7 Issues That Define Evers, Michels

There are sharp differences between the two candidates for governor, Republican challenger Tim Michels and Democratic incumbent Tony Evers, in the election a week from tomorrow. But don’t believe the evil images of both portrayed in attack ads both sides, and their third-party pals, are running. Evers is not the feckless, criminal-loving incompetent chief executive, and Michels is not the radical, women-hating ideologue, portrayed in those ads.

Let’s consider some of their real differences on background and issues.

1. Biographies: After 12 years in the Army, where he served as a Ranger and led an honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Michels says he helped his father and other family members build a nationally known construction firm with 8,000 employees. The 60-year-old has never served in government but lost to Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold in 2004. Evers, 70, started his career in education as a science teacher and worked in Tomah, Oakfield, Verona, and Oshkosh. He was elected to the nonpartisan office of state superintendent of public instruction in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Evers defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2018 to win his first term.

2. Crime: Evers says local officials best know what their communities need to fight crime. So, the 2023-25 state budget he would propose in January would include 4% annual increases in “shared revenue,” which is state aid to local governments. He blames Republican legislators for not increasing shared revenue in the past. Evers has issued a record 603 pardons, restoring some rights to non-violent offenders.

Michels repeatedly warns criminals “there’s a new sheriff in town,” if he is elected. He also says, had he been governor when riots broke out in Kenosha in 2020, he would have gone there immediately to lead efforts to control the violence. Michels also links crime rates and failing schools: “We’re going to get education scores up to provide opportunity for the young men and women that have no option but to be on the streets.”

Evers also says family members of crime victims should be consulted before a prison inmate is paroled. Michels last week promised to appoint a Parole Commission chair whose goal will not be reducing the prison population.

3. Gun laws: Michels opposes a “red flag” law that would allow a judge, after a court hearing, to order someone found to be a danger to temporarily surrender their weapons. That would be an “unconstitutional” limit on the right to bear arms, Michels says. Republican legislators ignored Evers’s call for a special session to tighten gun laws by enacting a “red flag” law and expanding background checks before gun purchases. But he promises to keep pushing for them, if re-elected.

4. Abortion: Michels first said he agreed with the 1849 state law that outlaws abortions except to save the women’s life. But, he later added, if the Legislature passes a bill including exceptions in cases of rape and incest, he would sign it into law. Evers has made trying to have Wisconsin restore abortion rights a central part of his campaign, after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed its 1973 ruling and said each state could decide the issue. Evers authorized Atty. Gen Josh Kaul to sue to try and void the 1849 law and called a special legislative session to try and schedule a statewide referendum on restoring abortion rights. Republicans also ignored that request.

5. State surplus: Evers wants to boost state spending on public schools by $2 billion, drawing down the $5.8-billion surplus projected by mid-2023. He also wants to cut taxes on “working families,” end the minimum markup required on gasoline, cap copays for insulin, create a Caregiver Tax Credit and increase property tax relief for veterans with disabilities. The $5.8 billion surplus is “awful” because Wisconsin residents are “overtaxed,” Michels declares. He has said he would consider a flat – or fixed rate – personal income tax, but could also recommend ending or phasing out the $2.6 billion a year corporations pay in taxes.

6. Election laws: Michels has said the bipartisan, three-Democrat, three-Republican Elections Commission should be replaced with a panel made up of representatives from the state’s eight U.S. House districts. This could give control of the commission to Republicans, who now represent five of those districts. Evers has vetoed all changes to election laws passed by Republican legislators, calling those changes barriers to voting. But he has not said if he wants the Election Commission restructured.

7. Conflicts of interest: Michels gave his campaign $15 million through the end of September, according to Wispolitics. On leave from his family’s construction firm, which has gotten many contracts from state government, he said he would “divest” his holdings in the firm if elected governor. Michels has not said how he would do that, however. Evers said he would have no conflicts of interest, if re-elected, because his sole income is the governor’s salary of $146,500. Evers called Michels’ vague promise to divest if elected “kind of fishy.”

 Steven Walters began covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com