Some will argue it could have been worse, that the Democratic senators who voted yes only did so after getting something from their Republican colleagues. But it also could have been so much better, and 11 Democratic senators voted no because they knew that was the case, and recognized that their constituents deserved better.

Republicans are not operating from the same position of unified strength they held before. If Evers utilizes his leverage, then it is they who will be blamed for passing an unsignable budget. For the first time in the six years, Evers has decided to enter into negotiation with Robin Vos and the other forgettable Republicans in his coalition.

Budget season means it’s time for Governor Evers to propose a bunch of things that sound good, wait for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to laugh and say “nah,” then shrug and dump more public resources into voucher schools and charter schools, rounding it up to a progressive win in Evers’ press release.