State of the State Recap and Reaction Round Up

Update, 11 am, Jan. 26: We have added comments from Rep. Bob Turner (D-Racine) into the body of the story.

Saying his initiatives are helping the state now for the years to come, Governor Walker delivered his State of the State address on Jan. 25.

Focusing big on how the state's unemployment rate is the lowest in years and how the state budget is balanced without raising taxes or massive layoffs, Walker recounted what he sees as victories for all residents.

The Small Business Regulatory Review Board and the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Elimination Task Force, Act 10 and the coming mining legislation are all ways Walker said he and his administration, in partnership with the state legislature, work to help citizens not just for the present but the future as well.

But Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) says that Wisconsin is neither changing for the better nor moving in the right direction. More, he thinks Walker is in denial.

“I can't remember ever hearing a speech by someone so disconnected from reality or in denial about what is happening around him," he said in a written statement.

State Sen. Van Wanggaard issued a statement in support of Walker and the bills he's worked with the Governor and his colleagues to help residents.

“The State of the State is a time to come together and reflect where we’ve been and where we’re going as a people. I think Governor Walker did a great job laying out the progress we’ve made in growing jobs in Wisconsin. Last year, for the first time since 2008, we added jobs in this state, reversing 3 straight years of job losses," he wrote. "Everyone in Racine County recognizes that there is a lot more work to do, and I am glad Governor Walker reaffirmed his commitment to growing our economy."

Like Mason, Rep. Bob Turner (D-Racine) thinks Walker is doing more harm than good.

"Last night Governor Walker told the members of the Legislature and other guests that he has turned things around. He’s right. In the last 6 months of 2011, Wisconsin lost jobs every single month," he said in a written statement. "Giving $2.36 billion worth of tax credits to big corporations at the expense of investments in education, health care and jobs makes it hard to look past his suggestion that he feels the pain of hard-working families and small businesses."

Wanggaard also included a jab at colleagues who took shots at Walker and his initiatives.

"I was also disappointed in the comments of some of my colleagues tonight. Job growth, eliminating fraud and waste and educating children should not be partisan issues, but it appears that some in this state are determined to make them so,” he concluded.

Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) echoed Wanggaard, but went further and compared Walker's State of the State address to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Jan. 24.

“Tonight’s State of the State speech is a stark contrast to President Obama’s State of the Union Address. President Obama wants more government programs using your hard-earned taxpayer dollars," Vos said in his statement. "Governor Walker talked about continuing to provide opportunities for the private sector to grow and reduce the burden on the taxpayer. Our top priority in the Assembly remains the same: jobs ... I look forward to working with Governor Walker to continue to move the state forward and bring prosperity to Wisconsin.”