that. So we will have these debates and we will go out there in a respectful way of the institution and of our colleagues.

Frederica Freyberg:

Just very briefly, before we go, you said that you were concerned about things they’re not talking about. Like what?

Jennifer Shilling:

Well, the concern of right to work, moving forward and what that would mean here in the state of Wisconsin. And people– Some Republicans have said it’s really not on their agenda, they aren’t going to be pushing it. Others, I think– There are some new freshmen that are coming in that are aggressive, want to go out there and have that debate, we will see what happens there. But it’s always sort of the things that are not talked about that causes great consternation when they’re thrown upon the legislature. We need to be pragmatic and thoughtful, and the citizens must weigh in.

Frederica Freyberg:

Senator Jennifer Shilling, thanks very much.

Jennifer Shilling:

Thank you.