Governor Tony Evers takes oath of office
Updated: 11:26 a.m. January 7, 2019
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- It's a monumental day in Wisconsin politics as the state's new governor is sworn in.
Monday's inauguration is 502 days in the making for Tony Evers, a career educator who announced his bid for governor on August 23, 2017. He will be sworn in as Wisconsin's 46th Governor.
SEE ALSO: Highlights of inauguration day in Wisconsin
A pre-ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. with musical performances from five different groups including the Latino Arts Strings Program from Milwaukee and the Tomah School Band. Evers was a principal in the Tomah School District from 1979-1984.
You can watch the inauguration ceremony of Governor Tony Evers on CBS58.com.
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Posted: 5:40 p.m. January 6, 2019
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Monday will be a new day in Wisconsin politics as Democratic Governor-Elect Tony Evers takes office.
After eight years of Republican Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsinites went a different direction, and voted left.
According to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee, Evers will bring a different tone to the state Capitol. “I expect that Tony Evers and his personality, his style of presentation is gonna be much softer.”
One of Evers' first tasks will be the state budget.
“The new governor is gonna be laying out his funding priorities, what he wants to spend more on -- public education, and presumably less on some other areas that he doesn’t think are as important as Governor Walker thought,” Lee said.
If the lame duck session was any indication, it’ll be a challenge.
“The Republican Legislature has threatened that when the governor submits his budget bill, they’re just gonna ignore it. It’s gonna be dead on arrival and they’re gonna pass their own budget. They’re gonna pass a budget that’s gonna reflect Republican priorities.”
Professor Lee said there may be some political gridlock, before any bipartisanship is displayed.
“I’m afraid that we’ve gotten so polarized in politics that some people in politics say, ‘I rather not get half a loaf than for my enemy to also get half a loaf.’ So Governor Evers is gonna try to negotiate with a party that might not wanna negotiate.”
As for Walker, he said he will move to downtown Milwaukee and join the speakers’ circuit and campaign for President Donald Trump.
CBS 58 will stream Evers' inauguration on CBS58.com beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 7.