Tom Loftus and Tony Earl became close friends as they navigated the state legislature and political landscape together.
Loftus was the Democratic leader in the Assembly, Earl was Wisconsin's newly elected governor.He passed away Thursday at the age of 86.
"Tony used to say that good government is good politics," said Loftus. "Well, he got the first part of that right. It was four years of good government."
By the time Earl had taken the oath of office in 1983, the state was facing a massive $1 billion budget deficit, an even bigger weight on the state's budget at the time compared to budgets today.
"His plan basically prevented the State from going bankrupt," said the former assembly speaker.
WATCH: Former Assembly Speaker Tom Loftus talks about his friend Gov. Earl who passed away Thursday at the age of 86.
Earl made the state's 5% sales tax permanent to help shore up the budget, a move that likely contributed to him being a one-term governor.
Born out of that deficit debate was an idea that Republican and Democratic governors now like.
"He started the first rainy day fund, which still exists, and that came out of that sort of disastrous period where we ended up with this great deficit."
Loftus says Earl's legacy extends to marital property reform and raising the pay for female state employees. He was also secretary of the Department of Natural Resources before running for governor.
“He may be called Wisconsin's first environmental governor. Now Gaylord Nelson was a conservation governor, and a lot of legislation was passed. But Tony came on the scene when the environmental movement came on the scene. So, it was a good partnership.”
Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson defeated Earl in 1986 but says their friendship never ended.
"We've lost a giant who understood that to govern is a privilege that comes with burdens few will ever know," said Thompson. "We owe a great debt to his life of public service.”
Loftus was later appointed by President Bill Clinton to be US Ambassador to Norway.
But he recalls his years with Gov. Earl as a special time in Madison, especially compared to today's hyper-partisan politics.
"Everyone was welcomed into his office about 5 o'clock for an alcoholic beverage, and watch him play cribbage," said Loftus. "He just loved to be around people and people love to be around him."
