Frederica Freyberg:

As of this afternoon, Democratic State Senator Melissa Agard is out as minority leader, having announced she will not run for re-election to the Legislature to instead throw her hat in the ring for Dane County executive. Just ahead of her announcement, she sat down with senior political reporter Zac Schultz to talk about the last year as leader.

Zac Schultz:

Senator Agard, thanks for your time today.

Melissa Agard:

Thank you.

Zac Schultz:

Wrap up 2023 for me. How do you view the year as a whole from the Senate minority perspective?

Melissa Agard:

Well, certainly every legislative session that I have been in the building has a different feel and a different flavor. This is no exception. I think with the undertones of the redistricting lawsuit that was going to be coming before the Supreme Court, it has created different relationships here in the Capitol building, but despite the fact that there is division, I am really proud of the ability that we have had as a legislator — Legislature to be able to get some good things done for the people in Wisconsin, whether it’s the shared revenue bill or more recently ensuring that the Brewers continue to call Wisconsin home. I think those are big wins, but at the same point, knowing what people across Wisconsin are really prioritizing, the issues that they would like the Legislature to be addressing, we’re not getting that done, whether it’s expanding healthcare so everyone in Wisconsin has access to quality affordable healthcare, ensuring that our kids have safe places to go by extending the Childcare Counts program, legalizing cannabis, protecting reproductive health rights, protecting our environment, addressing our PFAS contaminations, as well as lead laterals and water contaminants across the state. Those are just a few examples of the things that people are concerned about at their kitchen tables. I’m sure they were conversations people were having over the recent Thanksgiving holidays. So while we’ve been able to get some real good things done. It’s clear that the Legislature still isn’t addressing the needs of the ordinary people in Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:

So one of the biggest things that happened this year outside of the Capitol was the election of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. How much has that changed the dynamic in terms of people understanding the court is now a different majority and the possibility of opening up redistricting and changing the makeup of the Legislature?

Melissa Agard:

So we know in Wisconsin that we are a gerrymandered state on top of another gerrymander. Our state has been gerrymandered twice in a row and many scientists and mathematicians will point to Wisconsin as being the most gerrymandered state in the nation, both in the Assembly and the Senate. That isn’t good for clean government. That is not what people in Wisconsin are asking for. I am hopeful that by having a more balanced court here in the state, that we will have a more balanced Legislature and that the will of the people will, in fact become the law of the land.

Zac Schultz:

Are you anticipating the possibility that the entire Senate will be up next year?

Melissa Agard:

I think it’s a real possibility that the whole Senate, all 33 seats, will be up for election next year, as well as — we already know, all 99 members of the Assembly. So having 132 legislative seats up for re-election in 2024 provides a real opportunity for a reset in the state of Wisconsin and empowers the voters who are ultimately our bosses to make real choices.

Zac Schultz:

What do you think the impact of the GOP convention in Milwaukee will be in the fall?

Melissa Agard:

I think it’s great for our economy when we can bring big groups like that into the state. Whether it’s the dairy forums that come here in Madison or big entertainment or political caucuses. We were supposed to have the Democratic caucus here in Wisconsin, but we had, unfortunately, COVID. So it took a different look. I think it’s great when we can be front and center with these debates and have a front seat to what it is that people are talking about.

Zac Schultz:

Do you think that will give Republicans a boost in the state?

Melissa Agard:

Well, it may give Republicans a boost, but what we’ve seen here in the Capitol building is a lot of extremism from the Republicans in the Legislature to be more extreme, whether it’s the threat of impeaching Justice Protasiewicz before she even ruled on anything, threats to impeach Meagan Wolfe, who has ensured that our elections in Wisconsin are safe, secure and fair, attacks on trans rights, attacks on reproductive freedoms, the inability to stand up and protect our water quality and our environment, folks not willing to have conversations about cannabis legalization. That’s what matters most important to folks.

Zac Schultz:

Alright, Senator Agard. Thanks.

Melissa Agard:

Thank you.