Happy Birthday President Reagan!
Mark your calendars. This Monday, February 6th, is the first ever Ronald W. Reagan Day in the state of Wisconsin. That day, of course, is his birthday. If he were alive today, President Reagan would've been 101 years old! We made this special designation when we passed the state budget last summer. It was part of a Joint Finance Committee motion that I authored. It reads, "Appropriate exercises and celebrations may be held on that day, his birthday, to honor him and remember him as the 40th President of the United States and a promoter of freedom and democracy throughout the world."
So, I ask you, "What are you doing Monday to honor one of our greatest presidents?" We all should celebrate his vision for our country. President Reagan believed in a small government and more individual freedom. He believed in lower taxes allowing people to keep more of their hard-earned money. His optimism for our country was infectious. He's by far my favorite president.
I've heard it said that people develop their political leanings during their formative years. President Reagan was president when I was in high school and college. He inspired me to become involved in public service. What's interesting is that President Reagan didn't become a registered Republican until 1962 at the age of 51. Yet, his conservative values continue to shape our country today.
To learn more about President Reagan and his legacy, check out his presidential library website: www.reaganfoundation.org.
Medicaid Audit
The medical assistance program (MA) for our most vulnerable citizens has always been a priority for our state. In fact, in the last budget every new dollar coming into the state went to Medicaid, which amounted to $1.2 billion. The number of recipients and the amount spent on MA have sky-rocketed. That's why the Joint Legislative Audit Committee asked for a special review of the program. What it found were disastrous practices during the former administration.
The audit released this week revealed financial and program mismanagement. No one knows exactly how much is being spent on individual programs and the agency often wasn't considering how much it could spend when making contract decisions.
We also learned that people are moving to Wisconsin just to receive medical assistance. More than 6,000 former Illinois residents enrolled in Medicaid during the first three months of moving to the state.
That all being said, I have every confidence in the current administration and Secretary Dennis Smith. The Department of Health Services is already implementing reforms that will address these issues. DHS will report back to the Legislative Audit Committee on the implementation of its recommended improvements in July.
Income Tax Study
This week I asked the Joint Legislative Council to conduct a study on income tax reform. Did you know that the current income tax structure was put in place more than 100 years ago? We must analyze if this current system is working effectively to help Wisconsin's economy grow. I hope the study looks at ways to simplifying the tax code and tax forms to encourage businesses and individuals to stay in Wisconsin. The study also would examine other states' tax structures to see if other models work more effectively.
I will keep you posted on the potential Joint Legislative Council study. I look forward to learning more about the ways we can improve and possibly reform our income tax structure in the state of Wisconsin.