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  • Mining Bill Unveiled
    A mining bill was unveiled today at a State Capitol news conference. It would streamline Wisconsin’s mine permitting process and was written specifically for an out-of-state mining company that wants to build an open pit iron mine in Northern Wisconsin.
  • Meeting Tuesday night about Hoan Bridge bike lane
    "There is a great deal of support for a bike lane over the Hoan Bridge. It's something we've been talking about for more than a decade," said Rep. Richards.
  • Rep. Richards to host meeting Aug. 23 on Hoan Bridge bike lane
    Prospects for a bike and pedestrian lane on the Hoan Bridge have shifted from no to maybe, and residents have been invited to share their views at a neighborhood meeting in Bay View on Aug. 23.
  • Same rules for all
    The state Supreme Court has said it cannot enforce the open meetings law against the Legislature. So let's change the state constitution to give the courts the necessary authority.
  • Amendment would hold state Legislature to open meetings law
    Madison - The Legislature would be subject to the state's open meetings law under a proposed amendment to the state constitution unveiled by Assembly Democrats on Thursday.
 
 
Walker administration keeps plan to cut health care secret from federal government
Open records response suggests Walker doesn’t care if Wisconsin families lose their health care
 
 
Madison— Despite taking more than four months to develop a plan to cut health care by over $500 million that requires federal approval, Gov. Walker’s administration has made virtually no effort to contact or work with the federal health officials who need to sign off on the plan, according to records released by the administration under an open records request filed by Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee).
 
Given the urgency of this issue, Rep. Richards was extremely upset to learn that almost no outreach had been done by the Walker administration, given the terribly negative impact the results could have on families across Wisconsin.
 
“The Walker administration says it will be forced to drop health coverage for 53,000 adults if its plan to cut or scale back health care for thousands of other Wisconsin families is not approved by the federal government by the end of the year,” said Rep. Richards.  “Their plan is a sham.  Governor Walker decided in his budget that cutting taxes for corporations was more important than health care for Wisconsin families.” 
 
Last Friday, Rep. Richards received the attached brief email exchange from the Department of Health Services (DHS) in response to an open records request he made a week earlier.  Rep. Richards had asked DHS for any correspondence between the agency and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on DHS’ plan to implement a directive in the state budget to cut state health care programs by $554 million.  The records provided by DHS show that Gov. Walker’s top health official waited until Oct. 10, more than three months after the budget passed, to first contact CMS about his agency’s plan to seek permission to drop, cut or increase the cost of health coverage for thousands of Wisconsin families.  After receiving the email from Health Services Secretary Dennis Smith, a CMS official offered twice to talk with him to get more information about DHS’ plan.  She never received a reply.
 
“By keeping its plan secret from the federal government, the Walker administration is clearly signaling that it doesn’t care if thousands of Wisconsin families lose their health care,” said Rep. Richards.  “The Walker administration is to blame here.  Anyone who suggests otherwise is not being honest about the situation.”
 
The state budget signed on June 26 required DHS to find roughly a half-billion dollars in savings in state health programs for working families, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities.  DHS cost cutting measures that conflict with current federal health rules have to be approved by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee and the federal government before Dec. 31, an arbitrary deadline the Walker administration inserted into the budget.  Otherwise, the state is required to drop state health coverage for 53,000 Wisconsin adults.  DHS submitted its plan to the finance committee late Monday, more than four months after the state budget was passed.  The committee is expected to take up the DHS plan sometime next week, giving the federal government only 30 working days at most to consider a request that can typically take up to 90 days to review.        
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