The first week of the 2021-2022 Legislative Session has been busy. On Monday, Legislative Democrats introduced legislation to address the challenges COVID-19 have presented to Wisconsinites. Tuesday, I had my first committee meeting of this session when the Assembly Committee on Health took up Assembly Bill 1 (AB 1), the Republican's version of COVID-19 relief. Thursday, the Assembly was in session voting on the fast-tracked Republican plan which did nothing to help with the public health and economic obstacles Wisconsinites are facing, and was little more than a corporate special interest wish list.
Republicans have spent the last eight months sitting on their hands doing nothing as our communities, families, and businesses suffered in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wisconsin has waited too long for the Legislature to act to stop the spread of this deadly disease and to provide substantive economic relief to the people of our state.
Not only have Republicans ignored the pleas of Wisconsinites to address the public health and economic challenges caused by the pandemic, but they have made a bad situation worse by putting up new roadblocks to combatting COVID at every turn.
Passage of Assembly Bill 1 showed that instead of listening to the people of our state and working together for real solutions, Assembly Republicans chose to engage in political theater. The bill passed does more to protect corporations and special interests than to protect people, adds more bureaucracy and red tape, and ties the hands of local communities to address the pandemic. Republicans rammed it through the Assembly knowing that it does not have Senate support and is unlikely to be signed by the Governor.
The pandemic continues jeopardizing the health and lives of Wisconsinites and the economic security of our families and small businesses. That is why my Democratic colleagues and I introduced an amendment to AB 1 which would have continued funding Wisconsin’s public health response and provided vital support for those Wisconsinites struggling to make ends meet to no fault of their own in the face of this pandemic.
Now more than ever, Wisconsin’s leaders need to come together to find solutions that put people first and move our state forward toward recovery.
