MADISON – Today Assistant Assembly Democratic Leader Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) offered the Democratic Weekly Radio Address. The topic this week is Governor Walker's latest State of the State Address, which offered few solutions to undo the damage the Republican agenda has done in Wisconsin.

"Governor Walker offered nothing more than Band-Aid proposals that are anemic and weak compared to the significant challenges we face," Rep. Shankland said. "While Republicans keep their focus on policies that harm our economy and our middle class, Democrats are determined to grow our economy, strengthen public education and bring back our middle class. That has been our agenda from Day One because that’s what the people of Wisconsin want and expect."

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here and a video version can be viewed here or below.

Published on Jan 20, 2016

A written transcript of the address is below:

During his State of the State address this week, Governor Walker offered nothing more than Band-Aid proposals that are anemic and weak compared to the significant challenges we face.

Roughly 10,000 hardworking Wisconsinites received layoff notices last year, the highest single-year total since the governor took office. Our state continues to experience lagging job growth and a shrinking middle class, and we are third-worst in the nation for road quality and student loan debt.

Yet instead of working to solve these problems, the governor and legislative Republicans betrayed your trust by enacting massive cuts to public education, driving down wages for hardworking families and refusing federal funding that would have ensured health care coverage for tens of thousands more of our citizens.

While Republicans keep their focus on policies that harm our economy and our middle class, Democrats are determined to grow our economy, strengthen public education and bring back our middle class. That has been our agenda from Day One because that’s what the people of Wisconsin want and expect. That's why Democrats are leading on important issues like refinancing student loan debt, ensuring paid family leave and earned sick days for working families, making childcare more affordable and strengthening retirement security.

Your hard work and advocacy have been so vital to our efforts over the past year, and we will need your help in the coming year as well. Let’s continue to work together to make sure the State of our State is stronger for all our citizens.