Governor Scott Walker says the National Governors Association isn’t about partisanship. The Republican governor, speaking to reporters at the opening news conference for the NGA meeting, said he welcomes the opportunity to host governors of both political parties. “You don’t see a lot of political infighting at events like this,” Walker said. “It seems like cliché, but it is a stark contrast to what we seen in Washington, where the seems to be little, if any way to bring both parties together in just about anything.”
The annual summer meeting of the NGA is taking place in Milwaukee for the first time since 1998. There are 25 governors – including those from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – in Milwaukee through Sunday. Walker and some of the governors stopped by Miller Park on Thursday, and Walker and his wife Tonette will host an event at the Harley Davidson Museum on Friday night.
Walker talked about Wisconsin’s health care plans and Obamacare. “Because of our budget, everyone living in poverty in this state will be covered under Medicaid,” said Walker. “That was not true in the past.”
Walker’s plan is to shift tens of thousands of BadgerCare recipients into private health insurance exchanges. “Going forward, as of the budget I signed June 30th, everyone living in poverty will be covered under Medicaid. Those living above it, will be transitioned into the marketplace. That transition is dependent on exchanges being up and going.”
But Walker remains no fan of Obamacare. “Obviously I have concerns on principle about the affordable care act, not only in terms of the implementation, but I don’t think it’s good public policy to have the federal or the state government dictate what we do on health care.”