Right now on Upfront a grand slam. And we never consider going anywhere else. Governor Tony Evers signing the bipartisan Brewers funding deal into law. And now the governor is with us. One on one is a big year, comes to an end. Are those your two biggest accomplishments? All this setting the stage for a chaotic 2024 elections, lawsuits, controversy. It's all ahead. Then election demands in Wisconsin, calls to abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission and impeach the state's election chief. So realistically, what will lawmakers do? Republican Representative Scott Krug, chair of the Assembly Elections Committee, is standing by with the answer. And to the high court. Freedom wins quality wins, and women's health wins. The stage being set for Wisconsin's abortion fight to be front and center before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Former Justice Janine Geske taking us inside the infighting, the drama, all ahead of the big cases. This is Upfront with Gerron Jordan and political director Matt Smith. Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us. This the end of the year fast approaching with an incredible amount of tension now on 2024. In battleground Wisconsin, a public bipartisan moment this past week, Governor Tony Evers signing the Brewers funding deal into law at American Family Field, a bill that will keep the team in Milwaukee through 2050. Then Friday, a deal announced between the UW system and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The board of Regents meeting Saturday. Our editorial partner WisPolitics.com, with the details that target a third of the university's die positions in exchange for several financial priorities, including approving raises for UW employees and a series of capital projects. The governor weighing in on the negotiations and our new interview Tuesday from the ballpark. Just after signing that Brewers funding deal into law. Governor, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Good to be here. Moments just from signing the Brewers funding bill here at American Family Field, I heard from some in those final days that you were literally working the phones, picking up, calling Democrats to get them on board. Is that is that fair? I was calling talking to people, yes. Yeah. And just making sure they knew how important it was. How close were we to this not passing? I think it was very close. It took on a bit of a life of its self. I think when people step back and think about what this means to the state and I think that's kind of always a issue on the Brewers or even the Bucks. You know, the fact that there Milwaukee, but just from my vantage point as governor, where they put this roof on their on this building for a reason, and that was to make sure that they were a statewide team, people could get on a bus and with a bunch of their friends from a local bar head down here from any place in the state. And so I you know, I spent a lot of time talking to people about how important this is. From the state's point of view, the statewide effort. And I think that's why it's always going to be close, because most of the legislators are from outstate. Is that unusual for you to pick up the phone and work legislation as hard as you did? It depends on the issue. But yes, this this took a lot of effort, but I do that on other ones, too. When you look at this bill, when you look at the shared revenue this past year, two major pieces of legislation, bipartisan legislation, are those your two biggest accomplishments this past year? I would say so, yes. The answer is yes. As far as big size things, absolutely. I think we've done some other things. But these are ones that are important to the people of Wisconsin and, you know, ran on them, especially shared revenue. I ran on that. I talked about every single day, many times. And that was a that was a really important change that made it easier for local municipalities. Not everything solved. But, you know, to get get the work done that they're doing. What does that say about your relationship with Republicans and Republican leaders? You know, just, you know, I'd love to say that we're going to get together and be friends at every at every turn. But we when we do accomplish something, we try to make it big and and this was big, you know, during the budget, even the issues of of affordable housing that that turned out to be a good win for everybody. And yeah it's I wish I could be on everything but it's just not going to happen. I mean, it is what it is. At the same time, you're suing over raises in part to UW system employs. I'm curious, is there any movement on that as we sit here? I know they're talking, but I just think I just think this is not the way to do it. We have a budget. We know what what was allocated for the University of Wisconsin system. Let's let's get it done. I think these are distractions. And frankly, I don't I don't like them because it's just a small number of people making decisions that have already been made. Are you involved at all in the conversations? I they asked me for my opinion from time to time. And frankly, I find it hard to just personally to say this is really great. Keep it up, because I think it's all BS. And I just think the budget was passed. We know how much money is going to UW. Let's get the money out. Let's let people get a raise. This idea that somehow we're going to go back and forth and back and forth. That's the University of Wisconsin system issue. I, I find it really quite obnoxious, frankly. Is the court going to have to figure this out? No, I think they'll find they'll find a resolve. I think at some point the court will take on my lawsuit. And I think they're going to say that it's accurate. But I'm I'm hopeful that these people that are working right now get it done, get it out of their system and move on. I want to look ahead to 2024 a little bit. A new bill just came out by some Republicans that would abolish the state elections Commission and give authority to the secretary of state. Would you support that in any scenario under no circumstances. Simple as that. We have a system that works. You know, the fact that some people continue to believe that the system doesn't work, it's just because their side didn't win. So no, we have a system. Actually, it was created by the Republicans as you know, a years ago. I've seen it work under my work as governor and as state superintendent. It works. And so, no, it's ridiculous. I have to put it that way. Moving it to the secretary of state and have the secretary of state essentially be overseen by the legislature for that's a nonstarter. We've got a good system. We've got a good leader in that system. And we're we're I'm going to veto anything that moves us in a different direction. Even though the secretary of state is currently a Democrat. Yeah, that doesn't matter. I mean, she she's in she's has to on this issue, she'd be essentially responding to the to the legislature. That's crazy. It's an executive branch position. Do you have faith in her ability if it would get to that point to oversee elections? I think she's a very capable person. But we have a good system now. I want to keep it. There's been some attention on your emails and your use of an Alias account recently used a former Brewers player in your account. I'm curious, you have said it's legal and it's okay. Are you still using a new different alias address? Yes. It it's it's legal. If people have if people want to know what I said using my emails, they can do an open records request and they get get it. Nothing would change if we said, okay, we're not going to have it anymore. Nothing would change. So I think it's a nothing issue and I'm going to continue to say that. But what type of business do you do with that account and what's the purpose for people who have questions? I don't I very seldom use it, period. I mean, I occasionally will communicate internally on it. You know, some issue comes up and and those are open to the public. If people want people want to do an open records request, they can do it. I don't know how many out of state government emails I've sent out to that account. I, I can't think of any right off the top of my head. The State Supreme Court is expected to take up a number of issues over the next year, ranging from the maps to abortion, potentially at ten, potentially school choice. I'm curious on that ten. There's a lawsuit asking the high court to take it up. Do you want the high court to overturn Act ten? I wanted to. I prefer to go through the the the system. You know, the Supreme Court in the past turned it down. And, you know, after act was passed, I think it needs some help from the circuit court and the appellate court in order to have a good result. So I think Act ten should be overturned. Absolutely. I support the unions and I support their rights to collectively bargain. But I think because it's so similar to what happened before, I think we need to have some other work done on it in circuit court. Would that create chaos for local school districts in terms of think so? I mean, some some will say that we I worked under situations where we had unions, teacher unions, and it worked. It's one people people have to understand. It's important for the worker, the people that are actually doing the work to have a voice in how things are done and have a voice to get their grievances taken care of would it be chaotic? I can't imagine why it would be. I inserts at some some somebody someplace will think it's chaotic, but I think it can work. It worked before. There's also a lawsuit asking to overturn school choice or I guess declared unconstitutional. What would that do in the state, you know? Well, it would it needs to be dealt with at the circuit court level because the the way it was written, it just basically was saying, well, that was a mistake before overdue this mistake. But we need to have some more discussions at the circuit court level. Would you want to get rid of school choice in Wisconsin? I want to see what happens out of the circuit court. Obviously. Do I support public school? Is I was a public school person all that. But at the end of the day, if if that if that needs to be if that needs to be changed, we need to have some more thoughtful discussion at the circuit court level. 2024 is going to be a busy year politically in the state of Wisconsin. Could be even busier depending on what happens with the maps. When you look at the presidential race, you have a much higher approval rating than President Biden, 11 points higher from the latest Marquette poll. There have been a number of Democratic governors who have given some advice to the president recently. What would you say? How can he win Wisconsin? You know, I think he can win Wisconsin. I know he's down. I know he's down nationally. But at the end of the day, I mean, what what those those numbers are now is not going to be what it is. He's just got to be himself and be, you know, get out and come to Wisconsin, come to Michigan, come to Minnesota, and and he'll win. I think he's I think he'll easily win in the state of Wisconsin. People understand how difficult it is to be a president of the United States. But he's done a lot of things. Look at the infrastructure work that we've been doing. Look at all the things that we've been doing around broadband and those things, frankly, happen because he's president of the United States. So the people in Wisconsin don't understand that. Governor Evers, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Appreciate it, as always. Coming up, the election legislation. What will Republicans pass ahead of the 2024 election? The Republican chair of th