FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AS EXPECTED, THE GOVERNOR DETAILED HIS COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY PLAN THAT INCLUDES FULL DEDUCTION OF STUDENT LOAN INTEREST ON STATE INCOME TAX, EMERGENCY GRANTS, NEW TECH SCHOOL GRANTS AND MORE INTERNSHIPS. HE’S ALSO CALLING FOR ALLOWING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO GET A DEGREE IN THREE YEARS AND AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION FOR EMPLOYER-LED WORKING TRAINING THROUGH TECHNICAL COLLEGES. HE CALLED ON LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH PARTIES TO WORK TO PASS THESE PROPOSALS. WHAT ABOUT THAT? WE ASKED DEMOCRATIC SENATE MINORITY LEADER JENNIFER SHILLING WHO JOINS US TONIGHT. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

JENNIFER SHILLING:

GOOD EVENING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THE NEW REVENUE NUMBERS THAT SHOW THEY’RE $94 MILLION SHY OF PROJECTIONS. HOW HARD WILL THAT MAKE IT TO MOVE AHEAD WITH ANY OF THESE KINDS OF NEW PROPOSALS THAT REQUIRE SPENDING?

JENNIFER SHILLING:

I THINK IT WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT. FIRST, WE WERE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT OUR REVENUE NUMBERS HAVE NOT GROWN AS QUICKLY AS ANTICIPATED OR FORECASTED. BUT I THINK IT JUST GOES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE CONTINUES TO BE ECONOMIC ANGST IN THIS STATE AND THAT OUR WAGES ARE STAGNANT. THE MIDDLE CLASS IS SHRINKING IN WISCONSIN AND PEOPLE STILL ARE — WE HAVE UNSURE FOOTING RIGHT NOW ON OUR ECONOMIC BALANCE IN WISCONSIN AND THAT THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IS NOT STRONG WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC MEASURES HERE IN WISCONSIN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND YET HOW ARE CITIZENS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THIS, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE SAYS OUR STATE IS STRONG AND LISTED THE KINDS OF REASONS WHY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, THE LABOR PARTICIPATION RATE, NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS AND GETTING 8300 PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS INTO JOBS OR TRAINING. WHAT ABOUT THOSE THINGS AS A MEASURE OF THE STATE OF OUR ECONOMY?

JENNIFER SHILLING:

WELL, I THINK HE USED SOME VERY OBSCURE STATISTICS TO BE ABLE TO POSE THOSE NUMBERS. I ALSO THINK, THOUGH, AS WE ARE COMING OFF THE WORST YEAR FOR MASS LAYOFFS. IN 2015 WE SURPASSED THE 10,000 MARK OF RESIDENTS RECEIVING PINK SLIPS AND MASS LAYOFFS. THE YEAR BEFORE THERE WERE 6,000. NOW WE’VE SURPASSED 10,000. THE MIDDLE CLASS IS SHRINKING. AND I THINK TO TELL 1200 PEOPLE WHO WORK AT OSCAR MAYER OR AT ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT HAS — TYSON OR EVEN IN LA CROSSE AT CHART WHERE 100 PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE LAYOFF NOTICES, THE STATE OF THE STATE IS NOT STRONG. IT IS NOT WORKING FOR THEM. AND THAT I THINK PEOPLE REALLY ARE GETTING TIRED OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE BEING PUT FORWARD THAT REALLY HAVE A VERY NARROW ADVANTAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE WELL-CONNECTED AND WEALTHY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHAT IS THE SUITE OF PROPOSALS FROM DEMOCRATS TO STRENGTHEN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN? THAT’S FIRST. AND SECOND, HOW COULD ONE EVEN DO THAT GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE REVENUE THAT IS AVAILABLE?

JENNIFER SHILLING:

WELL, AND I THINK BOTH — THOSE NUMBERS CAME OUT AND HAVE REALLY KIND OF BEEN A WET BLANKET EVEN FOR MY LEGISLATIVE COLLEAGUES IN THE MAJORITY. THAT THEY HAVE STEPPED BACK A LITTLE BIT SAYING LOOK WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE THOUGHT. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK TO FIVE YEARS OF DECISIONS AND POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THAT THE MAJORITY PARTY HAVE PUT FORWARD. IT’S NOT JUST WORKING IN WISCONSIN. DEMOCRATS HAVE PUT FORWARD A BLUEPRINT FOR PROSPERITY AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST FALL. WE WANT TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITY AND INNOVATION HERE IN WISCONSIN AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL. CERTAINLY ONE OF THE IDEAS WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS STUDENT LOAN DEBT AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WELCOME THE GOVERNOR TO THIS DEBATE. AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON STUDENT LOAN AND OFFER RELIEF IN STUDENT LOANS HERE IN WISCONSIN FOR NEARLY ONE MILLION WISCONSINITES WHO CARRY $19 BILLION IN LOANS, IN DEBT. IT IS ALLOWING THE BORROWER TO BE ABLE TO REFINANCE. ALLOWING THEM TO REFINANCE THEIR STUDENT LOANS JUST LIKE THEY CAN THEIR CAR OR THEIR HOME LOAN OR MORTGAGES. WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT FORWARD IN HIS PACKAGE REALLY NIBBLES AROUND THE EDGES. IT’S MORE LIKE WINDOW DRESSING. BUT TO GET TO THE MEAT OF THE ISSUE, WHICH IS THE ASTRONOMICAL DEBT THAT PEOPLE ARE CARRYING FOR DECADES AFTER THEY GRADUATE, IT IS TO ALLOW THEM TO REFINANCE. AND THAT DOES NOT SEEM SO UNREASONABLE. MANY OTHER STATES ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS. AND AS YOU TALKED TO PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE, BY A FOUR TO ONE MEASURE THEY THINK ALLOWING BORROWERS TO REFINANCE MAKES SENSE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IN TERMS OF THE COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY PLAN THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT FORWARD YOU WHICH YOU DESCRIBE AS NIBBLING AROUND THE EDGES, HE IS SAYING THAT HE THINKS THAT MAYBE DEMOCRATS CAN HELP HIM WORK ON THAT. WHAT ABOUT THAT QUESTION?

JENNIFER SHILLING:

WELL, WE WILL SEE, BUT, AGAIN, A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES WERE DEMOCRATIC ISSUES THAT NOW HE HAS KIND OF COOPTED. I FELT LIKE THERE WAS A SENSE OF FAMILIARITY WHEN I HEARD SOME OF THESE BECAUSE MANY OF MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES HAVE INTRODUCED THOSE IN THE PAST. NOW, THE GOVERNOR MAYBE HAS TWEAKED THEM, WATERED THEM DOWN A LITTLE BIT. IT’S LIKE HE’S THINKING HOW DO I GET INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE WITHOUT REALLY GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE? SO AS HE PUTS THOSE FORWARD, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND EVEN TALKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHO SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? BECAUSE OF THOSE REVENUE NUMBERS THAT CAME OUT THIS WEEK, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. A LOT OF THESE THINGS MAY BE JEOPARDIZED BECAUSE WE JUST DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE REVENUE IN THE STATE TO GO FORWARD WITH BILLS THAT HAVE FISCAL ESTIMATES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. SENATOR SHILLING, THANKS VERY MUCH.

JENNIFER SHILLING:

THANK YOU.