An expected outcome at the Capitol. Republican legislative leaders in the state Senate and Assembly gaveled in and out of session on Wednesday, after signaling they’d take no action on a special session from Democratic Governor Tony Evers almost as soon as he called it more than a month ago.
I will continue to do everything I can to stabilize our child care industry, support working families, and recruit, retain, and train a workforce that can meet the needs of the 21st century.
Watch my full statement here ⬇️https://t.co/EBGrJ8W6F9
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) September 20, 2023
Evers wanted lawmakers to take up a $1 billion workforce development package, including $365 million to support hard-pressed child care providers. In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) faulted Evers for twice vetoing a bill that would have imposed work-search requirements on welfare recipients.
“Senate Republicans will continue to stand with Wisconsin families that are struggling with inflation by presenting a workforce development proposal to the Governor,” LaMahieu said.
Meanwhile, a new study from a non-partisan research group details child care costs for Wisconsin families. Kevin Dospoy is deputy director of Forward Analytics.“We’re not advocating for any policy one way or the other, but we know that parents need to pay for childcare,” Dospoy told WKOW. “We know that childcare is very expensive and parents can’t really pay more.”
The report (“Priced Out: The Steep Cost of Childcare in Wisconsin”) found the average annual cost of infant child care in Wisconsin in 2021 was $13,572. That’s more than the $10,766 annual tuition at UW-Madison.