MADISON, WI (WSAU) -- In a matter of hours, Governor-Elect Tony Evers will drop the "elect" from his title.
Inauguration day is today in Madison, where Evers is scheduled to take the oath of office at 11 AM at the capitol when Evers and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Mandela Barnes will take the respective oaths of office.
Evers said his inaugural message will focus on civility and discourse in the capitol, something that will be tested as the Democrat faces Republican control in both the state Assembly and Senate. "Finding common ground, intentionally giving people hope for the future- those are all things that I think we can lose track of in the political process."
Part of that means working with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. "Obviously, they haven't agreed with me a lot, but there's no personal animosity. I've met with them a lot as DPI Superintendent and I met with them as Governor-Elect. I will continue to meet with them and try to reach common ground. They are Wisconsinites, they get it."
Last month the Senate and Assembly passed a series of bills that some Democrats say were aimed a stripping power from Evers before he takes office and protecting measures implemented by the Walker administration. Those bills included a measure prohibiting Evers from pulling the state out of a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and rescheduling the upcoming Supreme Court Election to boost the chances of a Republican-backed candidate winning the non-partisan seat.
The bills were signed in their entirety by Governor Walker in mid-December without any line-item vetoes, something he said he would consider in the days before they reached his desk.
Evers outlasted outgoing Governor Scott Walker in November in a race that came down to thousands of votes and wasn't called until long after the polls closed statewide.
Last weekend Walker announced that he will still have his toes in the Wisconsin political pool, working with conservatives on both a state and national level as well as beginning a public speaking career. Walker said he will also work on behalf of the Trump/Pence campaign as the duo faces re-election in 2020.
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