Hi John,

As conservationists, we know that public health and safe drinking water are linked.

If we keep pollution out of the water, we reduce the risk that people will get cancer, autoimmune issues, and that babies with be born with life-altering birth defects. But, protecting public health and protecting our drinking water can be linked through funding as well.

Gov. Tony Evers called a special legislative session for May 25 to expand BadgerCare and invest the $1 billion in cost savings realized under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

This means that more Wisconsinites will get access to healthcare to prevent chronic illnesses. But, it also means that there will be more money available in our budget to reduce threats to our drinking water from PFAS and lead. The ultimate win-win.

We need you to contact your state Representative and Senator and ask them to support the Special Session budget bill that would expand BadgerCare and specifically use these savings to:

$100 million dollars for lead lateral replacements in Wisconsin.
$10 million for local government grants for PFAS Remediation. This grant program would directly provide assistance to communities affected by PFAS contamination and help communities respond to and remediate contaminated sites.

Please contact your legislators and tell them they should support the Governor’s call for a special legislative session to expand access to health care in our state and to reinvest the cost-savings in to critical programs that make our drinking water safer from lead and PFAS.