Joint Finance members travel to La Crosse for informal listening session prior to more budget hearings

They’ll have hearings on Tuesday in Eau Claire and Wednesday in the Dells, but some Democratic members of Wisconsin’s joint finance committee met with La Crosse residents on Monday about public needs. 

The unofficial listening session attracted about 40 people to the La Crosse public library downtown. 

State Senator Kelda Roys of Dane County was among the lawmakers attending, and she heard concerns that people all over Wisconsin have about public needs.

“A lot of similarities, what I’ve heard from people all around the state,” Roys said after the meeting. “They want to see investments in public education, K-12, in our university system, and in child care. They want to see things like clean water prioritized. Those I hear from everyone.”

Other committee members, Assembly Reps Evan Goyke and Tip McGuire, also attended the listening session organized by La Crosse Rep. Jill Billings.  

They broke up into four groups for roundtable discussions, with the legislators rotating among the discussion circles.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds, county board chair Monica Kruse, and La Crosse school superintendent Aaron Engel also took part in the discussions.