On March 30 I joined several other representatives from northwestern Wisconsin to announce our support for a plan to use federal stimulus money to help Wisconsin residents. Wisconsin is set to receive over $3 billion under the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and I believe it's important to direct those funds where they will make the biggest differences.
For example, Assembly Republicans propose using $500 million for broadband expansion, more than double what Governor Evers proposes. The COVID pandemic has driven home the importance of reliable broadband access - for work, education, healthcare, and many other vital activities. However, a study published last fall found that 25% of rural Wisconsin residents lack access to standard broadband (25 megabits per second).
We also propose increased investment in long-term care, which has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic, and also direct property tax relief to Wisconsin homeowners.
Although Governor Evers recently vetoed Senate Bill 183, which would have provided transparency and accountability for spending the stimulus funds through legislative oversight, that does not mean the Legislature is going to sit back and stop providing input.
The finance committee will hold its first public hearing on the budget next Friday, April 9, at UW-Whitewater. It will hold three others later in April, including one at UW-Stout in Menomonie on April 22 and a virtual hearing on April 28.
"The question in this case is not whether the Governor acted wisely; it is whether he acted lawfully. We conclude he did not." (Paragraph 1)
"The statute [323.10] contemplates that the power to end and to refuse to extend a state of emergency resides with the legislature....Pursuant to this straightforward statutory language, the governor may not deploy his emergency powers by issuing new states of emergency for the same statutory occurrence." (P. 2)
"The governor's power to act unilaterally on an emergency basis is limited by both a 60-day limit and by the legislature's power to terminate the emergency declaration." (P. 29)
"When the governor employs those [emergency] powers beyond the time limits imposed by the legislature, or after revocation of those powers by the legislature, he wields authority never given to him by the people or their representatives." (P. 36)
"The statute gives the legislature the power to override a governor's declaration of emergency, not the other way around." (P. 42)
This decision is a victory for the rule of law and the constitutional balance of powers. However, it is important to bear in mind that this decision affects only the Governor's powers. Local governments may still issue and enforce their own declarations and orders, including mask mandates, and businesses may also require customers to observe health and safety measures on their premises.
In other COVID news, the Department of Health Services has announced that everyone aged 16 or older will be eligible for the COVID vaccine as of April 5. You may learn more about eligibility here and about where you can get the vaccine here. DHS also provides interesting information about vaccine administration across Wisconsin, and how each county compares to the statewide vaccination numbers.
Happy Easter!
My Capitol office will be closed on Good Friday, April 2, for the Easter holiday.
Legislative Website
If you are interested in learning more about bills that I have authored, co-sponsored, or voted on, please click here. This link will take you directly to my Wisconsin State Legislative page. Also, if you are interested in viewing my office website, click here.
If you have any comments regarding the subject of this E-Update, please feel free to contact me.
Rep. Dave Armstrong State Capitol, Room 409 North PO Box 8952 Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0075 or (608) 266-2519 Rep.Armstrong@legis.wi.gov| |
