"People have been waiting a very long time for this moment," incoming Senate Majority Leader Dianne Hesselbein said in a joint interview with incoming Assembly Speaker Greta Neubauer.

Neubauer acknowledged that some proposals will draw Republican opposition. "We are going to do a lot of things that our Republican colleagues probably aren't going to be happy with," she said. "But we also are very committed to hearing their ideas and to giving some bills hearings and hopefully seeing them passed."

Both leaders said they are still deciding which bills will be introduced first in each chamber. Neubauer listed healthy school meals for all, property tax relief, school investment, health care costs and prescription drug prices as candidates for early action.

The leaders said they would likely steer money from a projected $3 billion surplus toward special education, general school aid and "other buckets of money that would address the rising property taxes," while rejecting the idea of sending rebate checks to taxpayers.

"We're thinking about some longer-term ways to really lower people's costs," Neubauer said.

Hesselbein said Democrats are weighing proposals to raise the minimum wage and increase taxes on the wealthiest Wisconsinites, but she did not offer a specific tax plan. Neubauer said the caucus has not yet settled on a single proposal.

Legalizing marijuana is also a top priority, both said. "People across the entire state have had these referendums saying they want to legalize marijuana," Hesselbein said. "And we know that we're losing money to our neighboring states. We need to get that done."

Democrats have long argued that tax revenue from legalized cannabis should help fund state priorities. "I don't think there is one magic solution," Hesselbein said. Neubauer added: "It'll help. We will need those dollars to come in so that we can make the budget work, but of course there's a lot of pieces to figure out."

Both leaders committed to repealing Act 10, the 2011 law that eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees. Neubauer said they want to move quickly to restore the rights of working people and that they have spoken with Gov. Tony Evers and his team about the effort. She also said Democrats will work to ensure working people do not feel cost increases over the next two years.

Democrats are also poised to redraw Wisconsin's congressional map ahead of the next census. Governor-elect David Crowley said last week he would sign such a bill into law. Neubauer framed the move as a response to former President Donald Trump's efforts to entrench power. "We are very invested in making sure the will of the voters is heard," she said.

Democratic leaders in Wisconsin and nationally are also pushing a plan to join the National Popular Vote interstate compact, which would award Wisconsin's electoral votes to the winner of the presidential popular vote. Republicans have called the idea unconstitutional. Neubauer said the change could spare Wisconsin voters from being at the center of every presidential election and having their televisions flooded with ads for months. "I do think that it is good to consider ways to make sure that the people of this state and the people of this country feel confident that the will of the voters is heard in every election," she said.

Incoming Assembly Republican leader Tyler August said the GOP will use procedural tools to slow down legislation and give the public time to weigh in. "There's procedural things that you can do within the rules," August said. "I'm the former speaker pro tem, so I'm very well versed in those."

August noted that just three Republicans in the Assembly have governed in the minority. "Republicans have been leading the state with now just two blips of minority for really 30 years, so there's going to be a bit of a learning curve for our members," he said.

He defended Act 10, saying he voted for it and still considers it one of the best votes he has taken. "The amount of money it's saved local municipalities, and which ultimately saved taxpayers," he said. "When they say they're moving fast, they're kind of admitting that they're trying to get things passed before people actually have a chance to stand up and say, wait a minute, this isn't what we voted for."

On marijuana, August said Republican support would depend on the details. He suggested starting with medical marijuana rather than full recreational legalization. "I hope that they will actually take a look at what other states have done and not just have a knee-jerk reaction and try to rush something through," he said.

August also warned that litigation would follow if Democrats approve the popular-vote compact. "I imagine there will be a lot of people that sue over this," he said. "There's been outside groups already that have indicated that if they go down this road, there will be litigation."