Priorities for Federal Stimulus Dollars

Earlier this week Assembly Republicans announced how we would like to see Wisconsin’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) prioritized.

ARPA is the third federal stimulus package passed and signed at the federal level since the start of the pandemic. Under the bill, Wisconsin is receiving $3.2 billion in federal dollars under ‘the State Fiscal Recovery Fund (SFRF)’. Gov. Evers has sole discretion over this money, and based on his public comments so far there are certainly some areas in which we agree on how the money should be appropriated. For instance, I am glad to see plans for investments in our small businesses and assistance for the tourism industry. However, there are some priorities that I feel may have been neglected that should be prioritized:

Aid to Households – Hard-working Wisconsin taxpayers should see additional assistance as they look to recover from the pandemic. This proposal sends a check directly to Wisconsin homeowners as they look to recover from 2020. Under our proposal, the dollar amount is calculated as 10% of taxes paid by the property owner.

Investing in Long-Term Care – Nearly half of Wisconsin COVID deaths have been in long-term care facilities, yet Gov. Evers sent less than 10% of his CARES Act discretionary funding directly to these facilities. Long-term care facilities were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic while doing everything they could to ensure the health and safety of our most vulnerable Wisconsinites. It’s important that we recognize this industry and its workforce, and the difficult year they’ve been through.

Broadband Expansion – While the governor announced investments in broadband, it doesn’t go far enough. Our proposal invests $500 million of these federal funds into broadband. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have seen how critically important broadband infrastructure is as we have had to live, work, and learn virtually. That’s why we’re calling for more funding for broadband expansion so we can get closer to our goal of high-speed broadband access for all Wisconsin residents.

In addition to the $3.2 billion in state funds, local units of government will also be receiving monies directly from the federal government through ‘the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (LFRF)’. In total, local governments in Wisconsin will receive an estimated $2.1 billion through ARPA. The Act also appropriates funds directly to individuals and businesses. That said, over $5.3 billion is coming to Wisconsin from the federal government. This is not to be taken lightly. I hope the governor will respect the legislature as a co-equal branch of government and allow us a seat at the table as he considers the discretionary funds.

Vaccine Eligibility Update

Beginning Monday, all Wisconsinites ages 16 and up will become eligible for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

As has always been the case, those who are interested in receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine will have multiple vaccination options. You can try contacting your health care provider, local pharmacy, or your local health department. Below is contact information for each health department serving the 21^st Assembly District –

Franklin Health Department

9229 W Loomis Rd, Franklin

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm

Phone: (414) 425-9101

https://www.franklinwi.gov/Departments/Health/Coronavirus.htm

Oak Creek Health Department

8040 S 6^th St, Oak Creek

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4pm

Phone: (414) 766-7950

https://www.oakcreekwi.gov/government/covid-19-emergency/covid-19-vaccine

South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department

2424 15^th Ave, South Milwaukee

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4pm

Phone: (414) 768-8055

https://smwi.org/420/COVID-19-Vaccine

Please keep in mind that this guidance only relates to eligibility for the vaccine. There is not a “timeline” for the vaccine, as this is reliant on supply which is constantly changing. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter weekend!