Wisconsin legislators sound off on proposed COVID-19 plan

by Natalie Sopyla, WAOW

(WAOW) -- After 8 months of the pandemic, the GOP released their proposed plan for COVID-19 relief.

"We've been working on this for a while now," said Republican Representative Patrick Snyder of Schofield.

The plan is setting up a $100 million dollar fund to help combat the public health crisis. It also lays out a comprehensive list of other provisions.

Chief among those is the healthcare sector.

"We want to help local agencies, local health departments get the contact tracers they need," Snyder said.

There's also a plan to open nursing homes a bit more, allowing each resident one essential visitor.

"I know isolation and loneliness is a huge factor there as well," Snyder said.

There's rules for schools as well. Teachers would be required to work from the school buildings, with some exception. There would also be some financial aid for families with students who have had at least 50% virtual instruction since September.

But not everyone's on board.

"You can't say you support local control and then try to take it away," said Democratic Representative Katrina Shankland of Stevens Point.

Shankland said the plan places limits on what individual health departments and schools can do.

One thing that she and Rep. Snyder did agree on? Lawmakers need to work together.

"We've seen people lose their lives, and that should make clear that this is not the time for partisan politics," she said.

For now, residents of the badger state will have to wait for the political process to play out, before the relief kicks in.

To read the full plan, click here.