Gov. Scott Walker (Photo: Jackie Johnson)
Governor Scott Walker’s State of the State address Tuesday night was short on policy details. “Looking ahead, we are proposing bold reforms to make state government more effective, more efficient and more accountable to the public. We will consolidate several of our state agencies. While the mergers will provide savings in the next state budget, the real objective is to improve services while being better stewards of the taxpayers’ money.”
The governor, delivering his fifth state of the state address in the Assembly chambers in Madison, called on lawmakers to pass a school accountability package, and to make it “crystal clear” that local districts won’t have to use the Common Core standards.
“Pass legislation insuring objective information is available for each and every school recieving public funds in the state,” Walker said. “Provide the information, and let parents make the choice.”
Walker’s also directed lawmakers to merge the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the state’s Housing and Economic Development Authority, which he said would allow resources to be “shifted from overhead to economic development.”
Walker began and ended his less than 25 minute long speech with salutes to the Packers and the military – and wrapped up by invoking the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France, calling “any attack against freedom loving people anywhere an attack against us all.”
The governor is expected to provide far more detail – including how he’ll deal with a projected $2.2 billion deficit – when he delivers his budget address in two weeks.