HOW THE WISCONSIN STATE LEGISLATURE SHOULD HELP US RESPOND TO COVID-19

The people of Wisconsin are facing a public health crisis of immense magnitude. Our state needs an ambitious bipartisan response to protect the health of all Wisconsinites. Contact your legislator and tell them to take action now!

Now is the time for action, not partisan bickering. People have been waiting for weeks for our state legislature to act, and the Republican leadership has waited until the 11th hour to release a one-sided plan that doesn’t go nearly far enough. While the proposal by the Republican majority includes crucial flexibilities for Medicaid and should allow us to leverage much-needed federal dollars, the GOP proposal fails to provide funding for:

PUBLIC HEALTH

The GOP bill includes zero additional resources for our public health system, which hampers the ability of state and local public health officials in their effort to flatten the curve.

FRONT LINE WORKERS

The GOP bill does not provide any additional support for healthcare workers, hospitals, or long term care facilities who are on the front lines of the pandemic.

CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

The GOP bill fails to include any support or relief for child care providers or families experiencing difficulties finding child care.

FOOD BANKS

The GOP bill fails to include support for food banks that are responding to unprecedented levels of need.

The GOP proposal also denies support and funding for:

increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit
additional round of broadband expansion grants
heating assistance under the low-income energy assistance program through 2020
mandating coverage for diagnosis, treatment, prescriptions, and vaccines related to COVID-19
Covering Wisconsin to support health insurance literacy and private and individual market enrollment
grants to healthcare providers
school employees to continue to be paid at their regular rate if schools are closed by DHS
prohibition of evictions for residencies and businesses during a Public Health Emergency and the 45 days that follow

Every Wisconsinite needs to speak out now and demand our leaders, regardless of party, work together to make sure we all have what we need to get us through these extraordinary times!

There’s no time to waste and no bill should include poison pills or political power grabs. Contact your State Assembly Representative and Senator now!

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