Wisconsin state Rep. Jill Billings on GOP's latest political stunt, using billion budget surplus, campaign priorities

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in studio discussing last week’s political stunt by Republicans, what to do with the $4 billion budget surplus and her campaign priorities for getting reelected.

Began the show talking about how the Legislature hasn’t really been in session since mid-March, has the rest of the year off and what kind of things Billings does, outside of session.

That led to what Republicans did last week, in calling an extraordinary session to try and override some of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ vetoes. But, for whatever work the Senate did — and it wasn’t a lot because some reps. apparently had other plans and had to go, despite this being a full-time state Legislature — the Assembly, needing to pass what the Senate passed, instead gaveled in and immediately out of its session.

Could the Assembly had debated some of the bills the Senate passed, like $125 million in funding for PFAS pollution, which has forced the Town of Campbell on French Island to use bottled water for the past four years?

Started the second half of the show (19:40) with a topic we had fun with last week, which was what people flying into Wisconsin should get, like when you get a lei flying into Hawaii. 

That, oddly enough, led to an interesting talk (25:00) about what Billings thinks the state should do with its $4 billion in budget surplus that has been mostly unspent for over 2.5 years now.

We also discussed (27:45) Red Lobster in La Crosse closing, giving workers no notice whatsoever.

Lastly (31:50), we got into some of Billings priorities as she campaigns in a partially new district and what ideas she hears from potential voters she’s talking to.

Billings, a Democrat representing District 95, has one challenger on the other side of the aisle, Monroe County Board Chair Cedric Schnitzler. 

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