Candidate Comparison:

Wisconsin Governor

Tony-Evers-for-WI

Tony Evers (D)

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Tim Michels (R)

Wages

Evers has long supported raising Wisconsin’s minimum wage and has said, “Increasing the minimum wage will help workers and spur economic growth in our communities.” [1]	Michels has made no proposals to increase the minimum wage. [2]

Paid Time Off & Sick Leave

Evers wants to expand paid leave for Wisconsinites saying, “We need to pass policies that expand FMLA and paid leave, period.” [3]	Michels has said nothing about whether he supports workers having paid time off to care for themselves or a family member. [4]

Helping Essential Workers

Evers said, “Our essential workers deserve nothing but our full commitment to them.” Evers announced efforts to distribute PPE to food processors and to frontline workers and also prioritized them in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.	Michels has proposed no policies to help essential workers. [6]
Evers supported the passage of the American Rescue Plan , saying, “I’m glad to see @POTUS sign this critical legislation into law.” Within the state of Wisconsin Evers directed ARPA funds to address public safety, housing and food insecurity, affordable childcare, violence prevention in the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, and legal aid assistance to enable Wisconsinites to obtain accurate legal information. [5]

Health Care

Evers said, “Health insurance should be affordable and accessible for everyone.” Evers supports the Affordable Care Act and expanding health coverage for Wisconsinites.	Michels has not come out in support of the Affordable Care Act or expanding access to health insurance coverage for Wisconsinites. [8]
Evers is also committed to lowering the cost of prescription drugs, saying, “No one should have to choose between paying bills, buying groceries, or picking up their life-saving medications.” He signed a bill that making drug prices more transparent, and he supports increasing the state’s ability to further control the cost of prescription drugs.
Evers said, “Access to health care shouldn’t just be for the healthy and wealthy.” Evers expanded access to mental health care services for Wisconsinites. Evers is committed to improving maternal and infant health outcomes and has fully funded SeniorCare to include more coverage. Evers is working to combat the opioid crisis by joining the Opioids Overdose Prevention Initiative. [7]

Economic Insecurity & Inflation

Under Evers’ leadership, Wisconsin is economically steady. Since becoming governor, Evers secured more than $4 billion in tax relief, including a 15% income tax cut for working families. Moreover, the state has seen the lowest unemployment rate and one of the highest labor force participation rates in the country.	Michels has presented no plans to address rising inflation and has advocated for increasing the Wisconsin gas tax and vehicle registration fees in the past.
Wisconsin’s Rainy Day fund increased five-fold since Evers took office. Evers recently announced a new budget surplus plan including a tax cut for working families, expansion of the homestead credit and the Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit. Evers’ budget plan will also cap the cost of insulin, establish a caregiver tax credit, and expand the Childcare Tax Credit.	Michels’ tax policies would deny funds to public schools, Medicaid, and Badgercare, among other essential services [10]
Evers has taken multiple actions to lower fuel costs, including prohibiting price gouging, pushing Congress to suspend the federal gas tax, and urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to waive the federal reformulated gas requirements in six Wisconsin counties to save Wisconsinites over 30 cents per gallon. [9]

Meatpacking & Agriculture Industries

In 2021, Evers signed a bill establishing a Meat Talent Development Program, which dedicated over $2.6 million in grants for meat industry workforce development.	Michels has no plans addressing workers in the meatpacking or agriculture industries in Wisconsin. [12]
In January 2022, Evers announced a $5 million investment in the meat-processing industry to attract new talent, saying that he was “proud to invest in the next generation of meat packers for our agriculture industry.” In May 2022, he allocated an additional $10 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds toward meat-processing grants. [11]

Unions & Labor

Evers said, “Labor unions are vital to Wisconsin’s economy and ensuring we bounce back stronger than before.” Evers made efforts to restore frontline workers’ collective bargaining rights and to repeal Wisconsin’s right-to-work law.	Michels supports “right-to-work” and opposes prevailing wage mandates. [14]
Evers supports workers unionizing, sharing, “This morning I stopped by @ColectivoCoffee to support workers who recently voted to unionize” with UFCW.
Evers has received extensive union support, including endorsements from UFCW Local 1473, Wisconsin Pipe Trades, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers of Wisconsin, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council No. 7, Wisconsin AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Council 32, Wisconsin Laborers District Council, and Wisconsin Education Association Council. [13]

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