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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 15, 2020
 
CONTACT: Senator Howard Marklein, 608-266-0703, Sen.Marklein@legis.wi.gov

 

Marklein Statement on Legislative Response to COVID-19
 

Madison, WI – Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) released the following statement on Senate and Assembly passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 1038. This bill is the first legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“I joined my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle today, to vote for a bill with 55 provisions that will enable Wisconsin to maximize the funding we will receive from the Federal government, allow our state agencies flexibility, remove obstacles and support the citizens who have been impacted by the Safer At Home order. This will not be our only response, but it is a very strong first-step to clear the way for our state to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
This bill includes a lot of provisions, but there are several that directly and immediately impact the people, businesses, organizations and communities I serve.  This bill includes a suspension of the one-week waiting period for unemployment compensation. It defers property tax payments. It maintains county fair aids, even if county fairs are not held. It allows towns to postpone their annual and board of review meetings.
 
The bill postpones requirements for licensing renewals for health care providers and emergency medical services (EMS) so that they can worry about responding to the crisis, rather than the red tape of licensing.  It provides $75 million for the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) to respond to issues that are not covered by the Federal government.
 
The Assembly passed this bill 97-2.  The Senate passed this bill 32-0. 
 
I look forward to our continued work on these issues as we turn our attention to re-opening Wisconsin in the near future.”