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Assembly GOP proposes homelessness initiatives

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Assembly Republicans have introduced a package of legislation aimed at keeping people housed. It would double annual state funding for direct housing assistance, adding about $4 million. Karla Thennes, executive director for Porchlight in Madison, says they’d like to attain “functional zero” on homelessness.

“That doesn’t mean that no one will ever become homeless. What it means is that our system will be the right size to adequately address homelessness when it does occur,” Thennes said. “We have to do everything that we can to keep families housed, so that our time and resources can be utilized for those sleeping in emergency shelters, and sleeping on the streets.”

The Madison press conference was held at Porchlight’s men’s shelter at Grace Episcopal Church, directly across the street from the Capitol. There were no Democrats in attendance to discuss what Representative Jon Plumer called a bipartisan issue. “The Republicans have spent a lot of the last year working on this topic,” Plumer. “I would love to have someone here, but I will tell you it is a bipartisan issue.”

Governor Tony Evers has appointed himself to lead the state’s panel on homelessness, replacing former lieutenant governor Rebecca Kleefisch.

Thompson says more revenues needed for roads

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Governor Tony Evers’ pick to head the state Department of Transportation says more revenue is needed. Craig Thompson told members of the state Senate’s transportation committee that despite efforts to stretch dollars, “conditions on our state highway system continue to decline.”

Thompson, whose appointment must be approved by the full Senate, said another $360 to $400 million is needed every two years, just to maintain current conditions. And tolling is not an immediate solution. “We are somewhat limited in our ability to fix what I think is a ‘today’ problem with our system, through tolling,” Thompson said.

Governor Evers is expected to act on recommendations put forward by a task force he’s appointed which includes Thompson.

Evers vetoes GOP tax cut proposal

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Governor Tony Evers has issued his first veto. As expected, the Democratic governor has vetoed a Republican bill which would have cut income taxes for middle class families.

Evers said Republicans failed to provide long term funding for that tax cut. The governor intends to offer his own version in the state budget proposal he’ll introduce next week.

Republican legislative leaders criticized Evers for wanting to pay for his tax cut by capping a manufactures tax credit, something they’ve said they’ll never agree to.

Mayoral races set in Madison and Green Bay

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The race for mayor of Madison is set. Incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin and former alder Satya Rhodes-Conway advance following Tuesday’s primary that featured six candidates.

Soglin finished first but Rhodes-Conway was just a couple hundred votes behind. Soglin has been mayor in Madison on and off for over 20 years. Rhodes-Conway is director for a UW Madison think tank, and if successful would become the city’s first openly gay mayor.

Two of eight candidates have advanced in Green Bay’s mayoral primary. Former State Representative Eric Genrich won Tuesday’s primary election by nearly 3,000 votes. Genrich says his approach has been about amplifying the voices of the people of Green Bay, and plans to continue with that theme. Coming in 2nd on Tuesday is former Green Bay Alderman and current Brown County Supervisor Pat Buckley. He believes his experience in holding multiple positions in local government will help him win April 2nd.

Evers and GOP leaders remain at odds over Medicaid expansion

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Governor Tony Evers WRN image

A new study says Medicaid expansion will cost Wisconsin taxpayers $600 million per year. The findings by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and UW Economist Noah Williams are welcomed by Republican lawmakers like state Senator Duey Stroebel.

“Ultimately what it does to, is it moves more and more people to government insurance, and that . . . could ultimately end up as single payer, and then that becomes socialized medicine,” Stroebel said Tuesday.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers said he thinks Republican lawmakers’ opposition to accepting the federal Medicaid expansion is based on anti-federal government feelings and and opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Evers plans to do that in his upcoming budget proposal.

“We will take this directly to the people of Wisconsin. Once this budget is released, we’ll be going around the state talking about this issue,” the governor said. “The number of people that we have to convince outside of the legislature I think are very few.”
Republican legislative leaders are opposed to taking federal money to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin, but Governor Tony Evers plans to do that in his upcoming budget proposal

Wisconsin is one of more than a dozen states that have not taken federal funding to expand Medicaid to people who make up to 133 percent of the poverty level. According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, doing so would have saved the state more than one billion dollars from 2014 through 2019.

The governor and proponents of Medicaid expansion have claimed it could make Medicaid available to more than 75,000 low-income residents while saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

Evers wants to ease access to marijauna

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Governor Tony Evers announces he’ll use his proposed state budget to to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize possession of small amounts (less than 25 grams) of the drug.

At the Capitol on Monday, the Democratic governor indicating he thinks there’s bipartisan support for the changes.

“I believe that there are Republicans out there that think this is something that’s important, not only around the issue of medical marijuana, but also decriminalizing small amounts,” Evers said.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos released a statement in which he said Evers proposals “appear to go too far,” by making access to recreational marijuana easier, and providing a pathway to full legalization, which Vos doesn’t support.

“Governor Evers did not really run on decriminalization, so it is kind of new to us,” Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said. “It is going to more about the language that he produces, so we will have to see.”

Evers proposal would also allow for those convicted of having small amounts of marijuana to get their criminal records expunged.

 

Senate Republicans reject Kaepernick’s name in Black History Month resolution

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The Wisconsin Legislature’s Black History Month resolution moved to the state Senate floor on Wednesday. An amended version offered by Democrats included the name of former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick.

On Tuesday, Republicans in the Assembly removed Kaepernick’s name from the resolution drafted by the Legislature’s Black Caucus.

Milwaukee Democrat, Senator Lena Taylor, said the nation sees an historic moment in Wisconsin. “See you take us back, to a time where African-Americans had to have permission to speak, to read, to think, to what they should think.”

Senate Republicans toed the line,voting to table the amended resolution after Democrats spoke on it for more than three hours.

The former San Francisco 49’er brought attention to police brutality against African-Americans by kneeling during the National Anthem prior to games. Taylor pointed out that he’s also donated more than a millions dollars of his own money to organizations around the nation, including in his native Milwaukee.

Assembly Black History Month resolution deletes Kaepernick

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A Black History Month resolution almost failed to pass the Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday. A proposed resolution from the Legislature’s Black Caucus honored a number of individuals. But at least one of those names apparently triggered some white Republicans.

“I think the biggest one was Colin Kaepernick,” for obvious reasons,” Majority Leader Jim Steinke said in comments prior to the start of Tuesday’s floor debate.

Milwaukee Representative LaKeshia Myers, on the Assembly floor later, said she and other Black Democrats thought the Wisconsin-born Kaepernick deserved to included in the resolution.

“He decided to take on ownership of a problem that he saw, which was police brutality,” Myers said.

AUDIO: Rep. LaKeshia Myers (:30)

The chamber ended up unanimously passing a resolution with Kaepernick’s name deleted. Myers later asked the Assembly Chief Clerk to change her vote on the resolution.

“To support the watered down version of this resolution would mean supporting the suppression of the African-Americans fundamental right to support injustice,” Myers said in a statement. Madison Representative Chris Taylor tweeted that she was also changing her vote.

Assembly passes GOP tax break bill

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Republicans in the state Assembly have passed a middle-class tax cut that’s at odds with Governor Tony Evers, who has his own tax cut plan.

The GOP bill uses a state surplus to fund a ten percent middle class tax cut. Evers plan, which he’ll introduce as part of his state budget proposal, uses some of that surplus, but also caps a manufacturing tax credit. Republicans call that a jobs killer.

“I can’t understand how we could possibly use up all of the surplus for this, and then ignore the rest of the budget,” Evers said Tuesday.

The Assembly passed the measure 61-33, with all Republicans for it and all Democrats against it.

Evers to join governors climate coalition

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Wisconsin’s Tony Evers is joining a group of governors focused on climate change. The U.S. Climate Alliance formed two years ago to implement the Paris climate accord at the state level.

It’s goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The 19 member coalition includes three Republican governors.