Wisconsin Democrats plan to boost public school funding, cut costs for families and legalize cannabis after winning full control of state government for the first time since 2009.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, and expected Assembly Speaker Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, laid out those priorities after the Nov. 3 election gave Democrats an 18-15 Senate majority and a 53-46 Assembly majority, according to WPR. Governor-elect David Crowley's win completed the trifecta.

The stakes are personal for Kenosha-area taxpayers. The Kenosha Unified School District, which covers the city of Kenosha along with Pleasant Prairie and Somers, has been wrestling with a $17 million budget deficit. The district considered eliminating 40 teaching positions and cutting sports programs, WPR reported in June.

KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss told WGTD on Nov. 4 that he is recommending the school board continue planning for a possible April funding referendum, even with a friendlier Legislature on the way.

"The candidates who won were candidates who stated they would be interested in making education funding a priority, so that's always great to hear," Weiss said. But he cautioned that how that support translates into extra dollars for public schools will not be known for some time.

The new Legislature will not convene until January, around the time the school board would need to decide whether to schedule an April referendum, according to WGTD.

What the leaders want to do

Both Hesselbein and Neubauer said lowering costs for families was a top priority, alongside increasing public school funding, legalizing cannabis and expanding abortion access, according to WPR.

Hesselbein told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that her agenda includes a bill to provide free meals for all K-12 students, proposals to lower prescription drug costs, more state funds for schools and lower property taxes.

Neubauer's list spans affordability, education, abortion access, workers' rights and clean water, according to the Journal Sentinel. She also highlighted the school meals proposal, prescription drug cost legislation and a proposal to expand the state's homestead tax credit for low-income homeowners and renters.

They will have money to work with. Wisconsin ended fiscal year 2026 on June 30 with a $3.3 billion General Fund balance, roughly $350 million above budgeted estimates, according to the State Controller's Office. The state's rainy day fund hit a record $2.07 billion.

Slim margins, big challenge

The margins are tight. Democrats will need to hold together caucuses that include progressives and centrists, according to WPR. Republicans will be eager to target vulnerable seats in two years.

Hesselbein said she is willing to work across the aisle. In a WPR interview, she pointed to the previous session: "Last session alone, only five Democratic bills got a hearing; only two became law. I think that's terrible."

Neubauer said she hopes to gain Republican support but would not commit to requiring it for every bill. "My focus will be getting good policy done, and we will do whatever it takes to pass policy that improves the lives of the people of Wisconsin," she said, according to WPR.

Republican response

Outgoing Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, posted a lengthy response on X on election night.

He warned that Democrats "spent the campaign promising lower costs and relief for families while offering few specifics."

Vos said Republicans would "stand firmly with the taxpayers and job creators who built Wisconsin's success" and pledged to offer alternatives and demand accountability over the next two years.

History looms

The last Democratic trifecta ran from 2009 to 2011 under Gov. Jim Doyle. Democrats fell short of some major goals during that session and lost power to Republicans in the 2010 election, according to WPR.

The new Legislature convenes in January.