All legislative offices have received many calls and emails about their unemployment claims. I know payments are taking too long and I apologize for the frustration, stress and financial difficulty this has caused so many people. The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is still struggling to catch up, but they are working to update their technology capacities and add staff to meet the demands. Thank you for your patience as they work on these improvements. If you are having trouble contacting DWD, send your representative or senator an email with a brief explanation of your situation and contact information. We can help in most cases. 

On a positive note, I’m glad to see Wisconsin has started paying the additional $600 per week (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) from the federal stimulus package. Wisconsin was one of the last states to receive this funding, which is why there was a delay in adding this money to weekly payments. 

Economic Toll of Shutdown

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) announced they have collected $870 million less in April of 2020 than collected in April of 2019. As Wisconsin’s economy continues to falter, our ability to provide funding for K-12, higher education, BadgerCare, SeniorCare and social programs will be greatly diminished. There are several plans that involve opening all retailers, including hair salons, that can be done safely. We can protect those who are at risk and get the rest of Wisconsin back to work.

Department of Health Services

Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS) has a COVID-19 page that is filled with regularly updated information. There are statistics and charts about test results and deaths based on different demographics and counties. Hospital capabilities, including bed and ventilator inventories are recorded are there are many community resources on how to handle a variety of situations regarding COVID-19.