MADISON, WI - On the first day of the 2025 legislative session, Wisconsin Democrats are already at work delivering for Wisconsinites on key priorities-expanding freedoms, building an economy that works for working families, and fighting for long-overdue investments in health care and the environment.

WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: Evers asks for referendum overhaul so citizens can vote directly on changing laws, Wisconsin Constitution

“Gov. Tony Evers is once again asking for changes that would give citizens a direct say in whether to amend state law or Wisconsin’s Constitution. Evers, a Democrat, says the overhaul could eventually allow Wisconsinites to vote on issues with broad support like legalizing marijuana and protecting abortion rights. Currently, only Wisconsin’s Legislature can place proposed constitutional amendments on statewide ballots. ‘That’s wrong,’ Evers said during a news conference at the state Capitol Friday. ‘Republican lawmakers have repeatedly worked to put constitutional amendments on the ballot that Republicans drafted, Republicans passed, all while Republicans refused to give that same power to the people that we serve,’ Evers said. ‘Republican lawmakers shouldn’t be able to ignore the will of the people and then prevent the people from having a voice when their legislators fail to listen.’”

WISCONSIN EXAMINER: Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer says popular issues could get more ‘air time’ next session

“Neubauer said she hopes with the maps that there will be more accountability for lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee if they decide to withhold funds next session. Lawmakers dedicated money to several issues last session — including $125 million to combat PFAS, $50 million to support new literacy initiatives and $15 million for hospitals in the Chippewa Valley — however, the funds have been withheld by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee due to policy differences after the funds were allocated. … ‘People of Wisconsin don’t really like that. Those are important priorities to people across the state,’ Neubauer said. ‘I think that having more legislators and competitive seats will mean that the people, I hope, on the Joint Finance Committee are hesitant to do that.’”

SPECTRUM NEWS 1: ‘I really do believe that we can disagree without being disagreeable’: State Senate Minority Leader Hesselbein looks ahead to 2025

“Though the state budget will likely provide the biggest opportunity for compromise between Democrats and Republicans, Hesselbein believes there are a couple of other policy areas too. ‘We have a lot of things we didn’t get done and signed into law last time. We were able to pass in the Senate, the postpartum bill for one year for people on Medicaid,’ Hesselbein said. ‘And right now, it’s 60 days, but it died in the Assembly. So, hopefully, the Senate can take that up again, send it to the Assembly, and hopefully they can pass it. The only state that hasn’t done that is Arkansas. So that’s a problem. We need to help people [who] are experiencing postpartum, and anybody who’s had a child or knows anybody with a child knows that at day 60, everything doesn’t magically disappear, and everything’s fine. So, we need to give people the best health care possible. …’”