The author of Healthy Wisconsin was critical of a hearing held Tuesday by an Assembly committee. The Assembly Health and Healthcare Reform committee chaired by Representative Leah Vukmir, a vocal foe of the health care plan from Senate Democrats, held the hearing at the Capitol — with invited speakers only. “It's more of an inquisition than anything else,” said Senator Jon Erpenbach , the Middleton Democrat who's spearheaded the push for Healthy Wisconsin. “It's too bad that members of the Assembly committee aren't going to hear both sides.”
Erpenbach, says he asked the committee chair, Republican Representative Leah Vukmir, whether he'd be able to testify, and was told “don't worry.” But he says there's a lot to worry about. “This is the number one issue in the state. For the people in the state, it's a chance to hear why Rep. Vukmir apparently doesn't want them to have the same benefits package that she has.” Vukmir said the hearing by her Assembly Health and Healthcare Reform committee will not be that last on Healthy Wisconsin. “Health care reform is far too important to confine to this hearing room, or to just a few speakers,” she said.
Erpenbach plans to introduce Healthy Wisconsin as a separate piece of legislation, now that the proposal has apparently been pulled out of the budget deliberations.