Showing Governor Evers How to Do His Job

For Immediate Release                                                                                       

February 23, 2021          

Contact: Rep. Rick Gundrum                                                                                   

(608) 264-8486

Madison, WI – Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger) has released the following statement after voting today to direct Governor Evers to upgrade the Unemployment Insurance (UI) computer systems at the Department of Workforce Development (DWD):

“Governor Evers has decided that he needs the Legislature to show him how to lead. This bill provides a roadmap for improvements in Wisconsin’s unemployment system, a process which the governor should have begun on his own.

“I voted to require DWD to issue a request for proposal (RFP) within 30 days after the effective date of the bill and upgrade the outdated computer system. The bill requires federal funds be used before tapping into state dollars. It also eliminates the UI one-week waiting period through March 14, 2021. The governor already has the ability to procure and finance a new computer system through the state master lease program.

“Governor Evers has decided to play politics over the last several months by blaming Republicans for a problem in his own agency. Former Governor Jim Doyle attempted an IT benefits system upgrade during his time in office. The Doyle Administration did this with existing laws, which supports the fact that the Evers Administration did not need guidance or permission from the Legislature to launch these fixes.

“Unfortunately, the governor likes to use the computer system’s problems as an excuse for the massive backlog of UI claims during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several nonpartisan audits of the agency showed mismanagement was to blame. I still have constituents who are waiting for their unemployment benefits and I hope Governor Evers signs this bill - it has received widespread bipartisan support.”

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