Wisconsin Is Second-to-Last State to Adjust Medicaid for the Pandemic On April 20, Wisconsin became the 49th state to get federal approval for adjustments in Medicaid that strengthen the program’s role in combating the Coronavirus pandemic. By contrast, almost four-fifths of states had gotten similar federal authorization by the end of...
Lame Duck Law Has Hamstrung the Evers Administration’s Ability to Fight the PandemicWisconsin faces a deadline of April 16 to qualify for hundreds of millions of dollars from federal Medicaid funding. Almost all of the other states have already qualified for the funding, and they have typically done so by executive branch action.In...
Wisconsin legislators are considering a bill that would double a capital gains tax break approved two years ago, which was intended to encourage very wealthy people to invest in “distressed” areas. Although that strategy for incentivizing investments in “Opportunity Zones” was well intended, commentators across the political spectrum...
As the 2020 legislative session winds down, the Wisconsin Legislature is rushing to pass a bill this week (SB 440)/AB 532) that would double a current state tax break for very wealthy investors who reinvest money in “Opportunity Zones.” A new issue brief by the Wisconsin Budget Project explains why the existing tax breaks for the rich...
For much of this year, Wisconsin officials have been trying to meet with Foxconn and renegotiate the contract that provides for large cash subsidies to be paid to the corporation if it meets certain job and spending targets. According to the Secretary of the Department of Administration, Joel Brennan, the unilateral choices made by...
As many of us celebrate our loved ones and our blessings during the Thanksgiving holiday, please remember that Thanksgiving has a very different meaning for many people in our state and our country. For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is another harsh reminder of the damage of colonization. Native American people are reminded on a...
The decision about whether or not Wisconsin should accept federal funding to expand Medicaid, which would cover an additional 80,000 Wisconsinites and save hundreds of millions in state dollars per year, should not be controversial. However, Republican legislators who oppose Medicaid expansion are relying on discredited arguments about...
JFC Budget Slashes Initiatives Important to Rural Areas and Communities of Color Kids Forward is extremely disappointed by the Medicaid budget approved Tuesday by the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) because it costs state taxpayers far more than the Medicaid plan recommended by the governor, yet accomplishes far less. The Republican plan...
Wisconsin policymakers have a vexing challenge this session: what should they do about the Incredible Shrinking Foxconn project? It’s especially a problem for Republican legislators because they not only approved the huge subsidies for Foxconn, but they also passed a bill during the lame duck session that gives themselves control of the...
A recent court ruling against the validity of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is likely to be overturned by higher courts, but that’s far from certain. What does seem certain is that the ruling will create much more debate in Wisconsin about the steps that state and federal policymakers should take to protect health insurance coverage for...
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