Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers waves as he's introduced at the annual State of the State address Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

After Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) called for new legislation to curb gun violence and help support children of working families, Republicans in the state legislature firmly rejected many of the new proposals.

The second-term governor made improving the lives of children a main area of focus during his seventh State of the State address. The former educator called for the Republican-controlled state legislature to approve $50 million of education funding, expanding mental health programs, funding lead exposure prevention, implementing gun control and a free school meal program.

Despite Evers’ efforts to improve the safety of children and lower costs for families, Republicans have so far been unwilling to even negotiate on much of the proposals. Last week, GOP leadership rejected the free school meal proposal for the second time in the last calendar year, with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) calling it “completely out of touch with reality.” Proponents of the program say free school meals can improve learning retention and mental health while also saving families potentially hundreds of dollars monthly.

During a press gaggle after the speech, GOP leaders were asked whether their caucus would compromise on Evers’ gun violence prevention proposal, to which Assembly Floor Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) simply replied “no, we’re not doing it.” A follow-up question asked whether the GOP has any gun legislation of their own; August implied that any attempts to curb gun violence are a non-starter.

“We gotta talk to our caucuses about this stuff,” August said. “These are ideas that have been proposed over, and over, and over. And the governor needs to remember that he took an oath to the entire U.S. Constitution, not just the parts he likes.”

In wake of the Abundant Life Christian School shooting last month, Evers called for red flag laws and the reimplementation of a 48-hour waiting period to obtain a firearm.

“Just last month, we saw how crucial ‘red flag’ laws can be to prevent tragedy,” Evers said about the Madison shooting. “Without ‘red flag’ laws, law enforcement in Wisconsin are often unable to intervene unless a crime has already been committed. At that point, sometimes it’s too late. We have to change that.”

From 1976-2015, Wisconsin law required a 48-hour waiting period between a person purchasing a firearm and taking possession of it. Vos and the GOP repealed the law in 2015 and have also rejected support for Evers’ Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

August and Senate Floor Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) also indicated there would be no GOP support for Evers’ $500 million plan to lower child care costs. When asked if there was a Republican plan to lower these costs, LeMahieu pointed to a child tax credit passed last year and called for more tax cuts.

The divide in the Wisconsin state government has led to a prolonged stalemate when it comes to passing legislation. Many Democrat-authored bills, like addressing abortion access, expanding paid family leave and postpartum care, are simply rejected by Vos and his colleagues. Conversely, many Republican authored bills are vetoed by Evers.