Gov. Tony Evers says he is ready to call lawmakers back into session if there is a chance to pass a $1.8 billion budget surplus deal, but he remains uncertain whether the agreement can be reworked to win over holdouts in the Senate.
The bipartisan deal, reached between Evers and Republican legislative leaders last month, included property tax relief, tax cuts, increased funding for public schools, and refund checks for residents. It passed easily in the Assembly but failed in the Senate, where Democrats voted unanimously against it, joined by three Republicans.
Watch: Wisconsin governor uncertain budget surplus deal can pass Senate after failing last month
TMJ4 News spoke with Evers during a June Dairy Month event at Oscar's, where he was enjoying frozen custard. When asked whether the deal needs to change to produce a different outcome in the Senate, Evers said he was unsure how that would work.
"I don't know how," Evers said.
He elaborated on the challenge of modifying the agreement.
"The Republicans that were part of the deal had some really strong feelings about bringing money back to people so that they can pay their bills, and then of course I was on the other side concerning about education, and so I don't know what adding or subtracting would make a difference," Evers said.
Despite his uncertainty about the path forward, Evers expressed disappointment with Democratic Senate leadership for continuing to oppose the deal.
Wisconsin farmers will be the focus of President Donald Trump's visit to the Eau Claire area on Friday — his first trip to Wisconsin since the 2024 election.
The White House has said Trump's policies are helping farmers through lower input costs, new trade markets and less red tape. But farmers are facing higher fuel and fertilizer costs, and Evers said Trump's trade policies are not helping.
"I would say that tariffs haven't necessarily worked in the way that farmers are being helped," Evers said.
Evers also weighed in on what he expects from Trump's visit.
"I'll be interested to see what he says. I don't think he's been a favorite of the farmers," Evers said.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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