Rep. Baldeh Statement on GOP Special Session Bill

November 14, 2023

                                                                       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   

Contact: Rep. Samba Baldeh

PHONE: (608) 237-9148 

EMAIL: Rep.baldeh@legis.wisconsin.gov

                                                                                                                                                      

Rep. Baldeh Statement on GOP Special Session Bill

“Yet Again, A Missed Opportunity”

MADISON – In response to Republicans using Gov. Evers Special Session on Workforce Development as a means of playing partisan games while ignoring the needs of Wisconsin’s workers and families, State Representative Samba Baldeh (D-Madison) released the following statement:



“Back in August, Governor Evers called upon the Legislature to take up a Special Session in September in order to invest $1 billion in Wisconsin’s families and workforce. The Governor’s plan would have made critical investments in childcare, instituted paid family and medical leave, increased funding for the UW System and Technical Colleges, funded a state-of-the-art engineering building at UW-Madison, and made targeted investments in our education and healthcare workforces.

To Republicans’ credit, they did not immediately gavel in and out of the Special Session, but for once actually produced a bill of their own on the topic. However, unsurprisingly, that Republican bill did not rise to the occasion. Instead of following the Governor’s suggestion to invest in programs and projects that the people of Wisconsin want and need, they chose to pass a bill filled with GOP partisan wishlist items, many of which the Governor has vetoed previously.

Along with my Democratic colleagues, I was proud to offer an amendment that would have restored the Governor’s original investments while keeping the best parts of the Republican plan. Unfortunately, Republicans refused to take up the Democratic amendment, and forced their own doomed plan through.

Yet again, today presented a missed opportunity. Instead of working with Democrats to actually improve workforce issues in Wisconsin, to support working families, and to make this state the best place in the country to live, Republicans continued their mission of division and taking us backwards.

That said, I remain an optimist. I sincerely hope that we get another opportunity to continue this work in the spring and produce a bill that will both help the hardworking people and families in our districts and earn Governor Evers’ signature.”

 

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