MADISON, Wis. — Assembly Democrats said they “yielded some wins” this year after picking up 10 seats in the 2024 election.

Those results helped narrow the gap with Republicans, who still control both chambers of the legislature in Wisconsin.

Spectrum News 1 Political Anchor Anthony DaBruzzi recently sat down with Minority Leader Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, to discuss some of those wins in detail. You can watch the interview above.

 

Biggest wins for Wisconsinites

While Democrats haven’t always been successful, Neubauer said her caucus has worked hard to lower costs for the people of Wisconsin at every opportunity.

“Our Republican colleagues have not been terribly interested in addressing the cost of prescription drugs or groceries through ‘Healthy School Meals for All,’” Neubauer explained.

“Looking at child care, we got little funding in the state budget, so that was good to see. A little more for public schools,” she added. “Although some real gaps were left there as well. So, I would say that having a more fair legislature, closer numbers and a Democratic governor has yielded some wins, through the state budget and otherwise.”

“We still have a lot more work to do with the people of Wisconsin being very clear that they want us to address the cost of living in their state, and so we have our work cut out for us as we move forward,” Neubauer said.

So many things, so little time

When it comes to missed opportunities, Neubauer said the list is plentiful, but she can’t help but think of how tight the holiday season will be for some people.

“They’re worried about making ends meet. Right now, one of the things we hear about every single day, right from our constituents across the state, is the cost of groceries,” Neubauer stated. “And so, if we could pass ‘Healthy School Meals for All,’ that would save the average family of four [with] two kids $1,800 a year. That would put real money back in people’s pockets and make sure that their kids are getting a full, healthy meal so that they can focus at school.”

Taking pride in reaching across the aisle

As for the best bipartisan moment that she is proud of, the legislation focused on affordable housing comes to mind for Neubauer.

“We know that this is a really important issue for folks, everybody from renters to those looking to buy their first home, to elderly folks who are looking at property taxes and worried about how they’ll be able to stay in their home,” Neubauer explained. “We put forward a homestead tax credit bill that would help, particularly those older folks on a fixed income. There have been some proposals to sort of support, encourage local governments to build housing at a more affordable price, but certainly a lot more to do there as well.”

Where else can Democrats and Republicans find common ground?

Neubauer told Spectrum News 1 that Assembly Democrats have more bills planned for the new year, despite a tight timetable with the session anticipated to adjourn by March. Among the proposals are more efforts focused on affordable housing.

“These are really going to be focused on affordability and those first-time homebuyers, in particular. That’s going to be a big focus for us,” Neubauer added. “And we’ll be rolling out those bills in the new year and certainly hope to get some bipartisan support.”

Neubauer said Assembly Democrats also want to prioritize public safety, health care and the environment in 2026.

“I think people are looking for their elected officials to fight for them,” Neubauer said. “They are having a hard time right now, and they’re feeling like they’re just not sure when it’s going to get better. And so, I think we show up every day looking to address the issues that the people of Wisconsin are facing. And we hope our Republican colleagues will join us in doing that.”