Disability advocates have concerns about Medicaid reforms (UNDATED)
Advocates for people with disabilities have concerns about changes to Medicaid. House Republicans late Sunday voted to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would extend President Trump’s tax cuts while reforming Medicaid. Beth Swedeen with the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities says many optional Medicaid programs could be eliminated. Swedeen said such programs are the ones that are the most cost effective because they’re keeping people out of costly facilities and keeping them healthy and safe at home. That’s not the way Republicans are pitching the bill. Swedeen notes that it’s being sold as something to get able bodied people who should be working into work, but less than 8% of the Medicaid population is people who aren’t working and also don’t have a disability or aren’t a kid. Republicans on the House Budget Committee advanced the Big Beautiful Bill in an unusual late-night vote Sunday, despite opposition from conservatives who contend the cost-cutting measures in the bill did not go far enough.
DHS unveils new ADRC hotline (UNDATED)
A new hotline will help you get in touch with Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers, ADRCs help connect older adults and those with disabilities to supportive resources like health and social services, financial and employment assistance, transportation, and in-home care. Governor Tony Evers says ADRCs play a critical role as a bridge to support services for Wisconsinites who are aging or have a disability. The toll-free hotline has Hmong and Spanish translators and will work to connect callers with local ADRC agencies. A new searchable online resource can be found at FindMyADRC.org, and the hotline number is 1-844-WIS-ADRC.
Film tax credit gets public hearing Tuesday (MADISON)
Today at the Capitol, legislation to provide tax incentives for film production in Wisconsin gets a public hearing. The Senate Committee on Utilities and Tourism hears testimony on the bill. It would allow companies to apply for a 30% credit equal to costs of salary or wages for Wisconsin residents working to produce a film. It would also create a state film office to implement the tax credits. Supporters say this would have cultural and economic benefits for the state. Wisconsin is one of four states with no dedicated film office and one of 13 not offering tax incentives for film or TV productions.
Famous Great Lakes tugboat found (MANITOWOC)
A famous Great Lakes tugboat from the 1920s has been discovered near Manitowoc. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that angler and amateur archeologist Christopher Thuss spotted the wreck of the J C Ames last week while fishing in Maritime Bay in Manitowoc. Maritime Bay is famous for being the resting place for numerous scrapped boats, but also too shallow for standard survey vessels to scan. The 160-foot long Ames was built in 1881 and designed to pull heavy schooners through treacherous waters. It was eventually converted to a ferry ship, and scrapped in 1923. The ship will be listed by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and is already inside the Wisconsin Marine Sanctuary.
MKE city council opposes police facial recognition plan (MILWAUKEE)
The Milwaukee Common Council is opposed to a police plan to roll out facial recognition programs. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports 11 of the city’s 15 alderpersons signed a letter against the plan. The police department announced at the April meeting of the city’s Police and Fire Commission it would get free use of the software if it turns over 2 point 5 million mugshots police have in their possession. That same meeting saw significant pushback from the community, with 30 residents voicing opposition. Letter author Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic says the facial recognition programs have trouble identifying Black and Brown people, and says trading the mugshots for access is overreach.
The Hodag Dome could be open late next week (RHINELANDER)
The Hodag Dome could be open late next week. The School District of Rhinelander re-inflated the structure on Monday, and workers will spend the next week fixing the internal lighting and patching up some tears, meaning the facility could reopen to the public as soon as next week. The inflatable structure was damaged during a late-season ice storm in March, and the issues were magnified when a backup generator failed during a power outage, causing the bubble to deflate. An exact reopening date has not been given.
Cellcom still dealing with outage (UNDATED)
Regional wireless carrier Cellcom is still dealing with a widespread outage. Many customers have been without voice and data service since last Thursday, leaving web-based apps like Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, or WhatsApp as their only connection to family and friends. But in a Monday update, Cellcom says voice service between customers has been restored along with some text messaging services, and their remaining fixes are “on the five yard line.” Customers are encouraged to keep up on the outage via Facebook and the Cellcom website.