Democratic Governor Tony Evers recently participated in a student roundtable at UW-Milwaukee where a range of issues were discussed. Students were given the chance to ask Evers questions and share their concerns with the governor. Evers provided his input on issues from climate change and college affordability to funding for the arts and replacing lead water service lines in Milwaukee.
Speaking about the downward trend in funding for the arts, Evers called it an “economic issue” and said “companies aren’t going to move to Wisconsin if they think it’s an art wasteland. It’s not gonna happen.” Evers attributed recent economic growth in the state to the strong arts community that currently exists. “We now have companies coming to Wisconsin because of the climate around art,” Evers said. “They do that because the employees they employ when they come here want a rounded life outside of work.”
On the issue of replacing the 67,000 lead water service lines in Milwaukee, Evers indicated the $79 million in federal assistance provided to Milwaukee would likely not be enough to fund the entire project. However, the Governor said he was committed to including additional funding for the replacement program in his upcoming budget proposal. Evers also signaled concerned that even if the funding were available, the workforce required to replace the pipes was not. “I’m a little concerned about the ability for us to have enough human beings to do the work,” Evers said. “Wisconsin’s population is static at best; something we’ve got to work on.”
Watch the roundtable discussion here:Gov. Evers visits UW-Milwaukee
