Past email updates can be found HERE
The Wisconsin State Assembly was in virtual session today to vote on legislation in response to COVID-19 in order to bring $1.9 billion to Wisconsin from the federal CARES Act. The bill passed the Assembly 97-2, and will be voted on by the Senate tomorrow. I voted for the bill.
A summary of the bill from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau can be found HERE.
The bill includes some important provisions:
- Waives the 1-week waiting period for unemployment assistance
- Qualifies the state for enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding as established by the federal Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
- Exempts the need for legislative authorization for DHS waiver requests
- No cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing & prohibits coverage discrimination based on COVID-19
- Extends the income tax & franchise tax deadlines
- Allows for temporary credentials for healthcare providers & extends time needed for license renewals
- Exempts the 50 piece rule for legislators to communicate with constituents about COVID-19 for the duration of the public health emergency & 30 days after
The Republican caucus added an amendment last minute on the floor, we were given a maximum of 10 minutes to review it — a summary of the amendment can be found HERE. I voted against that amendment.
The Democratic caucus attempted to add amendments to the bill, however they were blocked by the Republican caucus by a 63-36 vote, on party lines. I co-authored all 3 amendments. Those amendments were:
- The provisions passed in the bill would apply during the current public health emergency as during any extension granted by the Legislature.
- Funding for the UW system, hazard pay and grant programs for child care providers, coverage of COVID-19 related services without cost sharing, small business grants and loans, & tourism funding
- Changes the remainder of elections this year to vote-by-mail
Other provisions that were not included in this bill that we need to address:
- Increased procurement & distribution of PPE for all healthcare workers and first responders
- Hazard pay for healthcare workers
- Fully paid sick time for healthcare workers
- Full healthcare coverage with no out of pocket cost for healthcare workers
- The provisions in the proposed Democratic amendments from today
The legislature must meet again, soon, to address these issues. The bill that passed today was a step in the right direction, but our job is far from done.
The State Assembly met in a hybrid-virtual-in-person fashion today, and since we had super-long roll call votes and we are losing our precious time with 4th graders in the Capitol this spring, I recorded little School House Rock tidbits for your kids at home in my INSTAstories. Need a civics lesson, there ya go.
And since Twitter seemed super interested in our locations while voting, here’s my kid’s nursery turned guest room turned my current pandemic office where I spend most of my days these days working on legislation and emergency solutions, but clearly not finishing the paint job. NOW YOU KNOW: legislators also don’t finish paint jobs.
CURRENT COVID-19 CASES
Statewide
3,555 confirmed cases
1,049 hospitalizations (30% of cases)
37,997 negative test results
170 devastating deaths
14th District Counties
Milwaukee - 1,795 confirmed cases
Waukesha - 224 confirmed cases
For daily updated information on COVID-19 in Wisconsin, visit the DHS website here.
Forward together,
